1957 8 MPG

Ward 57

Ward 57

Active Member
Last seen
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Thunderbird Year
1957
Just checked my milage, just a hair over 8MPG. All stock and non-ethanal fuel, only local driving. No rich smelling exhaust. last I checked 20yrs ago it was about 7MPG.
 
Geez… like fine wine and good whiskey, it improves with age…. Hard to believe my pickup get 4 times that mileage… either way…have fun and enjoy it
 
I believe that is low. I drive (56) all very short trips (10-20 miles) & average 11-12 mpg
 
My last check got me 10.5 mpg, about 90% stop and go driving.
 
That seems a little low to me Ward, I think you should get at least 10-12 mpg. However, that depends on how your engine was rebuilt the last time. Is it stock? Possibly the brakes or wheel bearings are a little bit tight.
 
It is a rebuilt engine from in the 70s by a Ford rebuilder 1/5 owned by a local Ford dealership. Solid engine. The carb is one I bought from that dealership also. I have no paperwork on how it was built but it is strong. I have no other frame of reference. The torque from a stop is amazing. Just a little throttle and rumble from the back and before you know it it's doing 35MPH with no effort.
just wondering if 8MPG is that unusual when everything else says it's well tuned.
 
Just checked my milage, just a hair over 8MPG. All stock and non-ethanal fuel, only local driving. No rich smelling exhaust. last I checked 20yrs ago it was about 7MPG.
You don't mention whether you have an automatic transmission or a standard transmission with or without overdrive. For an automatice 10-12 seems in the ball park. I do better with overdrive and gears for a non- O.D. rear end. town driving will likely be less than highway driving at moderate speeds.
 
You don't mention whether you have an automatic transmission or a standard transmission with or without overdrive. For an automatice 10-12 seems in the ball park. I do better with overdrive and gears for a non- O.D. rear end. town driving will likely be less than highway driving at moderate speeds.
Yes it is an automatic with P/S & P/B. I also meant to say the rebuilder is 1/2 owned by the dealership and other family owns the rest.
 
Yeah 8 MPG is pretty bad....something seems amiss; perhaps a leak ? Even some of the big block muscle cars of the 60s
were better than that.

HOWEVER, if the car is a pleasure cruiser or a "once a month" driven garage queen and runs alright otherwise then perhaps monkeying with things may do more harm than good.
 
It runs very well. Even though my trips may be harder on the wallet I shall not be deterred of enjoying driving it. 17+Gal. of non-ethanol fuel $99. May have to buy another bottle or two of fuel stabilizer.
 
Is non-ethanol fuel routinely available in your area? I have not seen it in South Jersey… I filled 3 5 gallon cans for my lawn tractor today for $74.20.

just to cut the grass!!
 
Is non-ethanol fuel routinely available in your area? I have not seen it in South Jersey… I filled 3 5 gallon cans for my lawn tractor today for $74.20.

just to cut the grass!!
Yah, there are about 20% of the stations with non-ethanol fuel. One only a couple of miles away. This area is full of old guys, old cars, hot rods and motorcycles. There is a market for it here. But it's the price we pay to enjoy our rides. Thank heavens I'm in a place that it is 'the cost of doing business' is not a burden.
Unfortunately I see and hear more crotch rockets and 'Tuners' in the area. What ever happened to class over show off?
 
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The show off part seems to be a global issue. I live in the deeper woods on a dirt road and I usually hear some crotch rocket whining up the main road …there are tons of deer running around and I have heard that sound as well…. Vrooom vrooom vroom…bang!
 
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Knuckle - you are in So Jersey?? I'm up in the North
Funny but I have no reason why…but I thought so about 3 months ago you had posted something I’d recognized… ever been to Ruts Hut?
 
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The show off part seems to be a global issue. I live in the deeper woods on a dirt road and I usually hear some crotch rocket whining up the main road …there are tons of deer running around and I have heard that sound as well…. Vrooom vrooom vroom…bang!
Nice! I wonder how long your new flowers will last before those Deer want desert?
 
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