Whats you gas mileage on your squarebody truck?

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austinado16

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Central Coast, CA
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Todd
Truck Year
1990 w/307k miles on the clock
Truck Model
GMC V1500 Suburban SLE
Engine Size
5.7L TBI/4L60/3.42's
Keep the truck, and buy a small commuter car. If you can find a mid-80 Honda...if they still exist in your area. They get in high 40's, low 50's all day long, at 70ish. Or a V.W. from the 80's, like a Golf/Jetta will give 37mpg on the freeway.
 

davbell22602

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I Dont
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Have
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One
Keep the truck, and buy a small commuter car. If you can find a mid-80 Honda...if they still exist in your area. They get in high 40's, low 50's all day long, at 70ish. Or a V.W. from the 80's, like a Golf/Jetta will give 37mpg on the freeway.

I hoping to get enough cash for the truck to a squarebody and car. The guy that has bought my 94 chevy berretta 3.1 z26 has up for sale. Wouldnt mind having it back.
 

skysurfer

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west coast
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John
Truck Year
1989 Suburban
Truck Model
V2500
Engine Size
5.7/TH400/NP241C
I do all my running around in a little 4-banger Honda wagon. At 30+ mpg , I figure if I put 30,000 miles on it instead of the burb it will have paid for itself through fuel savings.
 

austinado16

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Todd
Truck Year
1990 w/307k miles on the clock
Truck Model
GMC V1500 Suburban SLE
Engine Size
5.7L TBI/4L60/3.42's
^^Exactly^^

I wouldn't give up the 'burb for anything, but my DD is a 40+mpg VW Rabbit Diesel P/u.

I've got a buddy doing similarly with a pair of mid-80's Honda hatchbacks. One for him, and one for she-who-must-be-obeyed.

Once you step into the world 30-something mpg, or better, you'll never go back......IMO. Especially once you start noticing the $$$ you're pocketing. When I drive the 'burb I think in terms of, "Every 15mi costs me $4.....ouch." When I drive the Rabbit, I think in terms of, "Every 40mi costs me $4......sweet." Especially now that smoke oil is dropping into the $3.89/gal range.
 

skysurfer

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1989 Suburban
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V2500
Engine Size
5.7/TH400/NP241C
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Just think Dave, 40 mpg and the ability to carry lawnmowers. ^This^ is what you need, not a Beretta.

I've noticed a few of these running around since you posted your pics Todd. (none as nice though) Now I want one!
 

Stroked

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1984
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K10
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305
^ I would rock the **** out of that. Great mpg and useful.

On the main topic, it's been so long since I've had a running square that I can't remember what my mileage was. Lol. Hopefully that will change soon though.
 

austinado16

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Todd
Truck Year
1990 w/307k miles on the clock
Truck Model
GMC V1500 Suburban SLE
Engine Size
5.7L TBI/4L60/3.42's
All I can say is; buy a Rabbit P/u if you can find one. They are gold, and have a huge cult following. Nice ones were fetching close to 10k, and a solid unmolested daily driver is worth 5k all day long.

If you live in area where they are driven on salted roads, or excessive rain, make sure to inspect for rot arond the front strut towers, the floors, and the frame rails below the bed.

Mine's a 1.6L diesel with 5spd and a/c. It'll run 75mph all day long, and keeps up with normal traffic speeds and normal traffic acceleration out onto the freeway.

It's hard to find them in nice shape, as most have had umpteen owners and by now are so ****** out that they're hard to put back into original, dependable condition. But they're out there, and usually a great value.....unless someone knows what they have, and is asking full pop.

Some examples of what mine does:

Towed another truck, with shell, and a bed full of spares and gallon jugs of engine oil, from Sacramento back here = 300mi towing about 3,000lbs
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Towing a vintage watercrasft (visit my website: www.dynafoil.com) on my 11x6 flatbed, with a 8x8 Vinyl Ketter shed in the bed.
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Moving the wife's office with the stake sides on the flatbed:
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wildcatjason

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Jason
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1988
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suburban
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cummins 3.9 4bt
This is my last fillup of city mileage from my 1988 suburban. I have about 6000 dollars in just the drive train swap though.
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Shawn

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Covington, WA
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Shawn
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87
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V10
Engine Size
350; 700R4
I'm getting 11-13 in my '87 V10 SWB 5.7 on 33x12.5's. Mostly 10 mile trips to and from work.
 

CaliDude76

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NorCal
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Sal
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Three Fifty
I get about 17mpg's..
that's highway doing about 65-70ish with A/C on
TH350 tranny, 350 stock with 4bbl quadrajet m4me
P235/ 75R/ 15 on rally's
with all that Cali emissions junk :disgust:
 
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bucket

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Just think Dave, 40 mpg and the ability to carry lawnmowers. ^This^ is what you need, not a Beretta.

I've noticed a few of these running around since you posted your pics Todd. (none as nice though) Now I want one!

The biggest drawback to those is the lack of legroom. And there are none of them left in this part of the country. I last saw one about 5 years ago.

I say buy a Celebrity wagon with 2.8 and overdrive :)
 

Jims86

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Jim
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Engine Size
5.7 TBI
I dont know what it is. My teacher doesnt know either. I replaced all the stuff that one replaces when having a miss.

Thats the problem, He has toght you to be a parts changer, and not a Mechanic. Mechanics Diagnose before throwing parts at the problem.
With OBD 2, you should be able to at least find the offending cylinder(s) and have a general area to start.. If you dont have a scanner, and since you have headers now, just take a IR temp gun, and get readings from each header tube, write them down, and report back.
Im sorry guys, I just cant let this go. selling a truck for not running right is ********. Even though I have thought about it myself, I could never go through with it.
It would be cool for Dave to get a Square, but if his gmt400 is runing right, he may be able to get more money for it.
****...maybe we need a Help Dave thread.
Not trying to Put you down buddy, I understand, we all have our qwerks. Heresbwhat you can do now, since you have MAF....go out, and inspectsbyour intake tube between the throttle body, and the maf, make sure ther ar NO rips or hols in it, then make sure its properly installed, and the clamps are tight. Have you ever had your EGR valve off?
 
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78shortandwide

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Denver
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Tom
Truck Year
1973
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C10
Engine Size
5.3
My truck gets around 6-8 mpg..but hey big carb big tires and big right foot what else would you expect :)
 

crazy4offroad

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West BY-GOD Virginia
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Curt
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
K-10
Engine Size
350/SM465/NP205
My truck gets around 6-8 mpg..but hey big carb big tires and big right foot what else would you expect :)

That's about what I get now but I'm hoping next year I'll cross over into the measurement of gallons per mile...
 

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