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

ThePrudentNinja · 07-06-2015, 02:22 PM

* For updates, see bottom of this post for links *

First off, I sure hope this is the correct area to put this. If not, please move it to the correct area. Thank you.

This thread will be where I will discuss and showcase anything and everything relating to my car that I've nicknamed "Red Bean". This includes any modifications, any finds, any alterations, any news, etc. I also welcome feedback through replies.

Pictures will be added once I can get my camera working right.

So what is "Red Bean"?
Red Bean is a 2001 Chevy Metro LSi. I haven't decided if it should be a male or female or an "it" (despite many people referring to their cars as "her"). It is a 1.3L 4-cyl. 3-speed Automatic. EPA Estimated 26/31 MPG. It is 5 ft. 2.6 in. (62.6 in.) wide, 4 ft. 7.4 in. (55.4 in.) tall, and 13 ft. 8 in. (164 in.) long. It has a 10.3 gallon fuel tank and of course runs on gasoline. The estimated range per tank is 267.8/319.3 miles (City/Highway). I'm not exactly certain the "curb weight" as I've seen two different values in my research. One says it is 1984 pounds while another says it's 2040 pounds. The torque is 75 ft-lbs. @ 3000 rpm. Horsepower is 79 hp @ 6000 rpm. It has a turning circle of 31.5 feet. As for "features", it's pretty basic. An AM/FM stereo. A clock. Cloth bucket seats. Air conditioning. Manual windows/locks/etc. No cruise control. Pretty basic car which is what I like.

What's wrong with it?
It has around 136,000 miles on the odometer. There is a "rattling" when going over bumps but haven't quite pinpointed the cause. I suspect it's a mix of something in the suspension and exhaust. It's a "little loud" but not too bad. One headlight is a little out of line. No tachometer (which to me sucks). Automatic transmission (nuff said). Burns a little oil (light blue smoke, can't even tell unless someone else is driving it). Probably needs a good tune up. I just got it so not entirely sure everything wrong with it. Time will tell.

What's good about it?
Pretty good on gas. Small. Easy to drive and park. Pretty safe (good safety ratings). Non-interference engine (basically if the timing belt breaks, it won't destroy the valves/head). Only cost me $650.

What is my usual "route"?
I typically drive roughly 16-25 miles a day over the same exact route. Once or twice a week I have to run other errands and that route can change from week to week. Overall, I drive roughly 150 miles a week. Some weeks more, some weeks less. This may of course change at any time.

What are my plans?
* First thing planned is to swap out the radio with a CD playing radio I already have. The over the air radio stations here suck so I have to resort to CDs. This has a benefit of allowing me to remove the radio antenna without any issue to me specifically.

* Second thing is a basic tune up (replace spark plugs, change fluids, etc). Also to find any serious issues and attempt to get them fixed in a timely manner.

* Third thing is to test the baseline fuel economy. I plan to run a tank or two through driving my normal route while trying to drive like "normal people" to get a baseline. Then I will run a tank or two through driving like I usually drive (same route) to see how just my driving habits influence the fuel economy. Then lastly will begin doing modifications one at a time while testing fuel economy. Hopefully by that stage I'll have a ScanGauge.

* Eventual goal is to see how many MPGs I can squeeze out of the generally stock engine and drivetrain. I'm estimating maybe 40-50MPG overall when all is said and done. Maybe more, maybe less. Depending on several long term factors that are currently out of my control, I may or may not swap out the engine/trans with something else like a diesel engine or electric motor.

Some possible planned mods (in no certain order)?
* Front end reshape. Maybe a full nose job or a trial with an air dam.

* Full boat tail (eventually).

* Wheel skirts? Back ones almost surely. Front ones unsure.

* Belly pan? Will have to look further into it. I do worry that there could be issues with lack of airflow under the body but this may just be me worrying too much.

* ScanGauge for sure. Just not sure when.

* Removal of back seat. Don't use it, never have used back seats. Will probably remove it and replace it with a flat shelf.

* Deletion of outside mirrors and replacing them with interior mirrors.

* Possibly other small mods aimed at streamlining the body and controlling airflow around it.

* EXTREME MOD: This one is a very slight maybe and if so would be very far in the future. I have often wondered if well placed "dimples" on the body could reduce drag. Think golf balls. I've heard many times that hail damaged cars seem to get better fuel economy. If I ever decide to try this one, it will likely be with a new skin layer over the body to keep me from having to "dimple" the body itself. Would allow me to test it without "ruining" the cars looks. If however it proves useful enough, I'll dimple the car body itself if need be for the extra MPGs lol. It will be interesting to test.

