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Old 07-21-2018, 07:03 AM   #61 (permalink)
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Coastal Southern California
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Black and Green - '98 Honda Civic DX Coupe
Team Honda
90 day: 66.42 mpg (US)

Black and Red - '00 Nashbar Custom built eBike
90 day: 3671.43 mpg (US)
Thanks: 2,373
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Kewl!

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See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.



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Old 07-22-2018, 05:36 PM   #62 (permalink)
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ND Miata - '15 Mazda MX-5 Special Package
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Started gutting the back. The DC-DC converter and motor controller will go as soon as I get a small power supply in. The rear of the car sits a good 3 inches higher already.

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Old 07-22-2018, 06:41 PM   #63 (permalink)
Thalmaturge
 
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The Tinyvan - '07 Honda Fit Sport

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Does the battery box add any significant rigidity to the back end? I feel like all those cover plates that basically go from wheel arch to wheel arch and tie to the box might be good to leave in... they can't weigh that much...

Maybe build a sub box that fits inside the stock battery bay and drill a grid of holes in the cover for the grill so you can still load stuff back there? Put the new 12v right where the DC-DC goes currently?

Last edited by samwichse; 07-22-2018 at 06:43 PM.. Reason: A
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Old 07-22-2018, 06:54 PM   #64 (permalink)
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The battery box weighs next to nothing, and also presumably adds next to nothing. I was actually pleasantly surprised just how lightweight it was; the whole thing was probably less than 2lbs, and would blow away in a light gust.

I plan to leave the crossbar that runs across the spare tire well since it's bolted quite close to the wheel wells and feels very solid. Going to lay down some foam and then a board over it, and it won't be inconvenient to cut out a groove for it in the foam.

There's also a crossbar which runs just behind the seats, which I plan to take out. This might be controversial, as it may contribute to crash safety in a hard side impact. I drove without it bolted in for a few days and didn't notice any chassis flex at the bar though, so I don't think removing it will negatively impact handling.

EDIT: Dimensionally, the rear cargo area is 48" long, 40" wide at the rear, and 52" wide at the front. At the back, the floor is 24" below the glass. At the front, it's 32" below the glass, but the floor there is also ~2.5" higher.
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Old 07-23-2018, 09:14 AM   #65 (permalink)
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Removed some tabs and bits from the back.





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Old 07-23-2018, 09:41 AM   #66 (permalink)
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Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
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Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
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Not going to attach any images locally?



When imgur goes away, we'll have another visually neutered project thread!


At least attach the occasional key photo. :P
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Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
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Old 07-23-2018, 10:12 AM   #67 (permalink)
Thalmaturge
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ecky View Post
There's also a crossbar which runs just behind the seats, which I plan to take out. This might be controversial, as it may contribute to crash safety in a hard side impact. I drove without it bolted in for a few days and didn't notice any chassis flex at the bar though, so I don't think removing it will negatively impact handling.
I would leave the Tom Mix bar in. That's absolutely part the side impact protection. If you take it out you'll see it's a pretty solid piece and bolted in 4(?) bolts at each end. I don't think you would really gain anything by taking it out unless you're planning to sleep in the car...
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Old 07-23-2018, 10:16 AM   #68 (permalink)
Cyborg ECU
 
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Coastal Southern California
Posts: 6,299

Black and Green - '98 Honda Civic DX Coupe
Team Honda
90 day: 66.42 mpg (US)

Black and Red - '00 Nashbar Custom built eBike
90 day: 3671.43 mpg (US)
Thanks: 2,373
Thanked 2,172 Times in 1,469 Posts
It is always fun to see the stripping of these cars. It's like a thorough house cleaning.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
Not going to attach any images locally?

When imgur goes away, we'll have another visually neutered project thread!
...
That's a good point. I remember when "photobucket" or whatever suddenly ended photo embedding after years. I still find stuff all screwed up on this and other forums... photos just... gone. I think people do it for their own records and for higher resolution.
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See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.



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Old 07-23-2018, 10:19 AM   #69 (permalink)
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 5,005

ND Miata - '15 Mazda MX-5 Special Package
90 day: 42.54 mpg (US)
Thanks: 2,866
Thanked 2,501 Times in 1,547 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by samwichse View Post
I would leave the Tom Mix bar in. That's absolutely part the side impact protection. If you take it out you'll see it's a pretty solid piece and bolted in 4(?) bolts at each end. I don't think you would really gain anything by taking it out unless you're planning to sleep in the car...
I won't cut the bar mounts out, will keep the bar until I'm finished with everything, and see then how I feel about it.

The bar has 3 10mm bolts at each end.
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Old 07-23-2018, 10:53 AM   #70 (permalink)
Cyborg ECU
 
California98Civic's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Coastal Southern California
Posts: 6,299

Black and Green - '98 Honda Civic DX Coupe
Team Honda
90 day: 66.42 mpg (US)

Black and Red - '00 Nashbar Custom built eBike
90 day: 3671.43 mpg (US)
Thanks: 2,373
Thanked 2,172 Times in 1,469 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by samwichse View Post
I would leave the Tom Mix bar in. That's absolutely part the side impact protection. ....
Is that Tom Mix bar named for the early Western movie star? He died in a car wreck in 1940 in which a metal suitcase in his backseat of his Cord Phaeton struck him in the head and broke his neck.

Geez... better keep it.

__________________
See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.



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