Given the wife works nights on the weekend and the upcoming holiday makes TV worthless to pass time, my mind wonders easily...
So, the idea I had last night was how bad/hard to "hypermile" a big block Ford? By hypermile, I mean 20-ish mpg, from a normal 12.
My idea was to start with a pre 96 2wd F150 reg cab SWB, no cars that is cheating and the costs rise immensely. You can install a BB/E4OD from a 250 without any fanfare. 3.08 rear gear in the original 8.8. 28" minimum tire diameter. Drop the overall profile 3" closer to the ground.
But then when looking for pictures, I just HAD to surf over to NLOC.net and look at Gen1 Lightnings.... A stickied thread over there tells how to put on nearly 13" front brakes and another thread tells how to bolt on 13" rear discs, so how about throwing in some additional handling and stopping power.... UGH.
Pretty soon the thought process lead to dreams of a road course capable 4500# brick...
Make it stop??? 
Ranger50 wrote:
So, the idea I had last night was how bad/hard to "hypermile" a big block Ford? By hypermile, I mean 20-ish mpg, from a normal 12.
I could knock down 24mpg with my first car cruising at 75-85mph. It was a 429-4V engined Thunderbird.
So, not hard at all.
cant make it stop. done similar myself.....
ill be here to help if you dont WANT to make it stop.
Maybe a turbo? You know, for efficiency sake 
1st Gen Lightning
Knurled wrote:
Ranger50 wrote:
So, the idea I had last night was how bad/hard to "hypermile" a big block Ford? By hypermile, I mean 20-ish mpg, from a normal 12.
I could knock down 24mpg with my first car cruising at 75-85mph. It was a 429-4V engined Thunderbird.
So, not hard at all.
I said cars are cheating. 
To get that, you must have had the mythical 2.56 geared 9" rear. I want to do do it with an aero brick, aka pickup truck. I would love to replace the 20mpg Dakota with something "illogical". 
stanger_missle wrote:
Maybe a turbo? You know, for efficiency sake
1st Gen Lightning
Nah, don't want to pay the Lightning tax. Can get regular F150's for 2k or less.
But a chinese T76 on the BBF has legs in my mind. 
Ranger50 wrote:
I said cars are cheating. To get that, you must have had the mythical 2.56 geared 9" rear.
I will admit to having stopped reading at "big block Ford".
Stock 2.77 gear, stock Autolite 4300 carb, high compression engine (not the slugmobile smog motor junk), happy cam, and 245/60-15 hoops. I was shocked at first, but now I recognize that I just drive it efficiently.
I want to do do it with an aero brick, aka pickup truck. I would love to replace the 20mpg Dakota with something "illogical".
How about a B4000 4x4? I got 20mpg with one of those once.
...towing a car on a steel trailer.
Really, it was a great exercise in momentum conservation. I didn't want to go over 70 because I was towing a car with a compact truck (did I mention the trailer brakes were out?) but I wanted to keep it over 65 because then I wouldn't have to shift out of 5th, even going uphill.
Ranger50 wrote:
Pretty soon the thought process lead to dreams of a road course capable 4500# brick...
Make it stop???
Get out of my head! I want to build a large road race car (740i or something of the sort).
Now I'm off to CL looking at all of the cheap BB trucks in my area . . .
Ok.... It kicked in again last night and continued on into this morning on the drive to drop the kiddo off to preschool.
Is the same idea possible with a BBC? They aren't known for the best MPG, V8 Chevys in general, in anything before the LS-series. If i ran with this, I'd dump the stock computer for something with easier on the fly program changing capabilities. Same things as the other, better intake, exhaust, MAYBE a cam and spring change, better converter, etc....
Knurled wrote:
Ranger50 wrote:
So, the idea I had last night was how bad/hard to "hypermile" a big block Ford? By hypermile, I mean 20-ish mpg, from a normal 12.
I could knock down 24mpg with my first car cruising at 75-85mph. It was a 429-4V engined Thunderbird.
So, not hard at all.
My neighbor has a 429 LTD Interceptor rotting away in the garage. So much want.
Stick with the hypermile 5.0 so I can use your info to increase the mileage of my F150. I'm already planning on increasing the mileage on my 2.3L Ranger.
Even though this is the land of crazy where diesel engine Miata's are worshipped, but I have to ask why?
Now that's said, it's all going to come down to aero. Go for the land speed look, low and smooth. lower it, air damn to stop air getting underneath. Smaller more aero mirrors mounted close to the body, eliminate as many body seams as possible. Shave the rain gutters, loose the door handles. Narrow, highly inflated tires, moon discs? Sort out the bed, find what really works etc.
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
Even though this is the land of crazy where diesel engine Miata's are worshipped, but I have to ask why?
"I want to do do it with an aero brick, aka pickup truck. I would love to replace the 20mpg Dakota with something "illogical". "
This is why.
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
Now that's said, it's all going to come down to aero. Go for the land speed look, low and smooth. lower it, air damn to stop air getting underneath. Smaller more aero mirrors mounted close to the body, eliminate as many body seams as possible. Shave the rain gutters, loose the door handles. Narrow, highly inflated tires, moon discs? Sort out the bed, find what really works etc.
Already have that in the cards. Completely blocked grille with just enough ducted air to keep it cool. Bed cover, maybe. Depends on what I dream up. At least a 50% blocked underbody. No skinny overinflated tires either.
Gear Vendors overdrive unit bolted onto your favorite overdrive tans. Give the rear end stupid highway gears, 2-2.50s or something like that. Bet you could knock down the miles with the engine turning at 1,200rpms.
I like the idea of a GV unit, the application of said unit sucks though.
If I use my wife's Av as the baseline, 32" tall tires, 3.42, .68(?) OD, I am at 23-2400 at 70-75mph....
