Gas Mileage--what's yours?

[Guest CaptainBristol]

Yesterday I filled my pickup with gas and got a shock. I don't spend a lot of time driving the truck, so it can go for weeks between fill-ups. The tank was down to fumes when I swiped my credit card at the pump. I got the gas flowing and stood there, watching the dollars spin past with amazing speed. The pump suddenly shut off when the tab hit $50. I had to swipe the card again, just so I could feel the sting of humiliation until the tank was finally full.

The truck gets OK mileage for a vehicle its age and weight, but on the drive home my thoughts turned to my 1950 Straight Eight.

Ten days from now I'll take the Packard on a road trip of about 900 miles. My 288 cu. in. engine gets about 15 MPG on the highway, if the road is reasonably level. City driving sees that number drop to less than 10 MPG.

I have no idea if this mileage is good, bad, or normal. I do know that seven of my cylinders are good at 120 psi, while number eight is at 60 psi. In the past this has not seemed serious enough to warrant tearing into the engine. But with gas prices this high, I am beginning to wonder.

I have checked my relatively thin stack of literature on the car and can't find any mention of expected gas mileage. I guess that when gas was 14 cents per gallon, mileage was irrelevant.

Anyway, I figure I am not alone regarding my gas mileage questions. So I'll toss the questions to the group:

What sort of mileage do you get?

Do you have any idea what mileage your Packard got when it was new?

Thanks for your input!

Mark in Alaska

[John N. Packard]

Mark,

I drove a '52 Packard with 288 CID eight 60,000 miles as a commuter car going 100 miles per day round trip. I bought gas every other day. This was on a rebuilt engine. I did not have overdrive which would have helped considerably. Most of the commute was at sustained speeds of 55 to 60. So I guess my mileage was in the low teens. The Mobil dealer where I traded gave me discount of several cents per gallon because I was such a regular customer!

jnp

[52deluxe]

your getting about the same mpg as i do in my 52 200 deluxe "288 ultramatic." im planning in the next 5 years on taking a month or so road trip in the packard "rt 66 end to end" so i better start saving for gas now <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

[John N. Packard]

The Lincoln Highway Association did a cross country tour on the remaining portions of that highway a couple of years ago. They did a seminar at the AACA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia that was very interesting. A drive along route 66 should be a great experience.

jnp

[Guest Randy Berger]

On the Mid-Atlantic tour I was getting 17+ mpg, but we were tooling along at 45-50 most of the time. Out on the Interstates running along a 65+ <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I get a little better than 15 mpg.

[Guest imported_PackardV8]

I think Turbopackman offers an HEI for the straight 8 Packard. That ought to get u an extra 2-3 mpg. An overdrive would sure help too.

This gas mileage issue is why i insist that the 75 series tires or LARGER be used on our cars.

My 56 Exec runs about 10-12 mpg in town and a good solid 16 open hiway. I've only checked it maybe 2 times over the last 7 years but i does seem to run alot better mileage at 70 - 80 mph than under 60 mph.

[Twitch]

I got a new- rebuilt carb on mine (288CID) and it only goes around on city streets. Mileage is 12.5 MPG. My car has 77,000 miles on it and no overdrive. I've never needed or wanted to take it on the freeway for any trip long enough to get mileage for "hiway." My old crappy carb was below 10, probably like 8. A new carb will do wonders and you can easily justify the expense with $3 gas prices and a 17 gallon tank.

[Ed Miller]

Gas mileage? I measure fuel consumption for my 1933 Packard Twelve in yardage. She goes about 10,500 yards per gallon (or about 6 1/2 miles to the gallon). 10,500 yards sounds a lot better.

[Joe Block]

Try coasting on the downhills. Give that telwve a rest.

[Joe Block]

For the miles I put on the 42 limo, Relablity is a bigger concern than mileage.

[Guest]

Gas Milage that is gotten on a hobby cars like we own I don't think should be much of a concern. In the 18 years that I have owned my 66 Chevelle I average about 400 miles a year. I have never checked the milage on the car, but only need to fill the tank about twice a year. The time has rolled around that its time to top off the tank for winter time, treat the fuel and put her away till next spring.

[joe kastellic]

The first day I drove my car home a 56 clipper 352 240hp I got 18-19 mpg. I thought that maybe the gas gauge was off, but it was right on . The distance was about 350 miles all interstate. I had did some R&D on mpg.for 55-56 packards from road tests and found it to be right on. I have an auto with the 3.07 rear end. I was thinking about going with the 4 barrel but with gas gougeing at the pump I have second thoughts. I am going to try a gas additve called Fuelon that I have had GREAT results with cars that failed the state smog tests, I have passed cars with a DEAD clylinder and they passed, they say that I can increase gas mpg by at least 20%. I have even passed cars with the tough NOX SPECS. and they passed. They say that the additve reformulate the gas molcoules to get complete combustion. there web.site is www.fuelon.com I have used this product for years. BTW my Stude Hawk with the 289 ci 2barrel and electronic igntion ,auto 3.36 rear and least 1200 lbs. lighter than the Packard clipper only gets 15-16mpg on the interstate, go figure??