Goal 100% over EPA, Status update

[busypaws]

I've been commenting on other threads for about a year. I finally thought I'd start a success stories thread to post my major accomplishments.

Finally with tonights fill-up achieved 50% over EPA for 90 days/3 tanks. Shooting for 100%.

97 Mazda Protoge - 1.5L, 5-speed.
Commute - 5.5 miles 23 stop lights. Once or twice a tank I do a 50 mile round trip eco run. (Increases tank average and allows me to experiment after a mod)

First year spent lightweighting.
Removed, A/C, PS, Glove box, Passenger Seat, Back Seat, Passenger airbag, spare tire, jack, swithced to 13inch VX rims and 155/80/13 tires, misc grinding here/there, OEM air intake stuff, smaller battery ... Total 204 lbs (28lbs of rotating mass) on 2385lb curb weight vehicle.

Low hanging fruit on lightweighting complete so switched to aero mods. Grill Block, Passenger wiper, pizza pan wheel covers version 1.0 done. Version 2.0 in the next month, rear wheel fairings, front under belly (will help with faster warmup on short commute) etc. … before winter.

I want to challenge everyone to review what you said for new-year resolutions. (Days are getting shorter) I only have an hour or so when I get home to work before dark.

[Weather Spotter]

Any pics of your mods?
How did you attach your pizza pans?
Power steering removal, did that include removing the pump as well?

great goal!
I am on my way to 50%

[busypaws]

Pizza Pans v1.0 is bailing wire, ver 2.0 is going to be 1/4-20 tapped holes in rims (or something like that)
P/S removed pump and looped output back to input on the steering box lines. Left some fluid so it keeps lubricated.

[Weather Spotter]

Let me know how the V2.0 pizza pans goes, I want to do the same thing.

[NachtRitter]

FYI... got these done a few weeks ago, and they have worked out quite well

Used a melamine serving tray from KMart (fairly light weight compared to pizza pans) ($4.99 ea):


Drilled out the acorn nuts and epoxied in some smaller nuts inside:


Drilled 4 matching holes into the serving tray, hot-glued washers and spacers so they don't keep falling off during the mounting:


Initially, the tray was a little big and rested on the edge of the rim:


I didn't like that, so I sanded the edges of the tray down until it fit exactly inside the edge of the rim:


Final look is pretty decent; plan to also sand down the ridges so the whole 'bottom' / outside of the tray is smooth, and then will likely paint them. Also plan to smooth the edges of the washers so they don't present such a sharp edge:


For these covers, I prefer to remove the clip-on weights and have the tire shop re-balance with the stick-ons so that I don't need to cut notches into the covers just for the weights. Since it's a relatively quick 4 phillips screw on / off process, and since the tires are holding air really well, I'm not too worried about having an opening for the air valve.

EDIT: Posted this into its own thread at Simple Honda VX Alloy Wheel Covers (drilled acorn wheel nuts as attachment points)

[Frank Lee]

They'd look decent with some argent silver paint!

[Phantom]

Instead of having them use stick on weights as sometimes they do not have they at the shop you can just ask them to place the weights on the inside of the rim.

[NachtRitter]

Great inputs, thanks! I like the idea of the silver paint. Was also thinking of doing the ecomodder logo, but that may be a bit over the top for my wife...