2700 Miles in 5 Days, Suggestions Please!
 

Next Tuesday my brother and I leave for the BABE Rally. We’ll start by going from Atlanta to Staten Island, NY, where the rally begins. From there we take four days to get to New Orleans—BABE = Big Apple to Big Easy—with challenges along the way to earn points toward final prize money/honorary trophies. Here’s the catch: our car must not be worth more than $250! It’s called a banger rally, and our ’93 Saturn SL1 is nothing if not a banger supreme.

Anyway, instead of just worrying about making it to New York and back, we want to use this trip as a testing ground for fuel efficiency optimization. We’ve both been working on hypermile technique, and experimentation with air dams and tire pressure have yielded positive and safe results, so I’m confident that with a few aero mods and a little luck we can get 45+ MPG over the course of the route.

We do, however, need some help: So far we’ve got a front air dam made of coroplast and a trunk-lid extension that we’re calling a poor-mans boat tail. These have been testing during normal driving (car is still used for daily commute) but we need some input on what we might be able to accomplish this weekend that would help bring our FE up.

Already in the works: passenger mirror delete (already being held on with JB Weld), rear wheel skirts, and possibly side skirts.

Any ideas?

wow.
one thing i learned driving from Detroit to Seattle in 40 hrs.
Is proper tune up. and replace fluids. i lost 5th gear because of real old tranny fluid.

Make sure the engine is in tip top shape.
Use the best Synthetic oil, maybe 0w20
If you have a 5spd. drain the old stuff and use GM Syncromesh Friction Modified Tranny fluid.
replace spark plugs. maybe upgrade to a MSD ignition if you have the $$.
new air filter.

extra foam cushions for your ass. a little foam cushion for your Gas pedal foot. if you dont have cruise. trust me your heel will get sore.
take off the rear seat backs and put a foam cushion as a bed.
Assuming car does not have AC, make a homemade lunch cooler A/C unit. as you will want to keep the windows closed.