Discussion
I'd quite like one of these 68-72 vettes myself and yours looks great and in the colour that i think suits it best and i'd happyly put up with having a car that does just 6 mpg just for the looks and sound of the v8 engine alone.
Also the grin factor you get from annoying prius owners with that fact that it costs nothing to tax makes even more sense, for me anyway.
Also the grin factor you get from annoying prius owners with that fact that it costs nothing to tax makes even more sense, for me anyway.
stuart-b said:
Very nice!
Is it not possible for you to modernise the engine a bit? I can understand keeping the car itself classic, but there's nothing wrong with perhaps megasquirt and an EFI system to try and get up to 15 to the gallon
It is tempting, but the sight of the massive chrome aircleaner sitting on a huge double pumper when you open the bonnet keeps me from doing it! Is it not possible for you to modernise the engine a bit? I can understand keeping the car itself classic, but there's nothing wrong with perhaps megasquirt and an EFI system to try and get up to 15 to the gallon
Engine needs sorting/tuning anyway - Carb and timing needs adjustment. I would be surprised if I can't get it doing 12 mpg, which would double its range.
ETA: Thanks go out to Scott at Corvette Kingdom, who did all of the chassis restoration work, and my long suffering father who did the lion's portion of the interior and the electrics, with me generally holding stuff and occasionally breaking things as I tried to put them back on.
Edited by 427James on Thursday 22 July 13:25
5 USA said:
At 6 mpg I guess that petrol station is where you now live, or at least they let you have your own personal pump!
Car looks very fine!
Not far off! I take it and fill it up every 40 miles or so, as the fuel gauge is not working and I dont want to take any risks. Fuel gauge is the next irritating project. New tank and sender, so it must be the clock itself...Car looks very fine!
James - nice car/nice colour/good to see another '68 - its also nice to see a car with the 'turbine' wheel trims. 6 mpg from a L36(390 hp) you either have A. a hole in the tank,
B. a 'silly' axle ratio (like 4.89),
C. you drive like a total lunantic,
D. the carbs seriously 'out of tune',
E. the engine has some form of radical cam and a Dominator carb or twin Holleys,
F. with the cost of fuel today it may seem like you have really bad fuel consumption - but it probably isn't as bad as you think, or finally,
G. a combination of all the above.
My '68 L36 manual 427 with a 3.08 rear end would do 12/14 mpg max.
Interestingly my 'new' 528 hp 489 with 950 double pumper squeezes double figures in general use but will pull up to 16 mpg on cruise!
B. a 'silly' axle ratio (like 4.89),
C. you drive like a total lunantic,
D. the carbs seriously 'out of tune',
E. the engine has some form of radical cam and a Dominator carb or twin Holleys,
F. with the cost of fuel today it may seem like you have really bad fuel consumption - but it probably isn't as bad as you think, or finally,
G. a combination of all the above.
My '68 L36 manual 427 with a 3.08 rear end would do 12/14 mpg max.
Interestingly my 'new' 528 hp 489 with 950 double pumper squeezes double figures in general use but will pull up to 16 mpg on cruise!
roscobbc said:
James - nice car/nice colour/good to see another '68 - its also nice to see a car with the 'turbine' wheel trims. 6 mpg from a L36(390 hp) you either have A. a hole in the tank,
B. a 'silly' axle ratio (like 4.89),
C. you drive like a total lunantic,
D. the carbs seriously 'out of tune',
E. the engine has some form of radical cam and a Dominator carb or twin Holleys,
F. with the cost of fuel today it may seem like you have really bad fuel consumption - but it probably isn't as bad as you think, or finally,
G. a combination of all the above.
My '68 L36 manual 427 with a 3.08 rear end would do 12/14 mpg max.
Interestingly my 'new' 528 hp 489 with 950 double pumper squeezes double figures in general use but will pull up to 16 mpg on cruise!
Hi Rosco!B. a 'silly' axle ratio (like 4.89),
C. you drive like a total lunantic,
D. the carbs seriously 'out of tune',
E. the engine has some form of radical cam and a Dominator carb or twin Holleys,
F. with the cost of fuel today it may seem like you have really bad fuel consumption - but it probably isn't as bad as you think, or finally,
G. a combination of all the above.
My '68 L36 manual 427 with a 3.08 rear end would do 12/14 mpg max.
Interestingly my 'new' 528 hp 489 with 950 double pumper squeezes double figures in general use but will pull up to 16 mpg on cruise!
Yep, its the carb that is way out of tune and I am not sure on the timing. Its an 800 cfm double pumper, I am driving carefully but it runs pretty badly at the moment and bogs pretty easily. I got a quote from the guys you used to build a 489/496 stroker. Hopefully that would be set up out of the box and I could just use it. I think playing with a Holley DP is beyond my expertise!
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