Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post

larrybuck · 05-30-2011, 11:24 PM

You know you're an EcoModder when......

You at 2 sittings complete reading this thread within 19 hrs.

You decide that you would prefer a short girlfriend because on most motorcycles the pass seat is higher, and the combined aero and visual would be better that way!

You can't imagine why anyone would even consider looking to buy a car that can't get at least 50mpg.

You didn't realize you had eco in your blood even when 32 yrs ago you had a '70 Chevelle SS 454 LS-6, M22 r ockcrusher as a 3rd veh. The fuel gauge never worked, but you estimated how much and when to gas up, and you felt almost sick inside that every couple of months you felt like you had to run her up through the gears fast to keep Mr. Carbon away, but gritted your teeth to do so!

You get all giddy planning and executing a plan where you see your right lane will end soon, and your speed is so steady that even the very last straggler 1/4 mile back still passes you w room to spare, w/o any of them thinking that you helped them, and you now survey the nice empty road behind you insuring at least another 3 minutes of no one on my tail!

When you go into a store to prepay a fillup cash: the cashier then wishes you a good day, and you knowingly remark "Thanks, but I will be back for my change"!!

the almost panic felt if there is not a pen to write this tank's miles on the receipt... once in a while walking back in the store asking to borrow one while locking those miles in the brain to write it down right!

feeling your heart starting to race when you see fresh clean cardboard, and you visualize that roll of duct tape ready: Airdam template time!

You take a 9,200 mile trip, and in Penn. you decide its time to change the oil.... you reluctantly stop to let a shop do this, as for cross country travel, you didn't want to be carrying a drain pan( in 31 yrs, this is only the 2nd time anyone other than yourself has changed oil in anything you've owned).... you explain you have a low front airdam you built yourself that you don't want torn off... ( I literally fashioned one out of plain cardboard, put weather proofing (deck) on it, then painted silver (the body color).... I'm hovering around like an expectant father, instead of waiting in the crowded waiting room like some kind of a civilian or something.... and I hear one of the guys loudly say: "Hey; this thing's made out of cardboard!"...very surprised.. made me feel proud that I'd done it cleanly.. ( here in western WA., our rain which is 3/4ths of the time, is usually light and drizzly like...airdam held up very well)

You intentionately travel to MT. and Wyo., and back repeatedly to enjoy lower fuel costs, and to cruise on quiet freeways that are almost empty even on holiday weekends, hoping to set a new best tank record!

While on that quiet road you suddenly discover the hidden bored Highway Patrol, you grit your teeth and sloooowly add 3 or 4 mph. to your 44ish mph hoping it will look like a speedo off 50mph. to The Man! You see him pull out w a cloud of dust from his hidden ravine amongst the sage brush. He comes up agonizingly slow and camps for a spell off your quarter panel in the blind spot, running the plate. You feel your forehead getting clammy, and you may very slowly add 1 or 2mph more. As he comes up beside your window, you pretend he's not there (never turn and look)... and slowly he glides away, and cuts left for a freeway U-ie; as you've left him even more bored than he was before.
(1) you were not scared of a ticket... you were ready to explain that you were just a little tired
(2} you were happy not to get pulled over to ruin this tank!!
(3) later on you got ticked at yourself, because you figure that the last 1-2mph you while he was beside you wasn't a must do!!!!
(4) you get more upset yet later when that tank is your 3rd best ever, and wonder what if???

you have been cruising for hrs. at 45-50mph., and your body needs a break. You pull off a nice flat quiet freeway into a town looking for a park. With a min. of wandering, you find it quickly, pull out your basketball, and shoot around for a while, eat your lunch, get the bathroom thing done. You did have to backtrack about 12 blocks worth to find the park. The town is small enough, you didn't even have to consider a stoplight, but you had to use about 4 stopsigns. Later that evening, you stop to fill up, and discover its your new 2nd best tank only 1/10th of a gallon off your best. You stew for 3 months... what if I hadn't stopped there?

had a brand new Harley back in '76.. (super glide) putting at 25mph in same speed zone, approached a slightly uphill stopsign. I was practicing being smooth w a heavier bike, and was able to coast up just right and put my foot down w/o ever touching the brakes. I was being watched, and got pulled over... The cop had me show him my brakelights worked fine about 4 times, before he believed me!

