[MAP]

Greetings Tony,

I don't want to dominate the discussion here, so if I should posting instead under the "Engine Technology" forum, then please affect this, or let me know that I should transition there, and I will gladly do so.

My plans for 25mpg with a 383 SBC in a 1978 Chevrolet Malibu:
1.) Much lower front ride height, and extended forward bumper, to improve aerodynamics on what is admittedly something only slightly more curvaceous than a brick.
2.) 200R4 OD lock-up auto trans - you were quite right.
3.) 2.73:1 or 2.93:1 rear ratio vs. 3.42:1 now.
4.) Much shorter, but higher-lift, hydraulic roller cam than currently.
5.) As lean a cruising A/F as I can tolerate.

David says if the car is too slow after all this, then add nitrous!
Another aspect to your article: you compared the Edelbrock unit with the Q-jet. Why did you pick this particular carburetor, and not some other? And, if the Edelbrock is calibrated for performance, what might happen if you tailored the metering rods for an unusually lean A/F at cruise, while preserving the existing enrichment under WOT, which is to say, make the taper on the rods more pronounced? (This is apart from tinkering with the idle circuit, of course.)

Thank you,
Mark