Quote:

I was a Chrysler service rep when those trucks were new; sold as the Ram "Miser". The automatic version was marginal, and the 4 speed (3 + overdrive) was pitiful. However, they had extremely tall rear end gearing (2.70), which was one of the main causes of the gutless performance. This was also near the end of the line for the slant, as emissions with carburetors had sucked what life there was out of these engines.
If it is an O/D trans, a rear end swap would wake it up a bunch without destroying fuel economy. Also helps to have a properly working carb.
Even if you do swap to a v-8, you need to do something about that differential.
Mark



Funny... i have a 76 Pinto 'MPG' model... with a 2.3L, 4-speed (non-OD) and highway gears. It actually gets pretty damn good mileage, even compared to other Pintos ov similar years... but ONLY if you drive it like a granny and stay out ov it. Detroit was definitely just taking a shotgun approach to efficiency back then... they didn't quite get it, even when they tried. The problem with my 'MPG' or your truck is that when you need to go somewhere... NOW... you've got to dent the floorpan and hold it there... and the mileage goes out the window.

A particular example ov my (well-running) Pinto failing its 'MPG' destiny... was taking a drive up the Kelowna Connector... this rather long, heavy-grade hill that goes on forever. I had to stay in 2nd gear the whole way because the car would not pull 3rd. I could even wring it out to redline, powershift into 3rd and i'd be losing altitude immediately. 22mph... on a major highway... in 2nd gear, almost 30 minutes. That cost quite a bit ov gas...

My brothers hotrod-6 69 Valiant was always 'on'... he needed to flog it to go fast... and that thing had utterly atrocious gas-mileage. It even had 3.21's and an OD 833...