The Money Pit

I just put a few bucks in the tank this morning and at 1.99 a gallon I wonder if I need to rethink my 406.A 350 with a 6-71 will certainly put down the power,but what about the mileage?I'm getting around 15 mpg with the 406 as it sits.

mapman

Is the fuel cost enough to really even matter?

For every 1000 miles driven at $2 per gallon:

5 mpg = $400
10 mpg = $200
15 mpg = $134
20 mpg = $100
25 mpg = $80
30 mpg = $67

ykp53

it might be better to think about it in a yearly cost.
5 mpg =$4800
15 mpg=$1608
25 mpg=$960
the difference between 5 and 15 is over 3 grand. thats a new transmission for me. poor gas milage sucks trust me i get 7 mpg now if im good.

moosie982

"Theres more to life then gas mileage" that was on the license plate frame that my friend had on his hemi powered Ford van,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,So, if ya wanna play,, you gonna hafta PAY :lol: Peace,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Craig :seeya

Let 'er eat!

I don't know about a 6-71, but with my "little" blower & a 406 I get about 9 mpg.

mapman

Many of these modified cars don't see 12,000 miles per year. Your right, that a low mpg car and high miles per year is expensive, its just that if the # miles per year are low it doesn't matter much.

My 2003 C5 convertible (A4) gets 28+ mpg on the highway, it sees about 20K miles per year. If mpg is a concern, you might consider a manual C5.

norvalwilhelm

My 460 with a 8-71 running 15% overdrive, a pair of heavily reworked 850 double pumpers with manifold reference power valves gets about 15 mpg with about 1/2 city 1/2 expressway driving. That is a realistic mpg for what I have. I do have 3.08 gears since the blower puts out so much torque and a overdrive transmission.
I think gas mileage is important. Why just burn up your money. Poor gas mileage is an indication of poor combustion which washes down the cylinder walls and shortens the life of the motor.
An efficient motor, get good gas mileage, lessens wear and encourages you to drive it more.

Let 'er eat!

I think my mpg is related to my right foot :jester Seriously, it seems to run great and it's tuned to the best of my abilities - I have a 3.7 rear ratio. I had a camaro with the same setup and it got about the same mpg maybe 10-11. My Busa is suppose to average over 30 mpg but I can't seem to get out of the 20's with it ....

The Money Pit

Most of my life I've driven V-8 powered cars and have gotten used to 13-15 mpg.If I was in the single digits,like Norval said something's wrong with the combination.I also build daily driven cars and commute in excess of 400 miles weekly,so though I'm willing to pay for the power I run,sometimes have to wonder if there's a better way to get it.If a smaller displacement mill with a blower will get the job done,might be worth concideration.

Norval's 460 getting in the 15 mpg range is inspiring though,since I run a single Holley and less cubes I should shoot for 20 mpg.

On a side note I drive rain or shine usually and with the weather lately more rain than shine,wonder how a 6-71's cog belt throwing water spray in the line of sight would be.I guess you either pull over or don't drive it very much. :yesnod:

Let 'er eat!

My friend says his doesn't sling that much :cool:

Let 'er eat!

Fevre

Might look into a MPFI system, you could peice one together for $1,000 or so that would feed you 406 and boost your MPG with no blower sticking out the hood. :)

Let 'er eat!

[Modified by Let 'er eat!, 11:56 AM 4/15/2004]

Let 'er eat!

Here's my gas guzzler:
Maybe the gas is running out the big hole in the side :jester

norvalwilhelm

That's not the same type of blower?? Different totally??

KenSny

If you are worried about gas cost then you should not be thinking 6-71! People wanting power NEVER think in terms of MPG......

OatBoy

damn, how do you do that? thats more than my buddy gets with his mild, NA 406

Let 'er eat!

That's not the same type of blower?? Different totally??
________________________________________ ________


That's my little 142 blower. That blue car is a friend of mine's.


[Modified by Let 'er eat!, 2:24 PM 4/15/2004]

Steve Straus

I'm assuming a 406 with a 6-71 isn't going to be a daily driver, so why is your primary focus on mileage? If it's a fun car, than mileage shouldn't matter at all. Tune it for power and have fun with it.

The Money Pit

My 406 is driven like I intended.Mostly mild commute,occasional hell raising.The original post was a question about smaller displacement engines and their ability to produce the power I crave,with reduced fuel expense.I realize I can buy a lot of gas before I could make up the difference in the cost of a blown smallblock,and after my second transmission in as many years I seriously doubt a 6-71 powered car would last if it was a daily driver.


All that aside I refuse to garage my Vette and drive a ricer for the mileage,so I'm just thinking out loud about what to do if the price of gas gets too far out of hand. :cheers: