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Author Topic:   IIs gas mileage
roadsterII
Journeyman

Posts: 19
From: West Olive, MI, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 05-22-2001 11:57 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for roadsterII     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
OK, at these gas prices, 70 plus miles to and from work a day don't cut it in a 4x4 truck. So what kind of gas mileage figures does a II with a four cylinder get? I'm thinking a II would be cool as a daily driver for the summer. I'm also thinking my son will be 16 next summer so it would be great first car.

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mustangj
Gearhead

Posts: 138
From: fergus,ontario,canada
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-22-2001 08:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for mustangj   Click Here to Email mustangj     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
[QUOTE]Originally posted by roadsterII:
[B]OK, at these gas prices"

Mustang II's (no matter what engine) suck on gas. I read something somewhere that Fords biggest car (Navigator) gets the same milage as their smallest car from 30 years ago (Pinto). Ouch!

I always thought of getting a 87-93 4cyl 5spd fuelie Mustang parts car. I thought you could swap in the works and get a great combo for a daily driven II. The reason I bought my Lincoln and didn't take this route, is the Mustang II is II old! What if something broke? What if someone smashed out a side window or you got in a fender bender, you could be laid out to dry forever! Do yourself a favor and buy a newer desposible comuter and save the II for your hobby! The Lincoln gets 19 MPG and does 15.60 in the Quarter! I have owned 3cyl and 4cyl fuel injected cars as drivers but, the Lincoln has ruined me forever. Why drive a piece of crap when you could have a low mile $38 895 (1991 cost)car 10 years latter for peanuts? My next car is going to be a Mark 8 baby! I almost bought my friends engine-less Cobra II for a comuter but, I am glad I didn't. I know how the love of II's can blind your mind. I try to remind myself the Lincoln is my car and my II is my toy! I tend to confuse the two, from time to time

------------------
1978 mustang II t-top mach 1
1991 lincoln mark 7
1997 escort wagon type R
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by mustangj (edited 05-22-2001).]

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IIGood
Moderator

Posts: 1310
From: Arnold, MD, USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-22-2001 09:15 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for IIGood   Click Here to Email IIGood     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I hear that back in the day, the 4-cylinder II actually got about 28-30 mpg. Not too bad. I think that was on the MPG model.

But given time and all, the mileage for a 20-something year old car would probably decrease. At last check, my '77 with a V6 was getting about 17 mpg. Not too bad. But I'd only let 'er run down 10 gallons...was always filling up with about 10 gallons...each tank full would get me 170-ish miles.

------------------
Frank S.----MCA Member 40390
'99 Mustang coupe
'77 Ghia--"II Good"
'76 Cobra--project

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The Cobraman
Gearhead

Posts: 119
From: Edmond, OK USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-22-2001 09:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for The Cobraman   Click Here to Email The Cobraman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Buy a 2.3 Foxstang. Wife had one... '92 2.3/A4LD and got 30 mpg on the hwy...with a 3.73 axle!

They're cheap, easy to find, and the salvage yards are full of spare parts.

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Maxwell_fax
Gearhead

Posts: 102
From: Port Royal, PA, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-22-2001 10:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maxwell_fax   Click Here to Email Maxwell_fax     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
With nearly an equal amount of city and highway driving, and with the correct combination of mistakes I managed to get an average of 23mpg outta my II..... It scares the hell outta me since it's a V-8... But like MJ said (and I don't mean Michael Jackson) a fender bender in traffic with a 20+ year old car is a whole difference situation than crunching the fender on a Tempo-rary..

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Mark
Gearhead

Posts: 229
From: North East Ohio
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-22-2001 11:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mark   Click Here to Email Mark     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

I agree with getting a disposable car or something like a Toyota truck for transportation. The first you can toss if it gets damaged, the second you should be able to get parts for till H*ll frezes over.

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roadsterII
Journeyman

Posts: 19
From: West Olive, MI, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 05-23-2001 12:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for roadsterII     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for the advice. It sounds like a II wouldn't be II good for mileage. I think the fox body stangs might be where I'll look. I can use it next year to give my oldest son some mustang memories for his first car. As it stands now, I gotta get away from the 50+ bucks a week I'm spending now on gas.

