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5 liters can be gas sippers
The Ford 5 liter can be made to get exceptional mileage. The figures you are shooting for are close to what the factory window sticker said back in the 80s when these cars were new. I had a 5 liter Trans Am with 24 inch tires a 700R4 trans (30%) overdrive and 2.77 gears. On the highway, it would tach about 1500 at 55 mph. At almost 80, it was only taching anout 2100! My mileage going from Richmond, Va to Detroit, MI was 28.5. I used the cruise control and had the windows cracked ( no AC). My friends with Mustang 5 liters were able to get similar mileage. None of us has modified our engines in any way. I was shocked myself to see these numbers considering the 8.5:1 compression, log exhaust, restrictive muffler, restrictive air cleaner, etc...
If you are going to build a drivetrain to score majorMPG, I would start by freshening up the engine with new rings and a plate hone of the cylinders, true flat top pistons to give you a true compression ratio of 9.5:1 and install some tubular headers and a true dual exhaust with free flowing mufflers. You can even install a taller tire with a longer roll out to keep the revs down. I see no problem with this little combo pumping out mpgs in the low 30s.
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