1955 Olds Gas Mileage

[FireballV8]

I drove my olds on a trip this weekend and on the way back averaged 28 miles per gallon, has anyone else experienced gas mileage like this? It has a 324 V8 with a rochester 4-Jet four barrel carb?

thx

[Guest Randy Berger]

Did you learn to lie like that driving a Volkswagen?

YFAM, Randy Berger

[Bhigdog]

Half of that would sound more reasonable.

[FireballV8]

That's what I thought, but I filled it up when I left and refilled it again when I got back, it was 145 miles and it took 5.3 gallons of gas. it comes out to 27.4xx miles per gallon.

Any other answers to as why?

[Guest carlnut50]

You can only get accurate mileage figures if you check it over several tankfulls and if you have checked your odometer against known distances such as mileposts on the highway.Minor differences occur such as whether the car was level when you filled it up.I once dealt with a very hateful customer who complained of poor mileage.He left his car with us all day for the umpteenth time (there was nothing wrong with it).I installed a smaller speedometer drive gear in his transmission and he was happy from then on.It was a 307 Nova.

[Ron Green]

My 55 Pontiac with the 287 V/8 CI engine with a 4 barrel and is tuned up to perfection gets approximately 12 MPG.

[56Roadmaster]

It is possible, 324 is not a very large displacement. I had a tempest 326 and could average 18-22 on the highway. There are alot of factors that could vary from car to car, engine condition, gear ratios, accessories i.e. AC PS, tire size, tire width, tire pressure. Driving habits, i.e. rapid acceleration, environment, barometric pressure, road terrian i.e. hilly or flat. Remember just because an engine "sounds good and runs smooth" doesn't always mean it isn't leaking compression. You can change the cam lift and duration. In addition one would expect better milage with higher compression anyway, since the efficiency of a heat engine (i.e. the internal combustion engine) goes up as compression ration increases and with hotter temperatures (of course we don't have materials to support really high temperatures). Another issue is that most four barrel carbs are made to be very efficient at crusing speeds i.e. when you are only using the primary circuit. It is also possible for you to be in error if your speedometer is off due to a wrong gear ratio, or tires of a different size then what it was calibrated to.

[Guest De Soto Frank]

I just checked the gas mileage on my '60 Windsor after going through the first tank of gas on the fresh engine.

I burned 12.5 gallons of gas in 200 miles: about 16 mpg.

Now, that's going with a light foot during break-in.

Car has a 383 cid V-8, 2 barrel carb, automatic tranny, and 2.93 rear-end.

The best mileage I ever got out of several mid-'60s Chevy Impalas with 283 V-8 and Powerglide was about 20-22 mpg highway.

I would check your mileage over the next couple of fill-ups...if you're consistently getting that kind of mileage, consider yourself "blessed" !

I would be grateful for figures exceeding 18 MPG in anything with a V-8.

Just citing personal experience.

Enjoy your Olds!

[Guest]

You must have had a big air bubble in the filler neck when you filled it after getting back home. Did you just call it full when the automatic pump shut off clicked.

hvs

[Guest 6MercCat9]

I drove my olds on a trip this weekend and on the way back averaged 28 miles per gallon, has anyone else experienced gas mileage like this? It has a 324 V8 with a rochester 4-Jet four barrel carb?

thx

Hey Fireballv8, I use to have a 1955 Olds super 88 with the Rochester 4v and took it from Seattle to Minneapolis twice. Both times going through North Dakota, I hit 28 MPG, and still have the journal that shows that. Just thought some one should answer your question instead of accusing you of being a liar.

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

Hey Fireballv8, I use to have a 1955 Olds super 88 with the Rochester 4v and took it from Seattle to Minneapolis twice. Both times going through North Dakota, I hit 28 MPG, and still have the journal that shows that. Just thought some one should answer your question instead of accusing you of being a liar.

There are so many variables in what results in miles per gallon with any car the results from two identical cars could be remarkably different to identical. I have two '76 Lincoln Mark IVs with 460 4Vs in them running through a C6 transmission and 2.73:1 axle. Nearly 6000 lbs dead weight with a full fuel tank. Overall fuel mileage is in the 12-13 mpg range. Out on a more or less flat Interstate with minimal starts and stops those cars will average 21-22 mpg with the cruise set on 70. Drop it down to a constant 65 mph and they'll get 22-24 mpg. Drop to a constant 55 mph and 26-27 mpg is possible. Realistically, there are few lengthy stretches of Interstate that are more or less flat and one usually won't drive 200-250 miles with those conditions without stopping, so these figures would actually mean nothing but they make for an interesting observation.

[Guest rsd9699]

I think fish and mpg stories are about the same.

These are difficult to prove but when everything is just right these things do happen.

My first car was a 55 88 - best car I ever owned until the last few years. But it never got better than 16 at 80+ mph in the late sixties.

I had a 76 town car - changed my mind about Ford products. Another car that I wished I had bought new but mileage was never what Ford said it would do.

The Olds of 83/84 (307) got what govmo said they would do but no power and sadly too many cops.

The 95 LT1 powered Roadmaster does better than what govmo said but can't afford to pay the oil companies ridicules prices.

I have 2 49 olds 98 and 2 56 88 - none get better than 16 unless I am drafting an 18 wheeler or someone is pushing me.

But as long as I get to pass a gas station every now and then - I am happy!

Long live the Olds legacy!

Ron