Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater [was "Picking up my..."]

[MetroMPG]

^ Yeah, I'm not sure if these mods will see coroplast versions.


I've been debating how long I'm going to keep the car. I may sell it sooner than originally planned.


Supposedly the used car market is on fire. It might make sense to sell sooner than later.

[MetroMPG]

So, I filled just after half way on the gauge and saw 52.8 MPG US = 4.5 L/100 km after 484 km = 300 mi.

The first pleasant surprise from that is when I put the SG in the car, I guesstimated at fuel use calibration, and I guessed too pessimistic. I was actually getting about 7% better MPG than I was seeing.

Nice!

So, where the SG had been showing trips in the low- to mid-50's lately, they were actually more like mid- to upper-50's.


58+ MPG trips recently

The first ~1/3 of the tank distance (the unmodded headwind drive home from my friends' place) was pretty bad, at 43 MPG, corrected.



Second surprise: the remaining 2/3 must have been at ~58 MPG on average for the fill to end at 53. (Distance weighted average.)


Mods added *after* the first 1/3 of this tank:

- tires: increased PSI
- tires: switched to slightly taller front tires on Civic 15" wheels
- wheel discs
- grille block
- hood bug deflector delete

- passenger side mirror delete
- passenger wiper delete
- mudflap delete
- DRL switch
- rear fender skirts
- kammback + tapered side extensions
- air dam


60 MPG possible

All this tells me that in my typical summer usage, and with a few more mods (and a tiny bit of P&G), this car is probably good for the occasional 60 MPG round trip under ideal conditions.

"Typical usage" means driving with cruise control on nearly deserted back roads/scenic routes at or near the posted limit (max limit of 80 km/h = 50 mph, with some sections at 70 km/h = 43). Lots of engine-off coasting to stops & turns, and down some hills.

Unfortunately, I yanked most of the CAD mods off it yesterday - got caught in the rain!

[California98Civic]

Nice. I like the ease and speed with which you can mod a car with our common mods... experience in the EM lab! But this also says a lot about the importance of gearing. My Civic can do 70 MPG+ with its 1998 D series engine. I've got the super-tall gearing from the CX transmission, but engine is slightly larger and I am sure less effieintly designed.

[MetroMPG]

Yup, I definitely have a checklist of fairly easy and effective mods that I throw at any new car I get.

Your gearing change makes me wonder if a CX would outperform this Fit in the same conditions with the same mods.

There was a ~2000 Civic CX hatch around the corner that I went past for years. It seemed well looked after by its owners, and I always thought I should knock on the door and say, "If you're ever going to sell this, let me know..."

Too late! It disappeared from their driveway this spring.

[Ecky]

Aerocivic is based on a CX. It was getting phenomenal mileage even before the lean burn engine swap.

I'm actually shocked the Fit gets the economy is does with the gearing it has.

[serialk11r]

Lean burn? (that's always my response) Bet you could hit 70mpg with lean burn + WAI.

I feel like it can't be too hard to make cardboard more...permanent? Spray it with truck bed liner spray?

[MetroMPG]

Paint would help. The big problem is the open ends wick water inside. You'd have to tape or somehow seal every edge. With that much work, better off to just do it in coroplast!

[serialk11r]

Yea I was thinking if you spray on something thinner that can soak into the cardboard, it'll basically waterproof it at the same time. I haven't used Flexseal before but that's what I thought of.

[MetroMPG]

Welp... against my better judgment, I bought another car (yet another cheap Mirage) on Tuesday. Another impulse buy! The fleet is now at an all-time high, and I'm running out of places to stash all the econoboxes.

We're overstocked!

So I decided the Fit will go on the block ASAP rather than serve out winter beater duty.

I'm now splashing a little bondo on the HondaRust (TM) to make the car more presentable...

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Ecky

I'm actually shocked the Fit gets the economy is does with the gearing it has.

Yup. It revs the same in top gear as the Mirage with its 1.2L and 74 hp.


Yet for some reason I keep reaching to grab "6th" gear in the Fit, but I don't do that in the Mirage. I'm not sure why.