Shortie771's Del Sol Si - Build Thread

[Shortie771]

So after having a few mods complete for my car and seeing great improvements so far, I have decided to throw everything into one thread to help me keep things in order for my own reference. I also hope that this can help anybody else with a Civic or Del Sol (or anybody) gather some ideas and see some improvements. I plan on putting everything I do here in one place, if I make something of my own I will also be sure to add a How-To thread of it. I will be doing A-B-A testing on all of my aero modifications (once I install my MPGuino), with the exception of mudflap delete because those are long gone. I will list my results as a percentage next to the mod name in the "current mods" section for quick reference. I will NOT be installing a permanent kammback, but out of curiousity I WILL be making a temporary cardboad kammback simply for A-B-A testing.

I am currently driving a Honda Del Sol Si with a D16Z6 engine and a less than ideal, Si transmission. At least it's a manual

Milestones:
35mpg *
40mpg *
45mpg
50mpg
55mpg

My long term goal is to achieve at least 50mpg per tank. When I started Ecomodder I was averaging 31mpg. I have already achieved a few milestones, mostly by adjusting the nut behind the wheel. My best tank so far has been 42.72mpg and I am still striving to make that number higher. I do NOT want to effect the sporty look of my car too much in my journey to better FE, but the less extreme aero mods are acceptable.

Current Mods:
Mudflap Delete
Fully Synthetic Oil (5W-30)
Max Sidewall Tires (44psi)
Warm Air Intake
Adjust Nut Behind The Wheel
EOC Kill Switch
Auto Grill Block
MPGuino
Vacuum Gauge
Ride Height Reduction (1" lower)
Smaller Antenna (S2000 stubby)

Planned Mods:
Full Belly Pan
Tire Spats
Synthetic Transmission Fluid (Pennzoil Synchromesh)
EX Transmission Swap
DX/LX Final Drive Swap
Seal Panel Gaps
Front Lip/Splitter
Lightweight 15" Rims (nobody stocks LRR 14")
LRR Tires
Lighter Battery (Lithium)
Increase Compression Ratio (10.2:1)

Maybe:
Smooth Wheel Covers
Rear Wheel Skirts
Battery Trickle Charger (small solar panel on dash)
Hand Throttle
Electric Power Steering (MR2 swap)

I think thats about it. I have a long road ahead of me, but it's going to be a fun one

[Shortie771]

Here is my Auto Adjusting Grill Block... It opens using a counter-weighted shutter and closes using wind speed (pretty close to 25mph to fully close). It is made mostly of coroplast and two 1/16" metal rods (for support). I am VERY happy with how well it turned out and how great it functions, along with the clean stock look that it has.

Open:


Closed:

[Shortie771]

Here are a few pics of my EOC kill switch that I decided to get a little creative with. I turned an old computer gaming joystick into my shifter by removing all of the un-needed parts and threading the bottom side with a tap and die set. I painted it to match my interior and get rid of that, sitting in the garage for 20 years look. I installed new momentary switches into it so that the buttons on the joystick will now be in the normally on postion instead of normally off. It turned out good (definitely unique), easy to use and since it uses the buttons the joystick already had, the kill switch sort of hides in plain site.

Before:


After:

[AndrzejM]

Cool idea! But aren't you afraid that you kill your engine by accident during a quick shifting?

[MetroMPG]

Funniest shifter kill switch ever. Love it! Definitely unique.

[Jakins]

nice flaps. id like to try that. it would be easier to just get a different transmission then put the ex 5th gear in. its not that much better in the first place just get any one of the p20/A000 trannys and it will be better and a crap load easier then what you are doing. plus you could probably trade yours to some ricer and get cash on top haha. i know they are all looking to the si trannys

[Shortie771]

Originally Posted by AndrzejM

Cool idea! But aren't you afraid that you kill your engine by accident during a quick shifting?

Yes, that was a concern at first, but I drove around for a while with the switch somewhere else and noticed that I don't touch the button on the shifter unless I want to. It also makes a good stress reliever to mash the button when somebody is driving crazy around me... Pew pew, get off the road!! But with it hooked up I can't do that anymore

[Shortie771]

Originally Posted by Jakins

nice flaps. id like to try that. it would be easier to just get a different transmission then put the ex 5th gear in. its not that much better in the first place just get any one of the p20/A000 trannys and it will be better and a crap load easier then what you are doing. plus you could probably trade yours to some ricer and get cash on top haha. i know they are all looking to the si trannys

I have tried to find a way to simply trade my tansmission for a DX/LX trans but I can't find a way to get rid of it without having to sell it, go without a car for a few days and buy a new trans. I know it will be a lot more work (I have been told many times) to swap the 5th gear out, but I have a lot more time than I do money. My brother has an EX manual trans and he wants my 5th gear, so it would be a weekend in the garage for us to swap 5th gears (he doesnt want my whole trans). I don't mind taking the time and learning a few things along the way to get a 6.7% taller 5th gear for free. Later I will throw in a DX/LX final drive for an additional 4.7% in all gears. This will allow me to keep my shorter gears for if I ever do decide to make this car fast, but also allow me to have 11.4% taller gearing when I am on the highway (where I spend most of my time).

I have thought about this a LOT and I think this would be the best balance for me. Yes, it will be a lot of work but the 5th gear will be free and I can probably just buy a DX/LX final drive from honda later on.

I know that everybody here is trying to steer me to the best possible gains for the least amount of work and I thank you all for that, but I want to be able to keep the versitility of being able to get good mpg while also being able to go out and have a little fun.

[Shortie771]

Got the MPGuino installed. After a few tanks of calibration I'm going to be able to start testing some aero mods

[Shortie771]

Still haven't been able to get my MPGuino working properly. It keeps resetting as I drive, every few minutes. I have double and triple checked all of the wiring and it is all good. It finally died on me completely after a few weeks. I have contacted the seller and he told me to replace the color crystal which I have done and that did not fix the resetting issue, but at least the display worked again. It has died yet again since then and I really don't think another color crystal is going to magically fix it.

After trying to contact the seller again I get no response, so I think I might just be out 80 bucks. So much for the return on investment for that... This is the reason for not having any test results up so far (which I would LOVE to get going on). Just thought I would give an update that I haven't completely disappeared.