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Old 12-26-2007, 03:29 PM   #2 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,534

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

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

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 57.73 mpg (US)
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I take it you don't want to stick the drivetrain into a '95+ body? Yeah, they're a bit heavier, and not in your current collection, but the starting aero is superior.

Also - that chopped EV Metro dragster looks hott:


Another crazy aero-modded Metro - chopped & teardropped

Narrowing the entire car would be good, but man, that's a LOT of work.

I think the biggest bang for the effort is definitely the firewall chop / roof tilt back. You'd be dramatically improving Cd, as well as slightly reducing A (the projected max height of the windshield would be lessened).

Retaining the OEM windshield would seem a key goal also for safety & non-scratchiness (wipers on lexan).

So that would get you your profile taper.

After that, if you want to get seriously cutty & weldy, I'd look into doing some plan taper via rear track surgery and boat-tailing the body after the doors. As for handling - you don't have to make it into a trike exactly. (The rear track on my '98 is already an inch narrower than the front, stock. Maybe it's only half an inch... I forget at the moment.) But 4-6 inches narrower would be nice.

Radical aeromods are definitely the way forward for you, since like basjoos, you don't hold back too much in terms of cruising speed.
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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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