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Trip · 01-02-2010, 07:14 PM

Greetings. I've been lurking awhile and figured I'd sign up and join the fracas.

I have been a mechanic for 30 years. Mostly truck and equipment. During the mid 80's I was employed at a national laboratory and got to work on some the earliest OE alternative fueled vehicles, mostly methanol, ethanol & cng. I am presently a mechanic for a major teleco. I am required to keep a CDL license so I drive pretty conservatively - lose the license, lose the job.

I raced stock cars and motorcycles in my earlier years. I still ride motorcycles.

My present vehicle is an E150 conversion van, a serious gas pig. My work commute is only 3 miles round trip. If nobody else drives my van I can go well over a month between fuel ups.

I'm seriously contemplating put together a machine for achieving super mpg. Living in the rust belt kind of places limits on finding a suitable testbed. I have considered doing a motorcycle - if only the Chicago winters weren't so brutal. Metros are generally pretty rusty or used up in this area. I am considering an Echo, Escort or a Saturn, but am still researching the used car market. My ideal testbed would be a small displacement, manual trans, OBD2, no power options, overlooked in the used car market, non problem child, not rust prone machine. Not asking much, eh?

Anyways, good to read many of the tips and tricks and hopefully I can add some good stuff.

01-02-2010, 07:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
Trip EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Illinois Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Science Greetings. I've been lurking awhile and figured I'd sign up and join the fracas. I have been a mechanic for 30 years. Mostly truck and equipment. During the mid 80's I was employed at a national laboratory and got to work on some the earliest OE alternative fueled vehicles, mostly methanol, ethanol & cng. I am presently a mechanic for a major teleco. I am required to keep a CDL license so I drive pretty conservatively - lose the license, lose the job. I raced stock cars and motorcycles in my earlier years. I still ride motorcycles. My present vehicle is an E150 conversion van, a serious gas pig. My work commute is only 3 miles round trip. If nobody else drives my van I can go well over a month between fuel ups. I'm seriously contemplating put together a machine for achieving super mpg. Living in the rust belt kind of places limits on finding a suitable testbed. I have considered doing a motorcycle - if only the Chicago winters weren't so brutal. Metros are generally pretty rusty or used up in this area. I am considering an Echo, Escort or a Saturn, but am still researching the used car market. My ideal testbed would be a small displacement, manual trans, OBD2, no power options, overlooked in the used car market, non problem child, not rust prone machine. Not asking much, eh? Anyways, good to read many of the tips and tricks and hopefully I can add some good stuff.