1G doesn't feel right... 3500rpm at 75mph?

[johnboyrs]

Is it normal to be at 3500rpm at 75mph??? I have a 5spd gst. I feel like it's to high..

 

[EagleTalonTim]

Sounds about right. My Auto is around there as well. Just how these cars were geared.

 

[johnboyrs]

It just sounds like 5th is at its end.

 

[EagleTalonTim]

It is for sure not the end, there is plenty more speed left in 5th gear. Our cars have always felt like they need an extra gear. I wish I could add a 5th gear to my auto for cruising. 3k RPM at 60 mph is high to me. My wife's car and my truck cruise at 60 under 2500 rpm.

 

[Dxc545]

I've noticed alot of early 90's cars have the 55mph bolded on the speedo so I'm assuming that was the norm vs today. I know when I lived in Texas highway speeds were up to 80! I'd never cruise that high rpm

 

[pacn91]

When I got back into a dsm a few mos. ago I had forgotten that they were geared that short. Took some getting used to but my auto is at about 3200 at 70mph

 

[mitsubishikid]

I swapped in a 5 speed overdrive, cable clutch transmission, from I think a 1993-1995 1.5 Mitsubishi mirage, I put it in my funky old school fwd dodge Colt Vista...
[it can be seen in my avatar ] it's so much better to be at 2500 rpms at 65 mph
70 mph is 3k, 85 at around 3700 rpms
the old school 3 spd auto would be at around 3100-3300rpm at about 65mph!

After the swap I noticed the wagon was Faster off the line, better mpg
[The best mpg I ever observed was around 37 mpg, in the slow lane 55 to 65 mph.]
Around the same time I swapped in a Mitsubishi cordia: Turbo front sway bar and generic energy suspension bushings.
[it was thicker then the stock vista one]
the only bad thing about the transmission swap was the clutch feel was kinda non existent, compared to my dsm, but I got used to it.

daily mpg about 25-27 mpg city/ 30-33 highway some times I puts around in town in 5th gear [above 25 mph, so it does not kill] the car sounds like its just idling at normal 800rpms .
when It coasts in gear it sounds like a rocket jet herrrrrree love it.
soon the dohc 4G63T will be in the bay and we will see how it goes.

if other dsmers want I can post the vin stamped on the trans on here. it might contain info on gear ratios.

 

[91-GS]

Used to drive around with A/T stuck in 3rd (that was before learning about 'limp mode') and had to be at around 80 MPH couple of times. Revs were up over 4000, but the car seemed to love it. Felt like she had twice the power of 55 MPH. Not sure how long that would have lasted though. After it was shifting again would usually cruise at 50-60 MPH in top gear just to keep the revs down. Some people were not too happy about a 'slow' car in their way, but for 30+ MPG i couldn't care less. High RPM are also a reason for (future) swap to manual transmission.

Attached below you will find gear ratios of 1G transmissions, as seen in the Tech Manual.

 

[johnboyrs]

I can feel it has more to go...a lot more.

 

[1G Eclipse94928]

I can feel it has more to go...a lot more.

get the evo 5th gear upgrade, 10% taller.