V6 or V8 - help me decide

yup, in the 01. All highway miles. (Road trip.)

34.32 MPG - it was in California on mountain roads so it was probably 50-60mph. I've also gotten 28-29 a bunch of times. My average over 134 tanks is 19.12 mpg. That includes a LOT of rush hour driving and drag strip time. (I've gotten a few tanks under 13mpg after racing...) in 6th gear 60mph is like 1100 rpm.

Ray

btw, there's a couple of different sizes for gallons.... I'm using the "small" US gallon (3.78L) vs the "big" gallon of 4.54 L. (otherwise it would be over 40MPG... which is hard to believe, but if anyone wants it, I'll email them the whole spreadsheet of 134 fills...)

Great to know. Thanks a lot. My V6 is < 15 mpg on mountain roads. Really better to drive the T/A.

schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:FjeCe.1967261$6l.837061@pd7tw2no...

My little 5.0 v8 gets about 23 mpg in the mountains. Even the smaller v8 works less hard since it has so much more torque.

On a recent trip I got 29 mpg on the interstate with the T-tops off and the windows down.. 332 miles... 700r4 with a 3.42 rear end.. granted it doesn't have a lot of get up and go up hills.. but it has enough on level ground.

60 runs me just under 2k... 75 just under 2500. So its higher than my v-8 'birds.. but its been going strong for the 8 years I've had it and I'm happy with that. About the torque comment.. speaking of 3rd gens.. the v-8 don't have more than twice the torque a v-6 does.. My v-6 has 135 pounds.. and the 305 hhas 245... jusut over 100 pounds more.. granted that does make a pretty big difference.. but don't think they are worlds apart.

-Geno

1985 Blue Camaro 2.8L auto w/T-tops (aka "Tazmaro") 1988 Blue Firebird Formula 5.0L auto w/T-tops 1985 Brown Firebird 5.7L (360) 5-speed NO T-tops

My worst mileage is 12,85 (had it already two times). And its a V6.

The advantage of a V6 seems to be found at constant speed on calm surroundings.

The most fun, I think, Darius will have with a 01 T/A or comparable.

Please, Cy: You say dog to the V6. Does this mean the car`s values are unbelieveable? I am not familiar with this use.

Georg

"Cy Welch" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:Sb%Ce.6$ snipped-for-privacy@news-west.eli.net...

Sorry, just checked back into the group. The term dog refers to the level of performamce compaired to a v8. The V8 will outperform the V6 in almost every way. And frankly, unless you are actually working hard for max milage, the V8 may even get better mileage under normal driving conditions.

"And frankly, unless you are actually working hard for max milage, the V8 may even get better mileage under normal driving conditions."

I found this to be true with my Formula... Had to drive it for a couple of months after some punk kid FILLED my gas tank on my Camaro with red christmas sugar... I actually got about 4-5 mpg MORE than my V-6... shocked the hell out of me... but we are only talking 35 more Hp and about

100 more pounds of torque....

-Geno

1985 Blue Camaro 2.8L auto w/T-tops (aka "Tazmaro") 1988 Blue Firebird Formula 5.0L auto w/T-tops 1985 Brown Firebird 5.7L (360) 5-speed NO T-tops

I had a 97 Formula Firebird with the V8 and got 34mpg in Canada on

90-110km/h RATED roads. I usually do 10k over the limit as it is an unwritten rule of acceptance. I use cruise because 90% of my travel is highway.

what I found as an advantage... fuel wise... (vs fun factor) of the V8 is that once it is at speed it is hard to get it over 1500rpm... so on the highway it is barely breathing hard. When you come up on a hill it has so much torque it may step up 1-200rpm but you dont notice it.

and in the summer with the AC and to T-top off... just because you have too... the additional load on the engine is not there. It doesnt matter if you have the ac on or the top open. gotta love that torque... esp when it comes to fun factor LOL

and passing... well... it is not an issue... course... unless you are trying to pass another TA or Camaro or vette... then it may be up to interpretation.

