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Old 09-11-2011, 08:39 PM   #37 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,530

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

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

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

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 62.14 mpg (US)
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More dumb and old! ... (me, or the car?)



This Swift had been sitting, untouched, in a field for ~4 years. Owned by a guy I've mountain biked with, and retired due to severe underbody rust (worst I've seen).

Amazingly, it started right up! (With a boost.) It only cranked for about 5 seconds, and ... vroom!

Unfortunately it wouldn't drive - all four brakes were siezed hard. We dragged it out of its parking spot with a 4wd pickup truck, and all 4 wheels skidded the entire distance.

A couple hours of tinkering (ie. bashing with a big mallet) solved that problem.

My friend wasn't kidding when he said I had to be careful moving the car if I wanted all four wheels to come with it: the leading attachment point for the rear passenger control arm had rusted right off. I secured it in place with a ratchet strap through a rusted hole in the floor!

Parts parts parts...

I was mostly interested in this car for cosmetic parts for the convertible (I'll get to that project one day): GT body parts & snuggly bucket seats. But it's also got some good structural bits (upper & lower front strut braces & rear strut brace). Oh and the gas tank (convertible's is rusty & leaks).

This GT is also lowered, so I may swap over the struts/springs, thus enabling me to call it an ecomod.

Someone who shall remain nameless asked if I was going to drop the 100hp 1.3L DOHC engine into the convertible too, but no. The convertible's 3-pot will remain in place! I just need to find a 3.52 final drive to put in its transmission. Maybe I'll be able to trade some GT parts for one on teamswift...
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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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