[serialk11r]

I didn't really get to document these but among the mods done this winter, I used clear PVC sheet to cover up about 1/3 of the total grill area (I shoved the license plate into the center of the grill but at the front of the bumper, so this is perhaps effectively a half grill block), didn't get to test if it had any improvements for fuel economy.

However, the past 2 days I installed some new OEM replacement struts (KYB GR2) with lowering springs (1.4" front, 1.2" rear), and just got it aligned (there was like ~0.4 degrees toe when they hooked up the Hunter machine but I am betting almost all of that is from the lowering).

The day before I went driving and measured the manifold vacuum on a flat stretch of highway with no cars in front of me for maybe 200 feet, and did the same today.

Conditions:
RPM: 3045+/-5 from the logs, speed: ~58mph OBD, 61mph speedo, 55mph extrapolated from radar.
Coolant temperature: 85C, no oil temperature gauge but I had been driving for over an hour in both cases.
Outside temperature: something like 22+/-1 C both days
Manifold vacuum:
Before suspension change: 20.8 in Hg
After suspension change: 21.2 in Hg
(both constant for 5 samplings, 1 second sampling interval on Torque)

I didn't record the "mpg" because the mpg calculated in Torque seems to always be off by a lot and I didn't bother to calibrate it as I don't want to log an entire tank of gas, I only look at it when I want to feel good about the "44 mpg" I'm getting (that's probably not actually 44).

Using atmospheric pressure of 30 in Hg, that's a 1.3% decrease in fuel usage! With the spring rate changes and my weight reduction (lightweight muffler, removed spare tire), the overall change in height is ~-37mm front -31mm rear, and the car is now raked about 0.14 degrees more. 37mm at the front with my 185 tires is a 37mm*185mm*2=0.014m^2 or ~0.3% reduction in frontal area. Maybe the little rubber wind deflectors are now doing their job better since they're much closer to the ground.