Road Trip
 

Hey guys, I am finally going to get to do what I have been planning for several years now. I am going a road trip from Enterprise, Al. to Phoenix in my goat. I don't know how long this is going to take and don't care cause I'm not going to be in a hurry. I do have one question for you guys. I know gas is coming down in price, but I would like some ideas as to how to CHEAPLY improve my mileage.

What I have: 68 GTO Conv
balanced 462 flat tops with pistons out of hole .010
6X-8 heads ported and polished exhaust cross-overs filled, surfaced not milled.
71 stock intake ported, with exhaust cross-overs cut out
Comp XE-274 cam,
Crane 1:65 rollers
Headman headers, 2.5 in from headers out rear
MSD 6AL, base timing 16, full 30 at 2800
Cliff built Rochester 800
Turbo 400 with stall
279 posi
P275-60-15 tires

Thanks for any and all help...BB

IMHO a good tune up, Plugs,wires,cap,rotor,pcv, Fuel Filter and Air Filter check all fluids and You don't have to But I run Amsoil Synthetic 10-30 or 10-40 oil and that reduces friction, I also use their Tranny fluid and rear diff fluid and their synthetic grease for all joints, and that picks up the mileage a couple MPG infact I noticed quite a difference!, Make sure tires are all in good shape and the alignment is right, No sticky rear Brakes or e-brakes, Basically look over the whole car and make sure there is nothin ready to give out, Fix any Leaks as extra oil isn't cheap these days! As long as everything is in good working order you will have a Great Trip and get Decent Mileage too!, Leave prepared though! Any thing that might go wrong on the way can and will so its good to be prepared for that, I know mostly elementary stuff But it works, Have a great trip!

Another suggestion would be dead-man switch somewhere in the ignition. That's a desirable car and easy to steal. Figure out a simple way to kill it when you leave it alone or it may turn up missing..

Pager alarms are a good investment as well. I have one on my Harley....

There's a GPS antitheft system out there that you subscribe to that can track your car when activated (Gets it back a lot quicker) , or

LOJAC is another thought. Any of these is a cheap investment if it's needed.

Hotel rooms on the first floor with the car parked where you can see it when you look out the window. Same with resturaunts, sit where you can see the car while you are eating. Stow as much as you can in the trunk, out of sight, so the top doesn't get cut so somebody can lift something. There are crews out there that specialize in ripping off parked cars of travelers...

Not trying to rain on your parade but 30 years of law enforcement, 4 of it in auto theft, makes me think this way... sometimes I can't help myself....

Before you leave: proper tire pressure, good alignment, and minimize the weight.
While you're driving: minimize the "on-the-gas/off-the-gas" method of driving, and keep the speed reasonable.

The way gas prices are plummeting, it may not be much of an issue, anyway. What will you be doing in Phoenix? How long are you staying? There are several members here from the area (including me, but I won't be home). Steve Barcak and MechanicKeith are both good guys - send 'em a note if you haven't already.

BB1968,
I was just in Opp, Al for a family reunion and to see Opp Fest; they had some nice classics but only one GTO, a 1966. Back in 1971 my brother and I took a trip out west in his 1967 GTO. It was a great time; we were too young and inexperienced to think about making any plans for what might go wrong with the car but fortunately it performed very well. Only problem was a definite lack of power in the Colorado Rockies! But that was expected since the car sold new here in Gainesville, Fl., pretty close to sea level. We didn't know enough about carbs at the time to make the necessary adjustments. Anyway, it sounds like a fun cruise and definitely the right time of year to make a trip to the southwest. By the way, one of these days I am going to make it over to Enterprise to see the famous boll-weevil monument.