My '95 Caprice Classic STW, "Sally"

[Arquemann]

That sounds pretty good to me. I think the best we ever got with our Roadmaster was around 20, and that was all highway. Different axle ratio though, I'm sure.

If I were to do all highway in this I'd get 25+ mpg. The traffic on my commute really kills the chances for best mpg. The 2.56 rear really does wonders for fuel mileage, that and a suitably powerful engine and overdrive with lockup.
Honestly even the 23-24 mpg is quite impressive for a 5.7 liter, two ton boat. Buuut it could always be better lol.
Fresh plugs going in soon, maybe slap in some RVS and some low rolling resistance tires. Taking things beyond stock would be the next thing.

[sly]

I had an 85 Parisienne (Pontiac version of the Caprice) with a quadrajet and never got any better than 21mpg. Typically got around 15-17 mpg around town.

[gadget73]

I'd imagine the improved aero of the 90+ models and the better efficiency of a real fuel injection system vs the CCC Q-jet on a 307 would make it capable of better economy.

[sly]

Most likely. Mine had a chev 305 too. It was original to the car as well as I bought it off the original owner. Don't remember when Pontiac went from the 307 to the 305 either.

[friskyfrankie]

Seem to remember Chevy coming out with the 305 around 1978 (?) during the crazy OPEC days. 307 coming out around 1980 (?). Working off of memory here so someone feel free to correct me.

[Arquemann]

A friend of mine has an '88 Caprice wagon with a mostly stock TBI 305, overdrive and 3.08 rear ratio, he somehow gets consistent 22-23 mpg on longer trips.
Another guy I know has a '89 Buick Electra with a swapped in bone stock TBI 305, same trans, same rear ratio and never gets above 18mpg.
And I can barely reach that 18 mpg too easily in my MGM, but it's running a bit rich anyways.

Overall, I'm relatively satisfied with my Chevas MPG, atleast it's not driving me instantly bankrupt.
Current goal is to fix everything on it to prepare it for winter driving. I reeeaaally don't want to be fixing stuff constantly during the winter. Cold, ice and snow, y'know?

[sly]

Yeah totally understand that... similar to me not wanting to fix anything in the dead of summer with all the 40C+ temps (unless it's the AC... need that).

[kishy]

What's up with peeps being so interested in a hitch?? Kishy and now you too lol.

European hitches are quite different from what we play with over here. I think this might be a North America-vs-Rest of World thing.

Our drawbars (the part on which the hitch ball is mounted, sometimes the ball is welded but more often held on with a nut) always have a square shank, in various standard sizes for various weight classes. The round tube bits on yours are what look weird to us.

[Arquemann]

European hitches are quite different from what we play with over here. I think this might be a North America-vs-Rest of World thing.

Our drawbars (the part on which the hitch ball is mounted, sometimes the ball is welded but more often held on with a nut) always have a square shank, in various standard sizes for various weight classes. The round tube bits on yours are what look weird to us.

Your stuff seems to be the smarter kind this time, maybe. Our ball is standardized 50mm, but the "drawbar" can vary alot, round receptacle like on mine, square or rectangular, many just slip between two plates and locked in with bolts or pins. On most the hitch part is removable, but some more utilitarian uses might have it be one piece. Some OE hitches can be unlocked and pivoted up and hidden behind the bumper, like in my parents F11 BMW. Mine's removable, or probably was, since it has most likely rusted solid.

Oh and the round "tube" that ends at the ball isn't tube, it's solid metal.

[gadget73]

Most likely. Mine had a chev 305 too. It was original to the car as well as I bought it off the original owner. Don't remember when Pontiac went from the 307 to the 305 either.

was the other way around. At some point the wagons all started being made on the Olds line and even the Chevy wagons came with an Olds 307, but the Caprice sedan would have come with a 305. Boss has an 89 of each. Honestly figured the Pontiac would have always been stuck with the Olds motor.

[sly]

Well it was the case for the Parisienne. I think they went from the pontiac engine to the chevy for badge engineering since the pontiac was pretty much just the caprice with more chrome bits.

[Stocker]

I think GM eventually had all the wagons being built in the same plant along with the RWD Cadillacs, so they probably decided it was easier to set up the production lines for only the 307 rather than put 305s into the mix as well.

Well it was the case for the Parisienne. I think they went from the pontiac engine to the chevy for badge engineering since the pontiac was pretty much just the caprice with more chrome bits.

Pretty much - the Parisienne was a previously Canada-only car that was adapted for the U.S. market after Pontiac downsized the Bonneville, and the Parisienne had more in common with the Caprice than it did the Catalina/Bonneville.

[Dragonwagon]

A lot of scanners that say they handle OBD 1.5 still don't work with 1995 LT1 B-bodies. I borrowed an Inova from a friend and couldn't get it to read my Roadmaster. Then I looked in the manual, and it only showed compatibility with the 4.3 (which is a V8 smaller-displacement version of the LT1, and not the V6 that went in trucks).
Look into Tunercat. http://www.tunercat.com/cables/lt1kit.html

[Dragonwagon]

Your stuff seems to be the smarter kind this time, maybe. Our ball is standardized 50mm, but the "drawbar" can vary alot, round receptacle like on mine, square or rectangular, many just slip between two plates and locked in with bolts or pins. On most the hitch part is removable, but some more utilitarian uses might have it be one piece. Some OE hitches can be unlocked and pivoted up and hidden behind the bumper, like in my parents F11 BMW. Mine's removable, or probably was, since it has most likely rusted solid.

Oh and the round "tube" that ends at the ball isn't tube, it's solid metal.

Even the B-bodies that came with the towing package (which yours does not seem to have) did not come from the factory with a hitch/drawbar; those all came from the aftermarket. Class II (medium duty rating of 3500 lbs) are still available for purchase, but the Class III heavier duty assemblies have been out of production for a long time, and even used ones bring decent money despite being a handful to ship.

I would imagine that one that meets Euro specs is extremely rare, and if you ever have to take the car off the road, you would probably find it worthwhile to salvage the hitch.

BTW, the tow package with an LT1 meant 2.93 posi, and an engine-driven (plus one electric) radiator fan, which would have cost you about 2 mpg.

[Arquemann]

Even the B-bodies that came with the towing package (which yours does not seem to have) did not come from the factory with a hitch/drawbar; those all came from the aftermarket. Class II (medium duty rating of 3500 lbs) are still available for purchase, but the Class III heavier duty assemblies have been out of production for a long time, and even used ones bring decent money despite being a handful to ship.

I would imagine that one that meets Euro specs is extremely rare, and if you ever have to take the car off the road, you would probably find it worthwhile to salvage the hitch.

BTW, the tow package with an LT1 meant 2.93 posi, and an engine-driven (plus one electric) radiator fan, which would have cost you about 2 mpg.

With old "obscure" cars like this in Finland, if one doesn't have a hitch, it's easier to just find a car that has a hitch, instead if trying to find a hitch. Currently there's ONE 91-96 Caprice for sale that has a hitch.
If you really want a hitch, you can have a shop build you one, and get it certified. The current hitch must've been installed sometime soon after the import registration, since the "modification inspection" has been done the same year, 2004.
I'm not sure what's the manufacturer tow rating for a Caprice w/o the tow package, but the tow package rating seems to be 5k lbs. Dunno if the Finnish govt gives a crap, since my registration says 2270kg, which is ~5k lbs.
My hitch says 1800kg/4k lbs, and I will most likely never even come close to towing that much. Don't got the license nor do I even need a trailer almost ever. Now that I have a wagon with the interior space close to a small-medium cathedral, even bigger things move without a trailer.