Adding an overdrive (BW T-19 to ZF-5 transsmission swap)

August 23, 2012
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If you’ve never driven a vehicle more than a couple decades old, you probably take overdrive for granted.  You may not even have a clear idea what that term means.That 5th or 6thgear, with a ratio smaller than 1.0 (meaning the driveshaft is turning faster than the engine) lowers the engine RPM speed on the […]

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Prius C: A sub-compact hybrid, at a non-hybrid price.

July 13, 2012
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The newest Prius, available for only 2 months now in the US, is a compact fuel-efficient hybrid. One thing it is not, however, is a Prius. The car is really a Yaris hybrid. But, given that “Prius” is basically synonymous with “hybrid” among average Americans, and that the Yaris may seen by some as an […]

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2012 SMCC Montreal Economy Rally

June 18, 2012

The Economy Run, organized by Sports Motor Car Club Montreal, is a road rally where teams compete to achieve the lowest fuel consumption over a predetermined course. 16 cars took the start this year, up from 11 last year and 7 in 2010 when the historic event was revived. The Lanaudière region provides a scenic […]

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Infinity Miles Per Gallon

May 14, 2012
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Question: What can you do to absolutely minimize your fuel use?  

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Jacob Aziza / Bakari Kafele; Ecomodder / Hypermiler

May 2, 2012
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Good morning fellow ecomodders, hypermilers, and efficiency enthusiasts of all kinds. The EcoModder blog has been inactive for over a year (save Tim’s two most recent updates), and I have been asked to help pick it up again. So, since I also have not been active on this site for nearly a year, to start […]

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Alternator delete with lithium and lead acid battery

April 23, 2012

EcoModder forum member, Brucepick has been working on an interesting alternator delete for a while now. He wanted to eliminate the load on the alternator, but didn’t like the idea of just replacing the starting battery with a deep cycle lead acid battery. The downside of doing this is that as the battery discharges the […]

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CigaR007’s Grill Block Evolution

April 16, 2012

EcoModder forum user CigaR007 has been working on grill blocks for his Toyota Echo for a while now. He started with some simple pipe insulation stuffed between the grill slats as shown above. This version worked well for him and didn’t look bad either as it matched the car’s grill color fairly well. It was […]

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116 mpg from a modified Kawasaki Ninja 250: Alan Smith – Accomplished Motorcycle Hypermiler & Vetter competitor

April 9, 2012

Originally posted by low & slow on the EcoModder forum. There has been quite a bit of interest in Alan Smith, an accomplished motorcycle hypermiler and Vetter Challenge competitor, so I drafted some questions for him to answer. Following are the questions and his responses. Alan, please tell us about yourself, your work history, and […]

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