Personally I drive a 1965 Chevy PU with almost 1,400,000 miles on it.
The last engine rebuild/swap I put a late TBI 350/400R trans, threw away the computer trash and TBI, put my old 2 barrel and point ignition on it and even though with 2 cross boxes and 2 side boxes filled with tools it weighs 5,000# empty I get 15 mpg with the crap gas we have here in So. Calif.
As you wre, then—so long as someone claims everything is hunky-f’n-doree, others must be wrong—sos!