The great car on page 59 in this thread bugs me because of the "dirty" left front wheel that is all naked there!

Appreciate BHarvey's comment on page 84 about rainy coastdowns, but in my climate, there usually is not much wind like in other regions.

You turn down a young ladies to start a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. She's kind, gentle, sweet, even says she likes to watch football on TV. I gently turned her away, w/o ever giving her a real reason.... My reason... she admitted once that she regularly drove 70mph. in desert rural 55mph. zones, and was unrepentenant about it, and she drove a jeep like Natilee Teaker on the TV show:Monk

As per the narrow roads mentioned on page 62.... that would be nice here if by magic wand overnight...granny couldn't tailgate you through town anymore w her Crown Vic!! Ha HA!!!

As per grocery cart rage page 84.... I go SPEED SHOPPING about once a week. Since I'm so careful out on the road, I cut loose here! Though I'm in my 50's, I have a blast. It's racecar time... actually mimic Kyle Busch restarts in the store. I'm the fastest cart in the store... what a rush.... picking holes to shoot through, ready to drag both feet hard for emergency braking if needed.... intentionally powersliding the cart around corners.. letting the rear hang out.. when parked mid row somewhere... approaching my cart from the front, pushing backwards slightly, then the quick palm push in the sweet spot, for a very quick U-turn in a fluid motion not unlike a police pursuit like backwards spinaround. You are not paying for the wear on these tires... slide them babies..... I get little kids staring wide eyed as if I'd just invented a new video game.
Now I am shopping for just me, so my cart is F1 light! If you are a family guy, and built like a football player, think of the arm, back, and leg workout potential!! In that heavy scene baby; I hope your brakes are good!! (smile!!) If you try this, you'll enjoy unless you are a total stick in the mud! Oh! Why do I do this besides the obvious juvenile fun??? The shopping gets done so fast, that my car restart is w eng. still warm as opposed to a full cold start!

You've traveled for 5 hrs straight and you don't want the bathroom to ruin what could be a record run!!

