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Old 12-08-2007, 09:05 PM   #1 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

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: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
MetroMPG.com mailbag: reader MPG success story!

Another one from MetroMPG.com. I love receiving messages like this. Just came in this evening:

Quote:
I'm hooked on your website. So far I've blocked the front grill of my 98 Metro with great success (and it doesn't look half bad). With that and driving mods I'm up about 10% over normal mpgs. I'm planning on the rear wheel skirts and a camback of some sort, but I'm trying to find the right material to use. That Crazy Carpet is impossible to find. Any suggestions? Vinyl maybe?

Also I'd like to get the scangaugeII - do you have a page that details how to install it? Or is it beyond easy? Where did you find the plug in on the BlackFly?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
First - THANKS for the note. Awesome success story feedback. Congratulations on your gains.

Skirts:

As for the krazy karpet, don't worry about it because it's too thin to be used on its own anyway. In the heat of summer, the plastic softens, so it didn't have very much strength. I just recently rubber-cemented coroplast sheet to the back of the skirts to stiffen them up. MUCH better (though I still need to complete the new fastener approach... currently the skirts are duct taped back on the car).

Others have had luck fashioning a metal framework, attaching that to the wheel arch, and then attaching a plastic skin to it. Or, if you're skilled with fiberglass, that's another option I'd consider. Yet another option is sheet metal. There aren't any tricky compound curves involved. EG:



ScanGauge:

Installing the ScanGauge is definitely beyond easy: the OBD2 port is under the dash a little left of your right shin. Hunker down there and you'll find it in 5 seconds. You just plug the SG in - that's all there is to it (you should set up a few parameters as well - displacement, fuel tank size).

You're going to LOVE the SG2. I actually just ordered one this week to replace my SG1.

If you're interested, register and join the ecomodder discussion here. There's more MPG where your 10% came from, and knowledgeable folks here to bounce ideas off.

__________________
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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