The appeal for me is just to be different more than the mpg. But if the real reason is saving gas then yeah, that doesnt make much sense!

He does not want to drop a zillion on this car, he just does not like new economy cars and wants to see if something old could do the trick. I think using as many OE parts as possible from donor cars would help keep the costs down. The Duramax idea is killer, but just too much work for this project.

Kevin,

I totally get the appeal. There is nothing cool about driving any econobox made today.

I think you first need to nail him down to a specific car. I would go with something that isn't super popular, readily available, under 3500 pounds, and cool (whatever that means...you'll know it when you see it...Cougar?). Then go with your idea of using as many OEM parts as possible.

I think this whole project can be done for under $10K (plus your labor).

Andrew

BTW

@ 30MPG x 60 miles travelled daily @ $2.50 per gallon for gas = annual fuel bill = $1,750 (50 weeks a year where all 7 days in the week travel 60 miles. Assumes some weeks will be less).

@ 15MPG it's double that

so the difference between 15 MPG and 30 MPG is an annual expense of $1750

^^^ Agreed!

Any mid-60s big 3 economy cars with a modern economy powerplant would do the trick:

SRT-4 = 285hp/265tq... Dart/Valiant/Barracuda

EcoTec = 260-290hp/260tq... Tempest/Rambler/Nova/Corvair/AMX

EcoBoost = 310hp/320tq... Falon/Mustang/Comet

I'd DD any of the above! Just need to nail down the car!

I'd keep it V-8 for simplicity sake and cost. All the above engine options are good, but direct injection and forced induction integration really start to add to the cost. A stock 5.3L will make more power than all of the above and the rest of the driveline can be easily sourced. It may not get 30mpg, but it'll be close. The trick will be to gear it so that at highway speed the RPM is 1600-1700.

Andrew

The customer wants a '70 Nova. Not the best aero, but kinda light.

And if we go V8, it would probably be a 4.8. Our mechanic Trevor has a 4.8 / 4L65 with a 3.73:1 gear in a '68 Chevy truck that gets upper teens for economy, and will burn the tires for blocks.

I sold my 65 Rambler American station wagon about a year ago. It got 24 MPG, 3 on the tree and Auto OD. Not a 70 Nova, but it had a lot more trunk space.

Just my opinion, but I think you would be money (or fuel mileage) ahead doing a 5.3 over a 4.8. I know my foot stays further on the floor to get and keep the 4.8 in my work truck moving more so then my wife's Tahoe or my old personal truck with 5.3's in them.

Also the tune can play a lot into MPG depending on how he drives. You can always be more lean on a daily driver than you can on a car that you are going to beat the snot out of, so keep that in mind as well. Just be sure to let him know this in advance :)