Bring back the '83 Ford!

Kent

My father-in-law, a retired Ford engineer, buys a new 1/2 ton truck every two years up until Ford stopped making the 300 six. He still has his 1995 F150. He has records of every drop of fuel he's ever used since the late 1950s - and all in flat highway areas of Michigan. The best fuel mileage he ever recorded with a 1/2 truck and 300 six was 21 MPG. His overall fuel mileage average for his 1995 with the 300 is 13 MPG. He also had many Ford Explorers - all with 4 liter engines and 5 speed manual transmissions. Best mileage ever was 24.5 MPG, with 21.5 being the usual highway mileage. He DID get 31 MPG with a 1960 Ford Falcon - on a few long highway trips - but that's a far cry from a 1/2 ton truck with a 300 c.i. engine.

It was a basic car but no doubt as to it's quality. Ford really outdid themselves on that one in designing a quality product to fit the low income driver. Really tight and just felt good and secure. He got 30 miles to a gallon when he took it easy. Will never forget that. At the time I couldn't believe his numbers.

Mark

I had a nice 1980 1/2 ton Chevy with a 250 six and a granny four speed. As I recall, it would get around 18 mpg on highway driving back when the speed limit was 55 mph.

I later had an '88 Chevy with a 350 and overdrive automatic. About 18 mpg highway at 55 mph.

Pickups have gotten bigger and more powerful since then, but mileage has stayed about the same.

Larry

My 1989 F150 with 3.07 gears and 5 speed manual behind the 4.9L straight-six got about 21 on the highway and 16 on the backroads.

• Poke here for youtube

At work we put 30,000 miles a year on stripped down company F-250's, and 90% of it is highway driving. Thats for highway construction. This is the case for most company, construction, or farm pickups in America. 90% of the time empty or just hauling small tools or other stuff you could use a Ranger for. If you can prove to me that you need a modern HD pickup, then I'll prove that someone did the exact same thing in 1965 with a 6 cylinder F100. An F100 that was about half as powerful or sturdy as a new F150.
Remember when you could get a 3500 six cylinder Chevy in the 90's?

I don't remember whether or not their 6's had OHV's from day 1 or not. I do remember people talking about their "babbit" engine bearings being soft, but that is what they are today aren't they; tin plating over a copper race?

Mark