Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - 2004 MINI Cooper S

iplaysdrums · 07-08-2010, 12:16 PM

Thanks, everyone, for the positive response! I'll try to address everything:

I'm still having to calculate MPG the old-fashioned way (from my refueling receipt), because the Kiwi is thoroughly unreliable just yet. Supposedly I can calibrate it to make it more accurate, but finding the time and the inclination to get two people out on a straight where I can drive back and forth for a while, adjusting numbers... It's difficult, and I'm not looking forward to it. Like I said previously, I'm not much for rigorous testing, but I will get around to that soonish. Long story short (too late), The past couple of tanks have averaged in the low 30s, and that's mostly city driving. I haven't had a full tank testing the aeromods yet, and my mileage on the current one is ruined thanks to making sure the grille blocks won't cause the car to overheat.

I definitely agree that the wheel skirts will need a stabilizer, and the arch covers come off quite easily, providing access to pre-drilled holes, so that shouldn't be terribly complicated. I hadn't seen the water heater pan thread before, but I'll definitely look into it.

My wife agrees that we should keep a clean look, so I took the upper grille block off last night and replaced it with tape behind the grille. It's heavy-duty high adhesion tape used in an optical lab (I make glasses for a living), and this particular tape is from a different type of lab, so I can't actually use it in mine, which makes it perfect for use on the car. I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but it certainly looks 1000% better, and it's much more airtight than the coroplast block I had on there yesterday. I'll try to get some updated pics up in the next couple of days. As far as the lower block is concerned, I'm thinking about using the same tape and just covering the whole bumper. It'll still look pretty clean, as it's clear tape, and that will cover the foglight openings as well. That will probably happen tomorrow.

I don't think I'll ever go to a full belly pan or a traditional full boat tail (permanently attached to the car like many I've seen on the site), but the bike rack is sturdy enough that I should be able to build something big enough to make a really decent gain. I'm actually thinking if I can get a really big piece of sturdy, but flexible, clear plastic, I can make it cone-shaped, and I won't have to move taillights or worry about installing a window. I've yet to look into that in any way, but if anyone has thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

07-08-2010, 12:16 PM	#9 (permalink)
iplaysdrums Learning a lot Join Date: May 2010 Location: Duluth, MN Posts: 30 Tony - '15 Honda Fit EX 90 day: 40.3 mpg (US) Thanks: 6 Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post	Thanks, everyone, for the positive response! I'll try to address everything: I'm still having to calculate MPG the old-fashioned way (from my refueling receipt), because the Kiwi is thoroughly unreliable just yet. Supposedly I can calibrate it to make it more accurate, but finding the time and the inclination to get two people out on a straight where I can drive back and forth for a while, adjusting numbers... It's difficult, and I'm not looking forward to it. Like I said previously, I'm not much for rigorous testing, but I will get around to that soonish. Long story short (too late), The past couple of tanks have averaged in the low 30s, and that's mostly city driving. I haven't had a full tank testing the aeromods yet, and my mileage on the current one is ruined thanks to making sure the grille blocks won't cause the car to overheat. I definitely agree that the wheel skirts will need a stabilizer, and the arch covers come off quite easily, providing access to pre-drilled holes, so that shouldn't be terribly complicated. I hadn't seen the water heater pan thread before, but I'll definitely look into it. My wife agrees that we should keep a clean look, so I took the upper grille block off last night and replaced it with tape behind the grille. It's heavy-duty high adhesion tape used in an optical lab (I make glasses for a living), and this particular tape is from a different type of lab, so I can't actually use it in mine, which makes it perfect for use on the car. I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but it certainly looks 1000% better, and it's much more airtight than the coroplast block I had on there yesterday. I'll try to get some updated pics up in the next couple of days. As far as the lower block is concerned, I'm thinking about using the same tape and just covering the whole bumper. It'll still look pretty clean, as it's clear tape, and that will cover the foglight openings as well. That will probably happen tomorrow. I don't think I'll ever go to a full belly pan or a traditional full boat tail (permanently attached to the car like many I've seen on the site), but the bike rack is sturdy enough that I should be able to build something big enough to make a really decent gain. I'm actually thinking if I can get a really big piece of sturdy, but flexible, clear plastic, I can make it cone-shaped, and I won't have to move taillights or worry about installing a window. I've yet to look into that in any way, but if anyone has thoughts, I'd love to hear them.