05-30-2011, 11:24 PM	#987 (permalink)
larrybuck Master EcoModder Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: sw Washington (state), a little north of Vancouver Posts: 1,142 Thanks: 295 Thanked 111 Times in 82 Posts	You know you're an EcoModder when...... You at 2 sittings complete reading this thread within 19 hrs. You decide that you would prefer a short girlfriend because on most motorcycles the pass seat is higher, and the combined aero and visual would be better that way! You can't imagine why anyone would even consider looking to buy a car that can't get at least 50mpg. You didn't realize you had eco in your blood even when 32 yrs ago you had a '70 Chevelle SS 454 LS-6, M22 r ockcrusher as a 3rd veh. The fuel gauge never worked, but you estimated how much and when to gas up, and you felt almost sick inside that every couple of months you felt like you had to run her up through the gears fast to keep Mr. Carbon away, but gritted your teeth to do so! You get all giddy planning and executing a plan where you see your right lane will end soon, and your speed is so steady that even the very last straggler 1/4 mile back still passes you w room to spare, w/o any of them thinking that you helped them, and you now survey the nice empty road behind you insuring at least another 3 minutes of no one on my tail! When you go into a store to prepay a fillup cash: the cashier then wishes you a good day, and you knowingly remark "Thanks, but I will be back for my change"!! the almost panic felt if there is not a pen to write this tank's miles on the receipt... once in a while walking back in the store asking to borrow one while locking those miles in the brain to write it down right! feeling your heart starting to race when you see fresh clean cardboard, and you visualize that roll of duct tape ready: Airdam template time! You take a 9,200 mile trip, and in Penn. you decide its time to change the oil.... you reluctantly stop to let a shop do this, as for cross country travel, you didn't want to be carrying a drain pan( in 31 yrs, this is only the 2nd time anyone other than yourself has changed oil in anything you've owned).... you explain you have a low front airdam you built yourself that you don't want torn off... ( I literally fashioned one out of plain cardboard, put weather proofing (deck) on it, then painted silver (the body color).... I'm hovering around like an expectant father, instead of waiting in the crowded waiting room like some kind of a civilian or something.... and I hear one of the guys loudly say: "Hey; this thing's made out of cardboard!"...very surprised.. made me feel proud that I'd done it cleanly.. ( here in western WA., our rain which is 3/4ths of the time, is usually light and drizzly like...airdam held up very well) You intentionately travel to MT. and Wyo., and back repeatedly to enjoy lower fuel costs, and to cruise on quiet freeways that are almost empty even on holiday weekends, hoping to set a new best tank record! While on that quiet road you suddenly discover the hidden bored Highway Patrol, you grit your teeth and sloooowly add 3 or 4 mph. to your 44ish mph hoping it will look like a speedo off 50mph. to The Man! You see him pull out w a cloud of dust from his hidden ravine amongst the sage brush. He comes up agonizingly slow and camps for a spell off your quarter panel in the blind spot, running the plate. You feel your forehead getting clammy, and you may very slowly add 1 or 2mph more. As he comes up beside your window, you pretend he's not there (never turn and look)... and slowly he glides away, and cuts left for a freeway U-ie; as you've left him even more bored than he was before. (1) you were not scared of a ticket... you were ready to explain that you were just a little tired (2} you were happy not to get pulled over to ruin this tank!! (3) later on you got ticked at yourself, because you figure that the last 1-2mph you while he was beside you wasn't a must do!!!! (4) you get more upset yet later when that tank is your 3rd best ever, and wonder what if??? you have been cruising for hrs. at 45-50mph., and your body needs a break. You pull off a nice flat quiet freeway into a town looking for a park. With a min. of wandering, you find it quickly, pull out your basketball, and shoot around for a while, eat your lunch, get the bathroom thing done. You did have to backtrack about 12 blocks worth to find the park. The town is small enough, you didn't even have to consider a stoplight, but you had to use about 4 stopsigns. Later that evening, you stop to fill up, and discover its your new 2nd best tank only 1/10th of a gallon off your best. You stew for 3 months... what if I hadn't stopped there? had a brand new Harley back in '76.. (super glide) putting at 25mph in same speed zone, approached a slightly uphill stopsign. I was practicing being smooth w a heavier bike, and was able to coast up just right and put my foot down w/o ever touching the brakes. I was being watched, and got pulled over... The cop had me show him my brakelights worked fine about 4 times, before he believed me! The great car on page 59 in this thread bugs me because of the "dirty" left front wheel that is all naked there! Appreciate BHarvey's comment on page 84 about rainy coastdowns, but in my climate, there usually is not much wind like in other regions. You turn down a young ladies to start a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. She's kind, gentle, sweet, even says she likes to watch football on TV. I gently turned her away, w/o ever giving her a real reason.... My reason... she admitted once that she regularly drove 70mph. in desert rural 55mph. zones, and was unrepentenant about it, and she drove a jeep like Natilee Teaker on the TV show:Monk As per the narrow roads mentioned on page 62.... that would be nice here if by magic wand overnight...granny couldn't tailgate you through town anymore w her Crown Vic!! Ha HA!!! As per grocery cart rage page 84.... I go SPEED SHOPPING about once a week. Since I'm so careful out on the road, I cut loose here! Though I'm in my 50's, I have a blast. It's racecar time... actually mimic Kyle Busch restarts in the store. I'm the fastest cart in the store... what a rush.... picking holes to shoot through, ready to drag both feet hard for emergency braking if needed.... intentionally powersliding the cart around corners.. letting the rear hang out.. when parked mid row somewhere... approaching my cart from the front, pushing backwards slightly, then the quick palm push in the sweet spot, for a very quick U-turn in a fluid motion not unlike a police pursuit like backwards spinaround. You are not paying for the wear on these tires... slide them babies..... I get little kids staring wide eyed as if I'd just invented a new video game. Now I am shopping for just me, so my cart is F1 light! If you are a family guy, and built like a football player, think of the arm, back, and leg workout potential!! In that heavy scene baby; I hope your brakes are good!! (smile!!) If you try this, you'll enjoy unless you are a total stick in the mud! Oh! Why do I do this besides the obvious juvenile fun??? The shopping gets done so fast, that my car restart is w eng. still warm as opposed to a full cold start! You've traveled for 5 hrs straight and you don't want the bathroom to ruin what could be a record run!!