Gas question

As of now, I drive a 94 honda prelude and I want to make the cross-over to the 92 (or a few years older) Camaro z28. I'm looking at the numbers and the only thing scaring me away is the 16mpg gas mileage rating it gets in the city. Does anyone know how many more mpg it can get in the city by tuning it for more fuel efficiency? That's the only thing keeping me from getting this car so I was wondering if anyone could help me out with that info. Thanks :)


ps: if there's an engine swap that would give it semi-better gas mileage, please let me know as well.

how much are you willing to spend on a car? the 4th gen camaros 93+ get 20+mpg

lol, well the one thing you gotta realize is your gonna be getting a car with an engine nearly three times the size of your honda (if you get a 350). your not gonna get the same gas mileage, no matter what you do. it would make more sense to go with a 305 for better mileage but let me point out that my tired and abused 350 got much better highway gas mileage than my brand new jasper 305 in my RS. so take that as you will. The modifications you will want to look at for better gas mileage would include the following....

small tube primary headers
newer more efficient heads (aka vortecs or fastburn)
high power ignition system

also youll want to note that there are slightly more exotic options....

dryfilm coatings on all metal on metal surfaces such as bearings

and thermal reflective coatings in the combustion and exhaust areas.

basicly the idea is baised on the fact that the more efficient the engine is the less fuel it will need to use. so by limiting power losses to friction, and by containing the heat of combustion in the chamber rather than releasing that energy into the coolant youll get better gas mileage.

how much are you willing to spend on a car? the 4th gen camaros 93+ get 20+mpg

I like the body style of the 92 and before then a lot more than the 93 and over. Do you think it'd be better to just swap like a 93 or 94 engine into that body?



89IROC&RS, how much mpg do you think I'd get in the city with the recommended mods you listed?

bump :)

swapping in a '93-'97 lt1 is by no means any cheaper, i may get better gas mileage than a 350tpi, but i've got almost 10 grand in my swap...

I like the body style of the 92 and before then a lot more than the 93 and over. Do you think it'd be better to just swap like a 93 or 94 engine into that body?



89IROC&RS, how much mpg do you think I'd get in the city with the recommended mods you listed?

Yes it would be better and if gas mileage is really that important then get the 3.8 that was found on later 4th gens.

he seems like he really wants a v8... and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. honda prelude to a v8 'maro, i'd say this man has officially been saved. or at least when he gets one he will be

well, with a 350, and all the mods i listed, driven with a light foot, and 2.73 gears, should be able to pull off 19-22mpg around town, in my rough estimate. but im not really sure, so dont quote me on that, or buy a car because of it.

First, I would consider how much you drive before you invest a lot in fuel economy. Let's look at the math...
Say you spend $2,000, swapping in a more efficient engine (being very conservative), and now your at 22mpg vs. 17mpg. It will take you almost 90,000 miles at $2.15/gal to gain back your $2,000 in fuel savings.
My point is simply that if you want a Camaro, and want power, there is no point in worrying about mpg.

When you buy a V8 powered performance car, gas mileage should be (and usually is) the LAST thing on your mind.

i beg to differ, i am die hard V8 enthusiast, but i want my cake and to eat it too. thats why im building the 302cid V8 for 450hp and 30mpg.

The thing to remember is that getting more power out of a given displacement (without adding air or fuel) is done through increasing combustion efficiency, which increases gas mileage. So even if its not a direct concern, we are all indirectly after better gas mileage. I think its perfectly logical to try and get good gas mileage out of our V8 cars. the ZO6 vette for instance, 405hp, and 32 mpg on the highway. i like to have both. but thats just me.

the ZO6 vette for instance, 405hp, and 32 mpg on the highway.
That is obtained through engine/ combustion efficency, which surprisingly enough is when you make the most power also.
Another part of the story is gearing, remember, that car has a 6 speed with a steep overdrive gear. Also...32MPG on the highway is good for a V8, it is where that car was made to get the best mileage.
My car, having a little over 350 HP and 417 ft/lbs of torque, gets 25+ on the highway using an old 700R4 and 3:42 rear. City gas mileage sucks though, because you have to constantly get 3500+ lbs of car moving over and over again.
AND the technology of the 3rd gens is 20 years old now...can't compare it to today's.

BTW, let us know how the 302 works out... The chevy 302 was a high strung engine...had to spin 6k to wring out the most power.

very good points as always. I was just pointing out that mileage is still a concern when buying a V8 car, and i dont agree with completely ignoring it.

As far as the 302, yall dont go holdin your breath or anything. Its probly gonna be a few years before i get around to doin it. i got plenty of projects in front of it and i still need to find a junkyard that will sell me just the crankshaft i need instead of the whole engine. so ill get to it when it works out.

. I was just pointing out that mileage is still a concern when buying a V8 car, and i dont agree with completely ignoring it.

I didn't mean ignore it...it's just the last thing most think of when looking at a 3rd gen with a V8. If MPG really is a concern, one of the higher HP V6's would be a fair choice...but none of the 3rd gens ever got great gas mileage, especially in town.

weren't the third gen's the heaviest of Camaro designs?

I love my V8. 30 MPG on the highway. 24 in town.

ct91rs, i thought 4th gens were heavier than 3rd gens by a couple hundred pounds

ct91rs, i thought 4th gens were heavier than 3rd gens by a couple hundred pounds

from what i have found it looks like your right, i also found that most 2nd gens weigh more than the third's...i'm gonna have to lay it on the guy who told me the 3rd's were the heaviest.

i just checked my drivers door, and it lists the GVW of my '91 at 4098!

Damn man did a fat lady die in your car? mine weighs 3300.

it doesn't smell (no decaying corpse), and its not a convertible (which i know weigh more), i really have no idea where the weight is coming from.

Weird..you really think that convertable adds about 800 pounds just for a little equipment?

Edit- Okay I just looked around and coupe- 3025 - 3105 And convertible- 3142 - 3220. This is for 92 Maro's but I dont think there's much difference.

Thats kinda heavy....Its all in the doors and hood :grinyes:

thats why im trying to get a fiberglass ss hood

tcfco2005, our cars were almost identical, what's your GVW?

Gross Vehicle weight is the maxium safe operateing weight of the vehicle. not the actual weight of the vehicle. It means that you cant put a 2 ton jacuzzi in the back of it cuz it will weigh more than the 4098 lbs. the actual weight of third gens is around 3500 lbs. the cars got heavier as time went on, first gens were the lightest, seconds were heavier, thirds were a little lighter, and fourths were the heaviest.