Station Wagons, Power, and Fuel Economy

I haven't had much of a chance to check that A pillar very well. It looks like the top skin got pushed in by about 3/8" inch. Andy seems to think it might be compromised as well. I've got my eye on a 1982 Zephyr sedan that has a good front end, so I might have to 'cut and paste'. I hope its not compromised, but the Spring Thaw, will reveal all.

Yeah! I've got permission from the SWMBO (She Who MUST be Obeyed), to restore it, PLUS (IF I can get a 4 speed stick, pedals, and change to a 2 or 3 barrel setup (tri-carb) or a better single carby.)

I'll strip her down (wetsand, and give her another couple rolled coats of paint, after I fix her up (doglegs at the rear wheel wells), and redo the upholstery over next winter, with an upholstery machine - I've done it on some of my previous cars.

Got permission to build me a proper demountable workshop (to conform to city bylaws) too! Gonna be a great year to wrap up some longstanding projects, including the house!

 

I won't go back to a V8. I can get in enough trouble with the I6! Seven main bearings on that little beast. Built to last. A bit more OOMPH and better MPG.

I'll get some better electronic tuneup tools, that's for sure, but I definitely need a 4 speed stickshift. We don't have any hills out here, except a few underpasses. The Rockies are 2,000 miles west, and Western Ontario's hills look more like a training bra.And the highways to Mexico, are great! Barely any hills at all. from here anyway. Straight down the middle through corn country. The wife wants to drive it, but only with a stickshift, and she knows them only too well.

 

And they all stock got 30-4500 MPG with nothing more than dual exhaust???...and then there was the 400 40MPG claim..............

I guess these were Canadian only models were Ontario only models then?

 

Why a 4 speed? Seems like a T5 would be perfect for your car, but I have no idea what the bellhousing looks like on your I6.

 

I really want a T5, but it depends on what I can find in the junkyards. I need the whole pedal system too, and the backup lights switch for the standard. Good thing is that I have the console installed for the automatic anyway.

 

the bolt pattern for the I6 is the same as a SBF V8.
you might consider just changing the Trans to either an AOD, AODE or
evan a 4R70w.
That being said, have you had the engine anylized?, this would give you
a base line to work from. Unlike many others, I always like to start from
the original setting, then work from there, using info from others who have
similar cars.
BTW how is the break line coming along?
FYI way back in the day, I mean early 50's in mileage tests
cars were getting in the mid 20 mpg... easy and I mean full 6 passenger
cars with full trunks, you know the ones you could store 3 or 4 bodies in..hahaha
Personelly right now, and for the last year I've had a hell of a time with my
74 dart 318. ever since the distributor vacuum went out, the car has bee
just bad, and I've changed the Dist 4 times and finally changed the brand.
but still have same problem. and the car is set to factory spects...
anyway best of luck

 

Sanddoc, that sounds like the distributor needs to be properly recurved. Those 318s are normally a breeze to dial in right

 

The engine is a 5,000 mile professional rebuild. I get 20 psi of vacuum at idle, and 15 psi at crusiing speeds - the needle never flutters once she's warmed up and idling. The book says she should idle at 900 with AC and Automatic. I can idle her down to 550-600 RPM. Cold Start choke RPMs at 2,100 (factory book setting recommendation), and she kicks off when the engine is ready. Fuel pump is fine, Distributor is also a professional rebuild and machine tested. The carburetor is all I can see as the weak link. :banghead3:

Some little oil company component wasting my money.

And you're right, the V8 SBF housing is the swap target:
http://fordsix.com/V8Bell.php

 

Not exactly, there are two types. In the early fox-bodies the starter is in a higher location.

 

Mike your right and wrong...
sorry... you know like any old car things change, wear out...
I worked on the 318 this morning, using a timing light and a rpm gauge
I think most of the problem is with the vacuum at the carb port, it is at
11" mercury. After setting the timing at TDC and 750rpm with vacuum
not connected then I connected the vacuum, and the rpm went up to
1000rpm... I can move the advance plate with my mouth, so it should not
need 11" vacuum to pull it... I think the vacuum canister on the side of
the air cleaner is not working any longer and the Dist is getting
the full 11" vacuum... which then shows the timing with vacuum at say 22 BTDC..
way to much...
I played with it a bit and got it running much better, still needs work.
Other problem is the Thermostatic vacuum on the air cleaner snorkle.
It to uses a propotioning valve in the air cleaner, it seems not to be
working so no vacuum at the Thermostatic valve...direct vacuum always it
to work, but then it will not disengage at the proper time..
so many small things, and Vacuum was and is a bad idea...
Mike thanks for the input.. I've had others look at it and they did not
find the problem, but they got paid...Hey I'm in the business and should
know better, but I always say it easier to find the problem on someone
else's car, then my own.. because I think everything is correct on mine.
Best

 

For what its worth, I had an '86 Mustang GT convertible 5-speed that was bone stock other than the previous owner had replaced the rear gear with a 3.73 set. I drove the car highway and city mixed, and wasn't terribly shy about using the accelerator and consistently got 21-22MPG. If I spent more time on the highway, I could push it to as much as 24-25, but that wasn't the norm.

I know you've said you don't want to go back to an 8 cylinder, but when you consider the price for performance, reliability and drivability, the fuel-injected 5.0s are very tough to beat.

I have been shopping for one for my '65 Mustang project that I'm turning into a daily driver and will be picking up a fully-dressed (injector harness, fuel rails, flywheel and all that stuff included) engine that was pulled as a good runner from a '90 Mustang GT for $300. I purchased the T5 for another $250 previously, again a good part. Computer, harnesses and sensors were another $350, and I'm only missing the back-up harness at this point.

I did a bunch of searching around for parts and pricing things out, and I can safely say that these prices are good, but are repeatable if not beatable. The longest drive I will make is on Sunday for the engine and it will be about an hour. I do already have pedals in my car, and there will be some other things to purchase to finish it up, but realistically I could have a drop-in GT 5.0 runner for with pretty much everything I need for about $1100. You could always go and buy something like a T-Bird or Lincoln (not Mark VIII) with the non-GT 5.0 and AOD as well and get the entire car for $500-$600 and do the swap for even less, and still hit your HP and mileage targets while gaining fuel injection.

If you are set on staying with the 6, I read about guys with the 6-cylinder falcons in the mid-60's hitting the mid-20s with the 170's and 200's when they had them running right, so you definitely have options.

No matter what route you go, let us know what you end up doing, and good luck with the project!

 

The man who restored my '70 Country Squire tells a story about his wife's '74 Maverick with 250. It got very poor mileage (10 - 12 mpg, if I recall correctly), less than the optional 302 in the same model. A swap of the stock timing set for a set for a 1970 250 boosted his mileage into the 20s. It seems the later motor had retarded valve timing for emissions purposes.

 

If memory serves me correctly, my '73 Mustang with a 302 came from the factory with the valve timing retarded somewhere between 2-4 degrees. There was a lot of that gong around then.

 

I drove a 93 T-Bird 302 for 5 years and I have to say they were very economical, about 1 liter:8-9 km (can't do MPG right now), the 96 Impala LT1 did about 1:5-6 and the Cruiser I can only hope she does 1:3-4, only filled her up once when I got her a month ago and she's in winter storage now, but I already have an Edelbrock intake, Hooker headers and complete Lunati cam kit 60810 and Comp Cams 1442 kit waiting when she gets out...I hope to get at least 100hp and lbs/ft from that, improving mpg.