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Mark
Gearhead

Posts: 229
From: North East Ohio
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-23-2001 05:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mark   Click Here to Email Mark     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

Actually, the mileage isn't that bad.

With a 289, C4, 3.00 gears, and 13" tires I could get 20 mpg or better. (been a long time)

With a 302, 2.75 gears, manual trans, and 205/70/14 tires I could get around 24 on a good day. (I wish I had this running gear with the 289.) My truck gets 22 or so on a good day (highway).

I want to put 205-215/70/14 tires and 3.00 gears behind my V6 4 gear to see how it does.

If your concern is mileage, and don't want to worry about the idiot behind you stopping before taking out the bumper, or some goober crashing a light or stop sign, or one of the twit family talking on hte cell in their SUV and creaping into your lane, go for it. Would make a great daily driver.

And, after driving it for a summer, you wouldn't want to turn it over to your kid.

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mustangj
Gearhead

Posts: 138
From: fergus,ontario,canada
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-23-2001 09:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for mustangj   Click Here to Email mustangj     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
[QUOTE]Originally posted by roadsterII:
[B]OK, at these gas prices.

I like the idea of geting a fox stang. I had a 4cyl 5spd fox stang. but I got the bug and put wheels and ground effects on it, slammed it into the weeds. It looked cool but everyone wanted to race it! I sold it after a guy in a Impala SS wanted to race me, kept reving his engine,I almost cried. All the stories you heard about "I beat a 5.0l Mustang in my" (fill in the blank)brand X piece-o-crap, there because of me! (Sorry guys) The fox stangs 87-93 are dirty cheap and you would not be wrecking an important piece of history (like a II) just a rear wheel drive disposable Tempo One problem they look like a Mustang (sorda) but there a nasty car, they handle and stop really bad. My 3cyl Geo and my 97 Escort Wagon (auto) could spank one! They are REALLY SLOW . You could get the 5.0l Mustang they are super cheap and the brakes and suspension are a big step up from the 4cyl car. 87-93 5.0l's get 22mpg (the 4cyl gets 26mpg). I would pay the extra gas, trust me


------------------
1978 mustang II t-top mach 1
1991 lincoln mark 7
1997 escort wagon type R
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by mustangj (edited 05-23-2001).]

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Maxwell_fax
Gearhead

Posts: 102
From: Port Royal, PA, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-24-2001 05:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maxwell_fax   Click Here to Email Maxwell_fax     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Get a Late 80's to mid 90's Crown Vic.. Paint it black with white doors, and a gold star on each front door...... Good milage, comfy ride, and a whole hell of alot of fun in traffic if you can find an old siren!

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Mark
Gearhead

Posts: 229
From: North East Ohio
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-24-2001 09:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mark   Click Here to Email Mark     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

But Max, everytime someone sees you in their mirrors they drop 5 to 10 below the speed limit.

One place I use to work did maintenance on police cars. Not being a cop and thus not leagle to light off the sirine or lights, it was virtually impossable to trouble shoot any symptom above 45 mph.

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roadsterII
Journeyman

Posts: 19
From: West Olive, MI, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 05-25-2001 12:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for roadsterII     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
My whole idea behind this was to get something for a year that gets better mileage then the 16 mpg my truck gets and have something (a II)to give my oldest son next year when he turns 16. I have my own II that I'm building for my hotrod and thought a II for him next year would be a good father son project. As a bonus, I'd get to drive a II again until the snow falls next fall. Now him in a big 4 door for his first car would have it benefits too....I'd like to have him stay out of the one's with black and white paint though.

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Maxwell_fax
Gearhead

Posts: 102
From: Port Royal, PA, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-26-2001 06:12 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maxwell_fax   Click Here to Email Maxwell_fax     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Big 4 doors are alot of fun for your first car... Remodeled the ceiling in the back room of my garage with all the street signs some buddies and I filled the trunk with...

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roadsterII
Journeyman

Posts: 19
From: West Olive, MI, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 05-30-2001 11:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for roadsterII     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I rememeber those signs and 4 doors from my youth too.....they don't stay put on the car roof either when they don't fit in the trunk!

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Maxwell_fax
Gearhead

Posts: 102
From: Port Royal, PA, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-31-2001 12:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maxwell_fax   Click Here to Email Maxwell_fax     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I found that one out a rear window later... Try explaining that to the parents...

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