What drivetrain would you put in for 30 mpg?

[L67ss]

To go with the 3800 idea....my 97 Monte with an sc3800, 2.93 gears, and 225/45/18s averages just over 30 mpg

 

[L67ss]

And a w body is close to the same weight as a g body ....main advantage the w has is aero

 

[Wageslave]

And a w body is close to the same weight as a g body ....main advantage the w has is aero

A full length skid plate underneath might clean up the aero a bit, along with a lowering kit.

 

[Michaelweez]

Last year i sold my 92 LX 5.0 stick Mustang 77k to buy my current 87 442.... it had a ford racing mild cam, flow master mufflers.... rest stock with 3.08s and it got 25mpg all day.

Wifes current 86 Mustang 5.0 GT automatic w/ 91k gets 26-28 if you go easy. All stock but the SLP mufflers.

Hate to see a mixed breed but it does get decent milage.

Fox is also much more aerodynamic that a G body, not to mention probably 300-400lbs lighter on average. I have a 93 LX, with the stock 2.73's and 5 speed it would hold down an easy 25+ on the highway, great drivetrain!

 

[motorheadmike]

I got the LS2 in our 5200+lb TBSS to get a solid 20+mpg highway using a lean cruise tune, and the Turbo 3.8L in our old Buick to pull down 18+mpg combined in mixed conditions again using lean cruise - that car had 3.08 gears and a TH400 with a very loose converter.

15-16:1 AFR is a pretty safe range.

 

[pontiacgp]

To achieve the best gas mileage you need to start with the carb and to do that you need an air/fuel mixture gauge. It doesn't take much for a carb to burn too much fuel.

 

[UNGN]

but if you really want to turn heads, grab a late 80s, early 90s ford 5.0l with od trans, good for 27-29mpg. i worked for ford, heard many first hand testimonials from coworkers, customers and friends of their fuel economy. didn't matter if it was a mustang owner, crown vic, or lincoln town car.

The 200HP '86 Mustang engine (one year only) was great for MPG. I had the optional 3.08 gears and got 27mpg (and I never drove 55), the std 2.73's would get even better MPG.

The '87 and later GT's had more HP and burned more gas, but the regular cars got the more restrictive intake the 86 Mustang had.

 

[andrewb70]

Gen IV 4.8L/4L60e

Andrew

 

[Wageslave]

An FE3 2.0 Mazda/KIA engine and transmission out of an old B2200 Mazda truck would probably be a decent swap. Most of those trucks came with 5-speeds and the F series mazda engines continued on all the way to 2001 as Kia bought the tooling rights to produce that series of engines for the Kia Sportage.

 

[online170]

I cant see 30 mpg in a gbody. Its just too boxy and heavy in stop and go. Sure my buddies 3rd gen "spare parts" Fbody pulls down mid to high 20's with an ez-efi, alum headed sbc and tko 6 speed. But he drives like a granny and doesn't like to rev it over 2k he's so miserly. Hell the price of his trans alone ( nevermind the efi, ect... ) would pick you up a rice burner that will pull 30-35 mpg with the A\C on.

My buddy's regal gets over 30mpg regularly. Its his daily driver in the summer. He puts about 20,000 kms on it a year.