More info...
I should have added that the differential is a 3.73 posi. That is very interesting that the tailgate up is less drag. I wounder if that was tested with a regular cab, s/c, or crew cab? And was that with the 6 ft. bed or 8 ft. bed?
Thanks for all the info, and I guess I will need to melt down some more gold to pay for all the fuel I am going to use. 1200 miles / 14 miles per gallon @ $3.00 per gallon = $257.14
I am so old that I can remember driving from San Diego to Riverside and it cost me $1.00 for gas. That was in a 1960 Ford Falcon, 144 ci six. Now it would be different because I have put a straight axle on the Falcon and put in a 428SCJ engine, C6 trans, 9" differential, 4.11 gears. I have not checked but probably would get 7 or 8 mpg at cruise speeds. How to get 17 mpg out of a Ford 427?
You stick it in a 66 Fairlane, 3.25 gears, set idle at 1100 rpm, slip the clutch to get it rolling, (do not touch gas pedal). shift through gears and drive from Riverside to Corona. (level, no hills). It took forever, and would not do it again, but it did get 17 mpg.