Chargers and mileage- the real story

[Ghoste]

I was driving the 69 yesterday and I had a Charger epiphany.  I've come to the conclusion that Chargers likely get fuel economy numbers as good as any other car, the difference is perception. I realized that whenever I take the Charger I almost always go the long way to my destination.
So it isn't that the car gets poor mileage its that I use more fuel because I drive further than normal to the same places. 

[Alaskan_TA]

MPG? 

Old cars get SPG.

(Smiles Per Gallon)

[ws23rt]

That sounds like MPT---Your charger gets more miles per trip.

[Ghoste]

Miles per trip.  Haha, I like that.

[XH29N0G]

I am convinced that mine could get good gas mileage, but why drive it that way?

[JR]

Sure, ill go with that.

It gets the same mpg as any other car that gets 10mpg. 

[1974dodgecharger]

I baby my car to save gas...yeah its weird and the best I can do is 8.5mpg city/highway.  I shift at 2k to 2500rpms to save as much as possible.


Funny thing everyone thinks im fcking racing because they think im shifting at 5k plus because their cars are turning that next to me.

[JB400]

How many people actually hyper mile their Charger?  Another thing to consider is how many people actually build their cars to get good gas mileage.  Not very many do.

[1974dodgecharger]

How many people actually hyper mile their Charger?  Another thing to consider is how many people actually build their cars to get good gas mileage.  Not very many do.

LMAO I do it on occasion just to be funny or don't want to be near people on the road......Im done wasting so much gas just to get away from people on the road who drive so damn close to me just to catch up to another idiot getting close to me...so I cruise and let people pass me.

Don't get me wrong I used to accelerate like a bat out of hell to show off, but it got old I guess to me.  I can see that needle move....to me now its more about the cruise....I can show off to a dude and waste gas or drive for 20 more miles for my enjoyment....I take the latter.

[doctor4766]

How many people actually hyper mile their Charger?  Another thing to consider is how many people actually build their cars to get good gas mileage.  Not very many do.

I have absolutely no idea what mileage I get from my Charger, although I can tell you exactly how many miles I get from my work vehicles.
The day I start measuring the Charger's distance per tank is the day I shouldn't own it any more

[1974dodgecharger]

really?  you guys don't even measure how much you can go on a tank?  mine does 160 miles and then it will stutter and stop and pffft...all done!!!

I done it twice now.....

[70 sublime]

really?  you guys don't even measure how much you can go on a tank?  mine does 160 miles and then it will stutter and stop and pffft...all done!!!

I done it twice now.....

Your gas gauge don't work either   

[69wannabe]

When I had the 383 in there I could make a 3 hour trip on one tank of gas, I think I actually got around 13-14 mpg. Then came the 440 and I had to stop a little past half way making the same trip so I figure I lost a few mpg's and then came the 493 and I quit even looking at the gauge. When I get it and start it up I just head for the gas station!!! My dream is to drop a 528 hemi in it someday so might as well get used to very poor fuel mileage!!!! 

[Ghoste]

My tongue in cheek op aside, I too have no idea nor do I care what the mileage is in the 69.  When its out of gas, if I want to keep driving I put more in it.

[BrianShaughnessy]

Before BB got the Keisler she got about 13 mpg on the highway...  440-6 / 4 speed / 3.54 ...  doing 65.
After Keisler,  440-6, .64 OD, 3.73 doing 80 ... about 15 mpg.   I've seen upwards of 17 if I do 65.

I get about 200 miles on a tank before I guesstimate I should get more...  aftermarket sending unit sucks.

[Ghoste]

They sure do.  There are a couple of places who claim that the repro senders they sell are perfect and they test them all before delivery but I can't seem to find any buyer testimonials.  Kramer are one vendor.

[Charger4404spd]

GPM (gallons per mile) Not sure yet. Havent got to drive her much, but not worried about it, the fun factor will far outweigh fuel mileage

[charger1972]

GPM (gallons per mile) Not sure yet. Havent got to drive her much, but not worried about it, the fun factor will far outweigh fuel mileage

I was gonna comment but , think you have us all beat .

[69wannabe]

They sure do.  There are a couple of places who claim that the repro senders they sell are perfect and they test them all before delivery but I can't seem to find any buyer testimonials.  Kramer are one vendor.

I wound up doing the 5/16 to 3/8 swap on mine to get it reading 99% correct. Took the 5/16 sending unit I had in it that was mostly accurate and mating the the electrical part and float to the 3/8 sending unit and tossing the 3/8 electrical part and float. Gauge is alot more accurate than it was,would always read 3/4 tank when it was actually full.

[Ghoste]

Mine stops at 1/2.

[69wannabe]

Mine stops at 1/2.

Seems like there was vendor on here recently that was selling sending units that were supposed to be correct maybe??? I'm not sure but I think it was dixie restorations??? Bad thing is that is where my sending unit came from about 3 years ago and it was supposed to be correct and it was made in china according to the plain white box it arrived in. It didn't work right for me so like I said in the earlier post I made it work. It may not be perfect but it works alot better than it did.

