Boat tail - Redneck style... - Page 13 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Weather Spotter · 06-28-2014, 06:26 PM

your build looks better then mine, great job!

since you are a MPG Malta member you need some sort of designation of sorts on the car

Since the car will attract attention why not put some fun paint on? I painted the front with teeth on mine.... till last winter when the teeth started rusting so i changed it up

Its fun to see peoples reaction to each new paint job!

someone early on asked about taking the hatch off, I did on mine but now it leaks a bit at the joint. next time i might keep the frame of the hatch on and cut the rest out so i can still use the tail space.

redneck · 06-29-2014, 12:02 AM

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I'll pass on the funny paint. I get enough funny looks as it is.

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benphyr · 07-07-2014, 10:21 PM

How did I miss subscribing a year ago... God knew I needed the positive read today more than last year!

Thanks redneck,

-Benphyr

redneck · 09-29-2014, 09:10 PM

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I thought I'd give another little update.

After returning home from my spring trip, I drove the car very little.

Local short trips.

624.6 mi 10.26 gal (US) 60.88 mpg (US)

Then I let it sit for a couple of months...

I want to show that it's not all roses with this car.

When I first taped this car, I used 3M tape. However, it degraded in the sun quickly, leaving strings and a chalky substance that used to be glue. Plus, it didn't stick well in cold temps.

So last fall I re-taped the car with Gorilla tape. Almost $10 bucks a roll...

And I used several rolls...

Man, it's sticky. I thought this is the stuff... So I used it, with great results over the winter.

When I updated the car this spring, I decided to use the Gorilla tape again since it worked so good.

Drove the car on the spring trip and everything was fine. All the new pieces stayed right where they were supposed to be.

Well... Maybe Gorilla tape wasn't the best stuff to use after all...

The car sat with the drivers side facing the sun. The tape melted in the heat, let loose, and the drivers side sagged to the ground.

In other places the tape shrunk and curled up causing distortion and sagging to other body panels and above the rear glass.

Redneck materials + Redneck techniques = Redneck results...

I re-taped what had to be done and left the rest before taking my fall trip.

SC to Pittsburgh PA

692.3 mi 8.74 gal (US) l 79.21 mpg (US)

Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls NY

223.6 mi 2.8 gal (US) 79.86 mpg (US)

Local short trips in NY

199.95 mi 3.36 gal (US) 59.51 mpg (US)

NY to SC

875 mi 11.15 gal (US) 78.48 mpg (US)

79 MPG average up and back not including local driving, taking the same route.

A few mpg less than last spring. Not bad...

I still haven't "addressed" (insert "lazy") the check engine light or the front wheel bearing that sounds like a WW2 bomber when going straight, a whole squadron of bombers when turning left and then like a submarine when turning right.

I'm sure those things are having some negative effects.

Hopefully after the 1st of the year, I'll have time to do some more upgrades.

Redneck

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Ardent · 09-29-2014, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redneck

. . . the front wheel bearing that sounds like a WW2 bomber when going straight, a whole squadron of bombers when turning left and then like a submarine when turning right.

Can I get a video of you reenacting/making those sounds?

California98Civic · 09-29-2014, 11:07 PM

Man, I love the reports of troubles. Thanks!

gone-ot · 09-30-2014, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Man, I love the reports of troubles. Thanks!

It's REALITY ECO-MODDING (wink,wink), when the green turns red!

changzuki · 09-30-2014, 06:19 AM

Blemishes or not, this Metro is turning in some excellent numbers on the cheap. Excellent project! Would love to see this in motion going down the interstate, etc..

And, if by some chance the Gorilla tape let go, then it would look like the shuttle casting away it's boosters!

Keep up the good work Redneck!!!!

~CrazyJerry