UPDATE ONE: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post486358

UPDATE TWO: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post487957

07-06-2015, 02:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
ThePrudentNinja EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: NC Posts: 38 Red Bean - '01 Chevrolet Metro 90 day: 34.44 mpg (US) Thanks: 20 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	The Red Bean Thread (2001 Chevy Metro) * For updates, see bottom of this post for links * First off, I sure hope this is the correct area to put this. If not, please move it to the correct area. Thank you. This thread will be where I will discuss and showcase anything and everything relating to my car that I've nicknamed "Red Bean". This includes any modifications, any finds, any alterations, any news, etc. I also welcome feedback through replies. Pictures will be added once I can get my camera working right. So what is "Red Bean"? Red Bean is a 2001 Chevy Metro LSi. I haven't decided if it should be a male or female or an "it" (despite many people referring to their cars as "her"). It is a 1.3L 4-cyl. 3-speed Automatic. EPA Estimated 26/31 MPG. It is 5 ft. 2.6 in. (62.6 in.) wide, 4 ft. 7.4 in. (55.4 in.) tall, and 13 ft. 8 in. (164 in.) long. It has a 10.3 gallon fuel tank and of course runs on gasoline. The estimated range per tank is 267.8/319.3 miles (City/Highway). I'm not exactly certain the "curb weight" as I've seen two different values in my research. One says it is 1984 pounds while another says it's 2040 pounds. The torque is 75 ft-lbs. @ 3000 rpm. Horsepower is 79 hp @ 6000 rpm. It has a turning circle of 31.5 feet. As for "features", it's pretty basic. An AM/FM stereo. A clock. Cloth bucket seats. Air conditioning. Manual windows/locks/etc. No cruise control. Pretty basic car which is what I like. What's wrong with it? It has around 136,000 miles on the odometer. There is a "rattling" when going over bumps but haven't quite pinpointed the cause. I suspect it's a mix of something in the suspension and exhaust. It's a "little loud" but not too bad. One headlight is a little out of line. No tachometer (which to me sucks). Automatic transmission (nuff said). Burns a little oil (light blue smoke, can't even tell unless someone else is driving it). Probably needs a good tune up. I just got it so not entirely sure everything wrong with it. Time will tell. What's good about it? Pretty good on gas. Small. Easy to drive and park. Pretty safe (good safety ratings). Non-interference engine (basically if the timing belt breaks, it won't destroy the valves/head). Only cost me $650. What is my usual "route"? I typically drive roughly 16-25 miles a day over the same exact route. Once or twice a week I have to run other errands and that route can change from week to week. Overall, I drive roughly 150 miles a week. Some weeks more, some weeks less. This may of course change at any time. What are my plans? * First thing planned is to swap out the radio with a CD playing radio I already have. The over the air radio stations here suck so I have to resort to CDs. This has a benefit of allowing me to remove the radio antenna without any issue to me specifically. * Second thing is a basic tune up (replace spark plugs, change fluids, etc). Also to find any serious issues and attempt to get them fixed in a timely manner. * Third thing is to test the baseline fuel economy. I plan to run a tank or two through driving my normal route while trying to drive like "normal people" to get a baseline. Then I will run a tank or two through driving like I usually drive (same route) to see how just my driving habits influence the fuel economy. Then lastly will begin doing modifications one at a time while testing fuel economy. Hopefully by that stage I'll have a ScanGauge. * Eventual goal is to see how many MPGs I can squeeze out of the generally stock engine and drivetrain. I'm estimating maybe 40-50MPG overall when all is said and done. Maybe more, maybe less. Depending on several long term factors that are currently out of my control, I may or may not swap out the engine/trans with something else like a diesel engine or electric motor. Some possible planned mods (in no certain order)? * Front end reshape. Maybe a full nose job or a trial with an air dam. * Full boat tail (eventually). * Wheel skirts? Back ones almost surely. Front ones unsure. * Belly pan? Will have to look further into it. I do worry that there could be issues with lack of airflow under the body but this may just be me worrying too much. * ScanGauge for sure. Just not sure when. * Removal of back seat. Don't use it, never have used back seats. Will probably remove it and replace it with a flat shelf. * Deletion of outside mirrors and replacing them with interior mirrors. * Possibly other small mods aimed at streamlining the body and controlling airflow around it. * EXTREME MOD: This one is a very slight maybe and if so would be very far in the future. I have often wondered if well placed "dimples" on the body could reduce drag. Think golf balls. I've heard many times that hail damaged cars seem to get better fuel economy. If I ever decide to try this one, it will likely be with a new skin layer over the body to keep me from having to "dimple" the body itself. Would allow me to test it without "ruining" the cars looks. If however it proves useful enough, I'll dimple the car body itself if need be for the extra MPGs lol. It will be interesting to test. UPDATE ONE: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post486358 UPDATE TWO: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post487957 Last edited by ThePrudentNinja; 07-24-2015 at 08:37 PM..