North American Turbocoupe Organization



MPG
Scott Mabe Offline
Member
#1
I was wondering what fuel mileage should I be getting. 87 TC 5 spd. Right now I'm averaging about 22.5 mpg mostly interstate @about 72mph.
The previous owner said it got close to 30mpg. It's got new plugs and wires and I run 93 octane.
1987 Turbo Coupe
1988 Thunderbird parts car/ possibly street/strip car
1990 F-250HD 460ci
2001 Pontiac Montana (wife's ride)

-PLEASE FORGIVE TYPOS, I USE SWYPE ON MY PHONE-
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turbird77 Offline
Member
#2
Best I've ever gotten in mine thus far has been a 28.3mpg average, fully tuned up stock 2.3, running 93 octane, regular driving, minimal boosting. Once I starting getting into the boost alot, mpg takes a hard nose dive though. Strange for such a low-horsepower engine.
88 TC - Work in Progress.
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goldwing Offline
Senior Member
#3
I can't answer your post but I think if you use the search bar you'll find more info. I average about what your getting. Also, I'm not exactly sure of the year but in the mid '80s the way fuel economy was rated was changed. I remember reading the EARLY '80s models were advertised as 30 mpg then they got knocked down to about 25 mpg.
The same goes for horse power ratings. I'm not sure of what year that occurred either. You can probably find all that stuff on Google too.
Tip: I dropped about 70lbs of weight since I've tested my MPG. I recently removed the sound dampening mat from the back side of the carpet/trunk too. A pain in the butt to take out but thats about 35-40lbs, no joke. Maybe a hour or two of work.
Another benefit is you can check for water leaks that were hiding.I had no idea my floor boards were rusty until I Chiseled all that Dyna Mat garbage too. Thats more weight about 15lbs. That crap holds water bad! Its really a pain and took me all day.
I also ditched my electric seat track for a manual one. You'll have to search around at salvage yards online but worth it. One of the electric units weighed about 20lbs. If you've got two power seats,thats 40lbs gone bye-bye.

All in all, less weight equals more MPG and SPEED Smile
T.C:87 5 speed
HOLSET(HE341/HY35W type-D),255 Walbro, No intercooler yet,8lbs boost,Timing @ 9,Low& C.C Plates & SN-95 Bumpsteer Kit, KYB-AGX Struts,Belt driven fan,Custom oil cooler feed,Relocated ECT,Relocated TFI,N/A Hood, showing 178K
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Scott Mabe Offline
Member
#4
I know these birds are heavy and alot of the creature comforts are heavy, but as much as I'd like to shed some weight, I do like some of those creature comforts. As for going to manual seats, I have a 88 Thunderbird, original 302 car, I've thought of robbing some parts before it gets scraped.
1987 Turbo Coupe
1988 Thunderbird parts car/ possibly street/strip car
1990 F-250HD 460ci
2001 Pontiac Montana (wife's ride)

-PLEASE FORGIVE TYPOS, I USE SWYPE ON MY PHONE-
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86 XR7 5spd Offline
Senior Member
#5
Scott Mabe Wrote:I was wondering what fuel mileage should I be getting. 87 TC 5 spd. Right now I'm averaging about 22.5 mpg mostly interstate @about 72mph.
The previous owner said it got close to 30mpg. It's got new plugs and wires and I run 93 octane.

22.5 sounds about right for those conditions;

I've cracked 30 but that's at 61-62mph takin' it easy..
David T
T5 / ported E3 / .63 / 35# / K&N
2.5" exhaust w/ cherry bomb
30+ mpg! 8.2 0-60, 16.4@88 1/4 (gTech)
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Jeff K Offline
Administrator
#6
One time I got 33 on a 450 mile road trip with very light traffic and AC not running, nothing in the trunk, no passengers, and cruise set at 65. Typical rural interstate I get 27 to 28 with cruise set around 70, AC running, and a few hundred extra pounds of passengers and associated other junk in the car. Typical suburban driving mpg runs in the 22 to 24 range.

These are about the same mpg numbers I get in my more "modern" cars: 05 Taurus SEL premium with 210 hp 24V DOHC motor and 02 Grand Prix GT with 200 hp 3800 series II motor, but the TC is WAY WAY faster than these, and, obviously, WAY WAY more fun to drive.
Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 24 psi, forced air IC, water injection, BPV, Ranger cam, subframes, etc., etc.
86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP N2O, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.
11 Crown Vic Interceptor
14 Toyota Camry (wifes car)
95 Taurus GL Vulcan winter beater
67 Honda 450 Super Sport - completely customized
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mickp Offline
Junior Member
#7
When the speeed limit was 55 I could get up to 33 MPG hiway.
at 70 mpg I get around 28 MPG.
75+ it drops fast at around 24 MPG.
after 80 MPH you don't want to know.....right in the bucket.
when my wife drives she gets about 22.5 MPG average and when I drive and I have a lot heaver foot than she does and I can average 24-25.

the differance is I have a tendancy to read the traffic and coast more than she does.
my wife is a driver that stays in the gas until it is time to hit the brakes.

my car can coast -role- very well and if I push in the clutch and coast the speed drops very little and after 25 years of driving my car I know just how far I can coast to a stop.

I also work the lights if no one is behind me and I time them so I don't have to stop. onec I have the lights timed I can maintain the speed limit and make most of the lights depending on traffic conditions.

not saying I drive like an old guy and slow every one down when I do this.
they don't even know. like I said my car roles realy good.

mick.

1970 Mercury cougar XR7 convertable 2.3 turbocharged 5-speed conversion T3 A/R .48 header boport 1.5 ported head.
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Scott Mabe Offline
Member
#8
The previous owner was saying he got close to 30mpg. The car supposedly sat for about 7 years, only being started every 2 or 3 weeks. The plugs have been recently changed, 93 is ran in it, but it hasn't got any better than about 22.5. Is there something else I should be looking at that could cause a almost 10mpg decrease in fuel mileage?
1987 Turbo Coupe
1988 Thunderbird parts car/ possibly street/strip car
1990 F-250HD 460ci
2001 Pontiac Montana (wife's ride)

-PLEASE FORGIVE TYPOS, I USE SWYPE ON MY PHONE-
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#9
Cam timing, ignition timing, fuel pressure regulator, dirty air filter, winter blend gasoline (if that applies) longer "cold starts and warmup" Have you pulled to codes?

Every 88 TC I have owned got around 25-26 on sustained highway travel, 2 people, 70 to 75mph, luggage and tools, even AC on. I once nursed one to 29 but what a PITA
Pete Dunham


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Scott Mabe Offline
Member
#10
I read somewhere ignition timing is supposed to be 10-12 with something disconnected at the distributer, I can't remember what it is right off. Then with everything hooked up it is supposed to read about 20btc. I've checked the timing at idle and it was about 12, not messing with anything. Also I believe the boost controller has been bypassed, not sure if that would hurt or help fuel mileage.
1987 Turbo Coupe
1988 Thunderbird parts car/ possibly street/strip car
1990 F-250HD 460ci
2001 Pontiac Montana (wife's ride)

-PLEASE FORGIVE TYPOS, I USE SWYPE ON MY PHONE-
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