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Originally Posted by minardifans
I checked all the tyre pressures last night and noticed that both rear tyres were down a bit, both front and back are meant to be 33psi and none were over 30
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33psi recommended ?
That's just about
flat tyres 
Have a look what the tyre manufacturer says on the sidewall - it'll likely be a lot higher.
Crank up the pressure - 45 psi should really be possible without the ride getting bouncy. If it gets bouncy, back off the pressure a bit.
I'm running 51 psi, but I'm going to let the pressure on the rear tyres drop a bit to around 45 psi - the rear of my car is lightened like you've done, and it's sidestepping a bit too much for my liking.
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I have plenty of spare corex (that plastic cardboard like stuff) board at work
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It's what the Yanks call coroplast.
There's a lot to be gained by altering your driving style.
By the mpg you're getting, you're already using engine braking to slow down.
Well, you can still do better than that
Engine braking is still braking, so you're wasting energy/fuel.
Coasting in Neutral will help your mileage - and in Wales you should have some good opportunities.
If the downhill slope is to steep, you obviously keep it in gear and use engine braking to control speed - using no fuel at all as it cuts off.
But on those not-so-steep downhills, there's a good chance you can sustain speed with the engine in neutral, and gravity driving the car.
Slowing down can also be done by coasting in neutral - but you'll have to start it way earlier than usual with engine braking.
With a bit of practice, you'll get to know the points along the route where you need to be at X mph to get to the next light, the next stopsign, the next sharp turn or whatever, with an appropriate speed.
Accelerate swiftly, but shift up rather early if you don't already - 1800 rpm will probably work well on the 2L HDi .
Shift from 1 into 2 right away, within a car length or so.
Park efficiently: with a warm engine, park so that you can drive away immediately without manoeuvring with a cold engine.
If available, use parking spaces where you can drive straight through without any manoeuvring at all.
There plenty more tips though