How far can you go?

[TopNotch]

I ran my 88 duke to where it needed 10.2 gallons to fill the tank yesterday. I don't usually let it get that low, but it did OK.

"I have put more than 11 gallons in my tank in one filling." - GTRS Fiero

[GTRS Fiero]

35.16 MPG?  In GTRS?

Yep, in GTRS.

[pgackerman]

Furthest I ever tried was just over 200 miles.  See no reason to let my 30 year old gas tank get that low.

Driving it to use most of the fuel in the tank then refilling it won't do damage to the tank.  Rust forms on the walls when the fuel level is low and the vehicle sits for very long periods of time.  Heating and cooling causes condensate to form on the walls of the tank and Ethanol will pull moisture from the air.  Even though we gripe about the Ethanol in our gasolines, it does have one benefit in that respect.  The Ethanol actually absorbs water and as you drive the vehicle frequently, the small amount of condensate that may be in the tank is absorbed by the Ethanol and it's burned by the engine. 

It's actually best to drive the car frequently because it keeps the condensate burned and not accumulating and sitting in the bottom of the tank.

Mostly worried about grabbing junk/dirt that's been accumulating for the last 30 years. 
Usually fill up every week.

[GTRS Fiero]

The pump always pulls fuel from the bottom of the tank, so there shouldn't be much accumulation.

[Fierofool]

There is a large plastic baffle inside the tank that surrounds the fuel pump.  The fuel pump intake sock sits on part of that baffle and it separates the intake from the very bottom of the tank.  Even with that baffle, anything in the tank gets sloshed around and mixed into the gasoline.  If it's capable of being suspended in the fuel, it doesn't really matter how much fuel is there, but you will never draw the last 1.5 gallons or so from the bottom of the tank where the heavier particles reside.  Even if you could, they wouldn't pass through the pickup sock. 

My 87 is original tank and pump and has never been removed from the car.  I run my tank down to about 1/4 tank, mainly just to be sure that the tank has fuel to cool the pump.  I always fill up.  Buying $5 worth of fuel at a time doesn't save any money because I'm going to do the same amount of driving anyway.  Imaging taking the Mustang to Indiana and stopping every 75 miles to put more fuel in it.  You're still going to burn just as much fuel on the trip as if you ran it to 1/4th tank then filled up. 

[GTRS Fiero]

Actually, slightly less fuel, since not stopping and starting, but also since you're hauling less fuel, so less weight.

I keep about half a tank in my vrhicles, and always fill up, unless there are special circumstances; however, I run the tank low on long trips.  My truck, for example, can run about 650 miles on a tank, but I usually fill up around 618 miles.

[GTRS Fiero]

35.16 MPG?  In GTRS?

It did.  Now not as good.  Going to replace the CTS and O2 sensors.