So, a few years back I got a job in DC which mean 37 miles of hell each way. As a result I ended up selling my vehicles at the time (a Diesel Escort and a '66 C20) to get a Kia. Now, the Kia has been surprisingly good to me. 83,000 miles in under 3 years, 33mpg average, etc, but it's boring and I miss my truck. Recently my job moved to more of a country setting and while my commute got longer in mileage (46-48 miles each way) it got much friendlier. It's not 80% 55mph single-lane roads and a stretch of heavy stoplights just before I arrive at my destination.
I've convinced my wife that I no longer need something quite as economical as the Kia and she agreed that I should get a fun vehicle again.
So the hunt is on for something entertaining, preferably built before 1970, relatively safe (no tiny Fiat's or ChevyII's), and atleast 20mpg in my commuting environment. I was leaning toward a 1966 Mercedes 250S (another car I once owned) but while the drivetrains are bulletproof the peripherals are not, and they are grossly expensive to replace ($800 for a heater blower, etc).
I came upon a somewhat neglected '66 Shortbed Stepside recently that I am eyeing. It has a 250 with a full set of Clifford parts (2-barrel carb/intake and headers). The body was patched reasonably well but never finished. Best part is it's cheap. My car budget after purchasing the truck would leave my $3000-$4000 to spend on making it reliable.
So here's the $64,000 question. What would I have to go through for a consistent 20+mpg out of the '66 Shortbed, and what else is necessary to make it into a 100mile/day commuter (and I don't think this is impossible).
I love straight 6's, so the 250 is staying though I will probably go through it before pressing it into regular duty. My major question is transmission-related. What would be the best course of action for the trans? I love column-shift, but I figure that the easiest way to make a nice DD with good mileage is a T5 swap. Those go fairly easily into a '66 without changing the rear end, right? Or is there a modern option for overdrive while retaining the column shift, short of locating an old BorgWarner OD unit? And how do I tell what rear end is in the truck currently when i go check it out? Is 20mpg possible with just a rear end change, 3.0X's perhaps?
My old '66 C20 with a 292 was my only vehicle for almost 4 years so I think I know what I'm getting into here. I wasn't driving nearly as far back then, but I also didn't have nearly as much money to spend on pre-emptive repairs
