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Old 03-04-2008, 08:17 AM   #16 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,515

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 52.48 mpg (US)
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Hi & welcome...

Good thing you've already discovered the right foot is the cheapest & quickest means of reducing fuel consumption. Driving technique will consistently outperform mods, in terms of total potential savings.

As for vehicle mods:

AndrewJ's right: the place to start for max drag reduction is at the back of the car. With the abrupt chop at the end of the roof, and the short deck length, the airflow likely separates at a point that's close to your max projected area, and does not re-attach on the end of the deck. Not good.

I also agree that rear skirts would help. I've tried skirts on 3 different vehicles, and my conclusion is that the closer the rear wheel is to the back of the car, the more of a benefit the skirts will have. If there's little to no bodywork "aft" of the wheel arch to shepherd flow into a somewhat clean separation, skirts are critical, I'd say.

One other area that you can go hog wild on is your car's underbody. Because of the rear engine layout, you could affix a full, smooth undertray (perhaps uninterrupted, back to the rear wheels) , since you don't have to worry about covering up exhaust components running the length of the car.

And, I trust you've had a look at the List of aero mods you can do to your vehicle for other ideas?
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Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
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