I miss my babee some bad... some dumb idiot was driving around town christmas shopping after a christmas party at 9am and ran a red light on a blind hill on a blind corner. Ended up writing off the car and half the left side of my body for about a year but if I had a chance I would buy the exact same car again... course... we are all grown up from the "turning heads of others" days...

it is a sweet engine in a sweet car...

I still have my 81 Z28 I am working on... mobile but not a head turner yet... another couple of grand LOL

IIRC the 3rd gen V6 was about 145 HP with about 150 lbs of torque where the V8 depending on which one is 170 HP and 255 FP for the TBI 305, 225 HP and 300 FP for the TPI 305 and 245 HP and 350 FP for the TPI 350. This is all going off my oftimes faulty memory.

Two things, in my opinion:

1) Get the V8 for sure. If you really have to hem and haw over V6 vs. V8, F-body isn't the platform.

2) Even more subjective, but I prefer the Camaro to the bird. Both are awesome platforms, but I prefer the asthetics of the Camaro. The TrAm gets a bit too carried away on the 4th gens to the point it looks toyish, or at least a bit silly. Like some kind of Blair Witch Project version of the Bat Mobile. In short, there's enough kid in me to love the power and performance, but enough adult in me to cringe at the 4th gen Pontiac F-bods. Just my opinion.

While I love the thought of the LT1, I will note two reasons why I would NOT swap the dead 3.4L (I know what is involved in teh swap, but that's another post's material...) for one in my 95 Camaro:

1. Changing the spark plugs is a bitch with any 4th Gen v8 F-car. Four are okay, the other four call for getting under the car or getting thru the trap door on the LS1 cars--under the dash! Though the 3.8L in the 96-later cars might be no better with the 90* angle of that engine...

1. The Optispark being under the water pump. My 8 spark plug Ranger (no, not a 302, but the 2.3L I4) with coil packs spoiled me, so the

3.4L it is--although my project will be a newer 3.4L from a late 90s GM FWDer...it can be done...

As for the 2nd thought, I agree there, the flip-up headlamps on the Pontiac clones don't excite me, maintenance wise. Then again, the headlights on the 93-97 Camaros are crummy as well. Oh well...

So, yeah, the v8 F-cars are great, but the times that I laugh at how hard they are to work on and how expensive they *can* be to maintain are over. A 3rd Gen should be easier in those regards for a v8 model.

man, you'd take a V6 (and not even a 3.8 V6) over an LS1? Just for the record that makes you a pussy. ;)

oh, and the back 4 plugs on an LS1 are difficult, but not impossible. If you've got skinny arms and a cold engine, you can do all but one from above.

Ray

01 Trans Am

Just for the sake of changing sparkplugs?? If it sucks that bad, pay someone else to change 'em. It is not like you change them that often!

I fail to see the point of buying a performance vehicle, them putting a grocery getter engine in it! Would you buy a Dodge Viper with 3 liter and a automatic in it? Greg

If they made it, some one would. Charles

IIRC the spark plugs (certainly on an LT1 4th gen) are supposed to last

100,000 miles. that would imply maybe one change of plugs in the life of the car (200,000 miles before breaking).

The gas mileage on the V6 is not significantly better (even if Americans cared about that - unlike us with $8/gallon prices)

So for me, the option of V8 is a no brainer - just go for it!

Cheers

Graham

Charles Bendig wrote:

Many many folks @ LS1tech would disagree with the 100k duration. Especially if you're hard on it.

Just like the nonsense with the 5 year/100,000 mile Dex-Cool coolant. Yeah, right.

But I agree..V-8 is the way to go.

Graham Sewell wrote:

I'd rather have a Chevette with an LS7...

oh, and under normal use it's like 100k miles for plugs. If you're running nitrous it's a yearly job. :)

Ray

If you got the money, Ill build it. Minus the engine, transmissiom,drive shaft,wheel, tires, and other high cost items. Ill give you the AACF discount. $300 for the car. $7,000 for the labor, frame work, roll cage, wheel tubs, and interior. Charles If you got the money, and are willing to spend it, Ill build it.