Brief update:
Lately I've had so little time that I've given up on driving slowly - I find myself doing 65 on the highway when the speed limit allows it, rather than my usual 50, on the few trips I make out of town lately. When the car is empty I can still get 75+ mpg at that speed, but I'm usually hauling something.
My roommate drives my car more frequently than I do, as I've agreed to let him use it now and then and he's less willing to walk or bike than I am. An electric bike has replaced it for most of my around-town trips, while he often uses it to run to the corner store. He has a moped but it's only running as frequently as not. I feel ok about this - harmony at home is worth more than a few bad tanks.
I rebuilt my trailer, and I'm now getting the car prepped for winter, as it seems the first day of fall has hit - it was in the 40's last night, and hasn't been over 70 today.
The accumulated salt damage over the last 2 winters:
The 800F paint I used before seems not to have survived the temperature of the cat in places, but did a fair job of protecting it. The bolts on the side that is more exposed to salt were completely ruined. One of the 10mm bolts came out using a 9mm socket, while the other I needed to cut and use a crescent wrench to remove. One of the studs in the motor's head came out with the nut. The long flange bolts at the bottom which hold the springs are near ruined too - one of them had its threads mostly dissolved by salt. So, I've re-treated what could be saved with naval jelly, recoated it with higher temp paint (2000F this time), and ordered new bolts all around.
