Ford 5.0 Efficiency Build Advice

[Malykaii]

So I'll be seeing a 1983 Continental this weekend. It weighs 500lb less than a Town car. Plus it should be alot easier to park.

Yeah I wish I could consider a Crown Vic or newer Town car. Def more fuel efficient, but unfortunately they just aren't flashy and fun enough

[Malykaii]

Read up on the 4.2 and looks like it gets the same MPG as a more updated 5.0 or Modular 4.6... The smaller 3.8 out of a 2000s mustang might be more promising.

Also the 2.3 turbo idea would be hella cool. Very unique and would be cool at car shows and such. Doesn't look like it would be all that much more efficient sadly, besides saving on weight. Still fun idea.

[Frank Lee]

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ion-14594.html

[93tracerwagon]

I suspect the Mercury Marauder was pretty fun and based on the crown vic. 302 to 335HP

Same engine as the Mustang Mach 1

[Malykaii]

Originally Posted by 93tracerwagon

I suspect the Mercury Marauder was pretty fun and based on the crown vic. 302 to 335HP

Same engine as the Mustang Mach 1

Wow, I forgot about those. Not exactly posh, but super cool...
*goes on Craigslist"
Wait, people want $7-10k for those?! That's a few coins short of a CTS-V or supercharged Cobra Mustang. Oh well.

[Malykaii]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ion-14594.html

Awesome thread. Gives me new motivation!


*I plan to make this car my daily driver ... people with 50s cars only seem to come out during cruises. I will be the exception"

^That's what I'd like to do. Not Daily Drive it, but close.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Time to keep an eye for a totaled Mustang with a salvageable Ecoboost?

[Malykaii]

So I did some tape measuring and eye balling of what it would take to parallel park a town car, and it's just not feasible in NYC. Cancel that plan.

Went to go finally see the smaller 1983 Continental that I found on CraigsList over a month ago. Guy wanted $3k and made it sound show room worthy, but turns out it's got some minor rust and needs a paint job. Interior is not too great. Nothing posh about it, don't even want it for $800.

At Square One... Open to suggestions for a posh luxury car that's half decent on gas.

Thanks

[93tracerwagon]

you may want to look at some late 70's Audi's.. the aero on those boxy sedans is just being met by our new swoopy cars and they came with small diesels. Posh in a German sort of way.

[mhayes]

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.