[Ghoste]

Dixie are still working on that project and I SOOOO hope they can make it go through.

[Charger4404spd]

I need a GOOD one also.

[69_500]

Best I have done this year is 248 miles on a tank in the 500. Took 18.1 gallons to fill up.

[Dino]

The best mine will do is 10 mpg but I rarely make that.  I'd love to have better gas mileage because I like driving my car a lot and get real tired of having to fill it up so much because we all know the filler tube turns into a fountain if you're not careful.   

You may not be able to get great gas mileage with a 440 but it should be better than 10.

I guess most use ther car in a way that it does not matter what mileage you get, but I see no reason to  not improve it if you have the chanceand the car is a driver, unless you only put a few hundred miles on it a year, then it really matters lttle I suppose.

[1974dodgecharger]

man you guys have some efficient 440s and 383s out there....

[Dino]

Mine sure isn't one of them.  Even light cruising with 2.96 gears and a TQ I still can't get much better than 10 mpg.  Maybe with another cam that will change and the 6 speed will surely help but it also means I'll be able to run something beter than 2.96 so there goes mileage again.   

At least the fuel gauge is spot on again!

[toocheaptosmoke]

Fuel economy wasn't the only thing that influenced my build, but it was definitely part of it.  Never wanted to consider NOT driving the car because of horendous gas mileage, currently has a 318 magnum w/ 5 speed, 3.73 gears.   I've been averaging about 16-17 going to work, best so far was almost 19 driving to carlisle.  Carb still needs some tweaking and runs rich at idle/low speed, feel pretty confident I can get into the 20's with some more tuning and conservative driving.

[odcics2]

I had a 68 318 auto with a 2.76 rear end when the "gas crunch" hit in 1973. (fuel prices DOUBLED!)
I advanced the timing, got a hotter coil, put a cold air tube from the air cleaner to thee hole by the battery. Also dropped the front and got a wheel alignment.  Moved the accel. pump link a notch.  Had the choke pulloff tweaked just short of stumbling.

When the nationwide speed limit was 55, I went to the Indy 500 in 1975. Driving ultra conservative because of numerous troopers on the road, I got 27.2 from MoTown to Indy at a steady 55 the entire way. Took 6 hours.  My foot never moved...   I'd normally get low 20s around town in nice weather.

Steady state driving around 75 degrees temp is about the best for mileage.   Heck, in the winter, that old Charger got mid teens!  But that was doing donuts in parking lots on the snow!   Ah... sometimes on the street - unplanned!!    

[69charger2002]

I normally never check, but after going to cruising the coast last week I drove my blue 69 450 miles. I decided to keep up with the mileage at the pump. With mostly interstate driving at 60-65, stock 383 with either 2.76 or 3.23 gears(not sure). It actually got 13.8 mpg. I was pretty impressed. Only other one ive checked in recent years was my dead stock 318 70 coronet coming home 1000 miles from the mopar nats. It averaged almost 19 mpg on the highway, that blew me away too.

[Charger4404spd]

id like to see some numbers from a few that have the FAST Efi , etc.

[RollinThunder]

69 Charger R/T with a 3.23 limited slip (was 3.55), 727 auto, 440 with stock exhaust, thermoquad, Holley SD intk with crossover blocked off, 195 deg stat.  Heavy TRW 6 pack slugs.  xe268.  Manual adj 11" drums all 4 corners.  PS, PB, non ac.  5 blade fan with clutch.
I track my gas mileage and have been doing so since 2006.  Odometer is pretty accurate (275/60R15 rear tire).  This year I have driven 3,200 miles with a cumulative average of 12.61 mpg.  Some years worse, some better.  I do not have any wide band tuning aids, so maybe my results could be better. 

I tried a dual plane eldebrock performer (not the rpm) intake manifold one year, and with the crossover functional, got about 1 more mpg from it.  Consistently got 15.5 mpg on the highway (<65 mph).  But I removed it because I like the extra pwr with the HSD (xover blocked).  Altho I do miss the almost 300 miles range on a tank (highway only).  I get about 14.5 now on the highway if I stay under 65 mph.   
IMHO, a well tuned 440 on todays pump gas will get 10 mpg, a very well tuned 440 will get 12 (cumulative).  When I estimate my fuel usage for a road trip, I'll use 13 mpg.  This thing cost 31 cents a mile, and thats just for coal.  I love every one of them!

[Homerr]

Thanks for the write-up RollinThunder.  And welcome to the site!

[don duick]

consider other running costs like tires. Might as well use them up before their expiry date. hurts throwing away tires with 50% tread left on them.

[lloyd3]

Stock block 375-horse 440, 4-speed (18-spline), 3.54/1 Dana yields 8 mpg if you're very conservative, closer to 6 mpg if you're having any fun.  That's on 14-inch original Magnum 500s w/radials.