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Mod | | Forums66 Topics126,777 Posts1,039,270 Members48,100 | Most Online2,175 Jul 21st, 2025 | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 12 New Guy | New Guy Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 12 | this might sound dumb to you guys but i was wondering what kinda milage should i expect out of my 1950 1/2 ton with a 235 3 on the tree and stock rear end i am hopeing to get it done (or at least driveable)by warm weather maybe a daily driver | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | | | Joined: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,374 Moderator - The Electrical Bay | Moderator - The Electrical Bay Joined: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,374 | i usually get around 10 mpg, but I got a V8.
Another quality post. Real Trucks Rattle HELP! The Paranoids are after me!
| | | | Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,152 Cruising in the Passing Lane | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,152 | How are you going to drive it? How well tuned is the motor? What tires are you running?
1955 1st GMC Suburban | 1954 GMC 250 trailer puller project | 1954 GMC 250 Hydra-Matic | 1954 Chevy 3100 . 1947 Chevy COE | and more... It's true. I really don't do anything but browse the Internet looking for trouble... | | | | Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 94 'Bolter | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 94 | I've done as well as twelve with good tires and a light foot. I average about ten.
1953 Chevrolet 3100
| | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 38 New Guy | New Guy Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 38 | That stock rear end ratio must really eat up the gas. I would have expected mid teens easy. My 77 Ford F-100 with a six and three speed gets right around 23 mpg, best I got with it was 26 mpg. Heck my old 68 C-60 dump truck got right around 10-12 mpg empty with a 283 V-8. | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | and I can go a month on a tank of gas Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 85 Wrench Fetcher | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 85 | Is that all? I'm getting about 9-10 mpg in my 1 ton,and it has a 216 with a 5.14 rear. | | | | Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,388 Shop Shark | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,388 | I've got the 5.14 in my truck, with the mighty 216. With a light foot, and not going over 40 mph, I get 16 mpg. BUT, I'm generally driving at about 30 mph in fourth, so the truck is not working. I have noticed when Its raining my mileage drops a bit, what with the vacuum wipers. My 216 is in pretty fine shape though. | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 'Bolter | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 | I average about 14, but I also have dual carbs on mine. Do keep in mind, todays gas is nowhere near as good as what these trucks were intended to run on.
Bill Burmeister | | | | Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 688 Shop Shark | Shop Shark Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 688 | 10-13 Smiles per gallon!  Cliff59 | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 120 Wrench Fetcher | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 120 | Ol Yeller is giving me almost exactly 10 mpg for the last 3,200 miles. Lots of in town, stop and go. 235 and original 4 on the floor. Not sure about the rear-end, but I know at 45 mph she's a-howlin'. | | | | Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 88 Wrench Fetcher | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 88 | I dont care about the mileage. I just want to drive my truck | | | | Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 9 Apprentice | Apprentice Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 9 | i get from 12 to 15 mpg.never over 50 mph. in my stock 54 w/235 and original rear end. i am re gearing the rear end and installing a 700r4 trans now so i hope it will improve. | | | | Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 446 Shop Shark | Shop Shark Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 446 | The last time I checked, I was getting over 20 mpg in my 1960 with a 235. It has highway gears and cruses along easy at 55 to 65 mph. I was shocked when I first bought the truck, I expected around 14 mpg. (The day I checked we were driving mainly interstate highways, as an overall average I'm sure it's less than 20 mpg.)
Iron Clad | | | | Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 640 Shop Shark | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 640 | I put my stock '48 3100 on the road last May, and I've kept accurate records of mileage driven and gas purchased. Over 641.6 miles, I've averaged 14.289 m.p.g. | | | | Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 321 'Bolter | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 321 | There are a group of farmers / mechanics in the southeastern part of the country (bryon georgia i think) who are rebuilding older pickup trucks using from old tractors motors that get 40 mpg. i would think the same thinking could done with the old chevy trucks. the website is: www.shadetreeconversions.com. now that would be awesome to have and old chevy truck and not have to stop everytime you took it out to get gas. 1951 Chevy 3800 1-TonHoward KnappIn the Stovebolt Gallery1948 Chevy 1-Ton (sold Nov 2017)1953 Chevy 1-Ton (sold 10/1/2016) | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 239 Wrench Fetcher | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 239 | My 55.2 gets about 20 on the highway with a bit of tuning on the carb. These old carbs ran ridiculously rich with stock jetting. I get less than that in normal driving, where i start it on the weekends to run across town for one reason or another. In normal running, cold, choked, less than 5 miles at a time, I probably get about 10 mpg. I don't keep track there.
Devin
If you can't hose it out it ain't a truck
55 3100 63 Corvair Monza 64 El Camino 72 240Z 01 Suburban
| | | | Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 58 Shop Shark | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 58 | Did some rough calculations and it looks like the my 59 gets around 10 mpg. | | | | Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 83 Wrench Fetcher | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 83 | Does the MPG get much better with the 3.55 rear gear change? Jason | | | | Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 13 'Bolter | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 13 | 10 when it had the stock rear .Now around 22-24 with a 3.08 rear. Played with carb a bunch also. 10 is about rite stock.Gas is different around the country so you need to play with timing and valves in different area codes.Tire pressure, gear oils ,wheel alignment all make 1-2mpg gains. | | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 14 Apprentice | Apprentice Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 14 | Mine got about 10 mpg until I upgraded to a High Energy Ignition (HEI). Now I get about 17 mpg. I have been thinking about replacing the 4.11 with a 3.55. I figure the ratio difference is appx 17% to 18%; so perhaps my mpg would increase that much as well. That would put me at 20 mpg.
1951 Chevy 3100
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