^ I just understood the woodgrain comment. That'd look neat.
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I put the MPGiata away for the winter on the weekend. We had a fantastic run of mild, sunny weather last week, and I made the most of it.
The last drive was 15 C = 59 F on the 1000 Islands Parkway, coming back from a bike ride. 2 open air conveyances in one afternoon!
It was much closer to freezing the day I put it away. I put a 750w heater in the cabin to warm up the top enough to get it closed!
Current tank appears to be sitting around 53-55 MPG US based on my super scientific trip odometer vs. fuel gauge comparison.
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New thermostat final observation:
It runs a bit hotter than it used to, to the point that I'll have to dial back the timing a little bit (I have it set more advanced than stock). Now I'm hearing some pinging under moderate load & low RPM that I didn't hear before.
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Mods I should do next year:
- I don't remember whether I ever replaced the transmission oil. If not, I should fill with something lighter & synthetic; shifter is a bit balky in cool weather. That'll be good for another 5 MPG.
- I never did the RE92 vs. Enasave rolling resistance comparison.
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So, I'll be back to driving the Mirage for the foreseeable future!
3rd time lucky - bought yet another cheap 3-cylinder Mirage