i want to buy an el camino but i have a question about gas!

ride-your-bike

hey guys, im kind of a newbie here. i am in the market for an automatic el camino. i am wondering how they are on gas. how much does it cost to fill your tank? i work at 10 bucks an hour so i am looking for a car that doesnt cost a fortune to fill up. i just cant take my eyes off these trucks though!!

thanks a lot guys! Cool

CoyoteOn2 · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:48 am Post subject:

Hello Joe and Welcome,
Gas Mileage in an Elco would be the same as with any other Vehical.
All dependent on how it is equiped, modified and driven, Anywhere from
aprox 3 miles to a gallon

to upwards of about 28 + miles to a gallon

with an average of 14 to 15 miles to a gallon

and as far as how much to fill a Tank, that also would be dependent on the price per gallon, as well as the size of the tank, any where from 16 gal upwards to 28 gallons as in mine.

Sorry I can't be more helpfull, but hay ~~ It really doesn't matter, Most of us have and Drive ElCaminos because we love them and they are our passion. You too will most likely get this bug once you become an Owner.

_________________
http://elcaminocentral.com/gallery-album_CoyoteOn2s77Cage.html

Keep the Shiney Side Up
The Rubber Side Down !!
aka Larry

pops86 · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 9:22 am Post subject:

Welcome to the site, this is one of the best on the net!!!!!!
My gas mileage averages 20 mpg. I have a completely stock 86 model with the 305, 4bbl, computer controlled.
My gas tank is 22 gallons.
My camino may not be the cheapest, but I am satisfied with what I have and what it gets.
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86 El Camino SS Z15 / Posi / 305-V8-4bbl
http://elcaminocentral.com/users/pops86camino/

ps · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 5:09 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the website. I have a reliable running 69' Elky with a stock 350 with headers and no emission control items. It had A/C at one time but someone took it off. Rest of car is stock. I average 17-18 mpg running on 93 octane, if I go to less octane rating, the mileage drops off. I baby my baby with an occassional stomp on it. This is how I get my best results.

DONE DEAL DONNY · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:24 pm Post subject:

Welcome, and my name is Donny. I have a 68 with a 396, it passes everything but the gas station and there it stops twice! such is the price you pay if you want to play.
Enjoy your ELKO! Cool

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SECOND PLACE IS THE FIRST LOSER
1968 El Camino S/S 396

Snaggle To0th · Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 12:03 am Post subject:

Welcome! Long story short, if your worried about gas then maybe a elky isnt what your looking for. With my 78 witha 350 lightly modded i got 15/20 or more like 5/20! Just depends on what you do and how you drive it. But if you got one already or going to congrats! They are neat cars fer sure!
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Proud Wyotech Graduate

rtabish · Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:56 am Post subject:

i thought this was a post about beano Shocked

if you are concerned about gas mileage, then you may be looking at the wrong vehicle. most of us are into these old cars because we like them, not because they are efficient. they weren't efficient, even for the time that they were new and gas was .29 to .53 a gallon. for what i hear gas is going for in canada, you either had better have a honda civic as your daily driver, or not drive the el camino much. maybe you can convince your boss that you are under a hardship due to the new car you want, and need a raise..... Very Happy

_________________
Rob Tabish
Missoula, Montana
77 El Camino
83 Toyota Landcruiser
81 Honda CB900F
81 Honda CB900Custom

358L-CO · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:07 pm Post subject:

ahhh forget the gas... burn it up.... mine burns gas like crazy but i dont have that big of a tank at least i dont think so cause it only cost me 40 to fill it up when gas was like 4.07 and that means i was like a 10 gallon tank.. the guy said he raced it along with his 2 novas and 70 monte carlo..
do they make 10 gallon gas tanks?
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I bet my engine sounds better than yours....

ps · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:38 pm Post subject:

Not to worry about Gas no more Joey. prices of crude per barrel has dropped off to nearly $70.00. I really don't think these things were built with fuel economy in site, but if you play your cards right you can really have a cool set of wheels that don't cost you an arm and a leg to play with. If all your after is setting a world speed record and the bragging rights that go along with it, fuel prices r the least of your worries. You can pick up a perfect running and sounding el Camino and get 20 mpg or better and be impressive on drag strips as well as crusing around in town for a half way reasonable price. You can build a nice one keeping fuel economy as a priority. By keeping the stock rear end in there, your making your first step. Stop wondering whether you can pay for fuel and start saving up for chrome!! Have Fun with what ever you end up with.

elcamino74guy · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:57 pm Post subject:

There are other things to consider when buying a vehicle that don't involve fuel economy.

For one thing the cost of car payments, especially in this economy with higher down payments and interest rates, is considerable when comparing with an older car. That can make the cost of ownership considerably higher.

Insurance rates on older cars tend to be better and they tend to be cheaper to fix since after 10 years the aftermarket shows up with better parts availability. For example, I can get alternators from any auto parts store in my local area for my elky but for my 08 Mustang I'm stuck with the dealer (although I have an extended warranty, that did cost me an extra grand though)

Many newer cars out there actually get worse mileage than some 80's elkys. Like since when is 18MPG in a 60K Lexus any kind of economy car.

Gas will probably drop down to the high 2.xx per gallon and not go much lower. So don't expect .99/gal any time soon. It's just the availability. Maybe when we get off foreign oil and there's more oil than demand it will get cheap again but that's at least 10 years out.

State of tune, driving habits and tire pressure all work to improve gas mileage.

Just be aware that an older car may still have a considerable up front cost although not as much as the costs of a newer car. There's always something to be fixed so be prepared.

When I buy a used car I like to make sure I budget about 2 grand over a year for repairs. After that it's pretty much maintenance since I always buy parts with lifetime warranties. That way I only pay for it once. Dealer parts rarely come with more than a one year warranty and most don't come with any warranty at all.

So there you go.

Leave it to me to make it all complicated...

Happy

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74 El Camino Classic - project car #1
96 Camaro - RIP, Traded 10-16-2007

2008 Mustang GT, It ain't a Chevy but at least it's American!

ELBMINO · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:01 am Post subject:

x2 bud my elco has 3o5 with a 3.73 rear end & i get about 20 miles per gallon just cruisin like the classic i drive , i punch it time 2 time for fun , welcome to elcamino site heaven! Driving

love it or leave it!
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''EAST-LB-MINO''