[v-raze]

Wow, where'd all these replies come from?

Originally Posted by mcrews

My first car (in 75) was a 66 Mustang coupe. Baby blue, straight 6 200ci, automatic with a hang down a/c. Only 60,000 miles.
(thought you might appreciate the comparison)

Awesome. I always liked the Mustangs, I can't wait to see how the hybrid model will turn out...

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

I have already seen some custom motorcycles fitted with lithium batteries that are noticeably smaller (and lighter) than the average lead-acid ones. Anyway, decreasing the overall electric load and providing another power source (the solar panel), you could also try a smaller alternator to decrease the drag while it's operational.

Yeah, I'm still looking into a few options as far as battery systems go. Ideally I could just throw some LiFePO4 cells in there with a step-up converter and call it a day, but being more realistic about my budget, I've got an old 12v AGM lying around that I'm thinking of putting in parallel with my starter battery and/or a capacitor bank. Handily enough, the Cobalt's battery is in the trunk from stock, so there's plenty of room for experimentation.

Interesting idea with a smaller alternator. I think the one that's on there is already pretty small, but I'll do some research later, there might be some gains to be had. It would at least be interesting to see what difference it made.

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

You can't just put a solar panel on a car it has to have a charge controller.

Solar 12v assist - EcoModder

Sorry for not explicitly mentioning that, I figured it was implied.

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Stay away from forced induced if you care about fuel economy.

I'm aware of this. I also care about performance and having a good challenge. Chances are if I do boost it, I'll put in an aftermarket ECU anyways, in which case I can set up dedicated efficiency maps for daily driving.

I'm probably never going to get around to that anyways- ideally, I'll be converting this car to electric somewhere down the road, so I don't really want to sink too much cash into modifications to the drivetrain.

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

Partial grille block is the only thing on you list I think is worth doing. If you want a 5sp and blower I've seen Ion Redlines with under 100,000 miles for under $3000, just get the whole car.

You will probably need front wheel bearing before long. You could upsize the tires when time to replace. My 2010 LT came with 195-60-15, I replaced with 65 so same size as my XFE, I think could even go to 205's for summer use.

Front speakers will fail if they haven't already been replaced.

If interested in Fuel system, you can convert them to FFV so you can utilized E85 when it's cheaper.

2007 Chevrolet Cobalt

Don't think yours would be as easy as mine, but if you can find the right tuner might be able to optimize for FE. Or buy HPtuners and do it yourself.

Thanks for the good advice, though some of it I'll most definitely ignore.

I have a lot of modifications I want to do to this vehicle, many of them quite ambitious, because I plan to keep this car as long as I possibly can. Yes, it would be easier to just buy a faster/better car, but this isn't about what's easy, it's about what I want to get out of my vehicle. (Also, where are you finding Redlines that cheap? I haven't seen anything like that around here, and I do keep an eye out.) The other reason I'm planning difficult and expensive modifications is that I enjoy working on vehicles, I enjoy challenging and novel projects, and I plan on a career working with cars- I'm currently preparing for my ASE certification exams in electrical and engine performance.

Things like the catback exhaust, manual transmission, and better wheels, are just as much and perhaps more for my enjoyment of the vehicle than they are for fuel economy. I mentioned those things specifically because they could provide some FE benefits, so might be of interest here.

I'm don't plan on running ethanol, for a variety of reasons. I'm also well aware of the common front speaker issues, I'll be upgrading the sound system when I have the disposable income to do so (so probably when they fail).


So, I promised pictures...
Here's a few. The first two are old, the others are from a few days ago.






I also wrote an instructable when I painted the valve cover. It's held up pretty well since then, though I do wish I'd clear coated it, there are a couple spots it's been nicked.