Extreme Vibe experiment

[trikkonceptz]

What I am about to discuss may not happen for a couple of years or even ever, but I figured would make for some interesting commentary none the less ...

I own a 2004 Vibe, paid for with 30K miles on it. My goal is to make it as efficient as possible and mod it until it has to be recycled.

WIth that said I have already made small changes to the car and it is on its way to my 50+ mpg goal. But once there I want to take it to the extreme.

Here are my thoughts;

-First cut and slope the roof making it a 2 door, but most importantly optimising the angle for the air flow. Yes it will require removing all rear windows, sealing the rear doors or cutting them below the window line, remaking a rear glass to see out of, although not required and losing the hatch altogether. Not an impossible mod, very similar to chopping tops, which I have done before.

-Once I went there though I thought about making the dam thing a three wheeler, keeping the front two wheels and drive train, with a single rear wheel centered without really changing the wheel base. The T-rex, seems very stable with this set up and it may allow me to maximise the aerodynamics.

As crazy as it sounds it is possible, especially with a unibody, and I am sure MPG calculations would be impossible to calculate, but you have to understand I have spent my entire life building 1 of a kind custom vehicles for no real purpose, why no build one to serve a purpose.

It would probably be easier to use a VW front end, build a cage around it and marry it with a motorcycle engine, but this vehicle costs me nothing and would be fun to cut up IMO.

Have fun calling me crazy ... LOL

[cfg83]

trikkonceptz -

You're already doing great things to your Vibe, so I think it is possible. I don't have the gutz or skillzz to do what you are doing. You're a braver man than me, so go for it!

CarloSW2

[trikkonceptz]

Yes there are drawbacks, but this car is doomed to be modded until it is recycled. Her single minded purpose is commuter car, so I simply throw away all cargo and practicality issues. I figure by the time I blow the engine on this thing we would have come up with reliable electric technology to sustain a 500 mile trip, therefore setting it up for the next evolutionary change to the Vibe.

[MetroMPG]

I wouldn't sacrifice the utility of the car THAT much (by making it a 3 wheeler).

If you've got your mind set on using a sawzall, I'd narrow the rear track instead, to permit more plan taper aft of the front doors. A la Honda Insight/GM EV1. Sort of a compromise over going from 4 wheels to 3 for aero.

Sounds very interesting, anyway.

[trikkonceptz]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I wouldn't sacrifice the utility of the car THAT much (by making it a 3 wheeler).

If you've got your mind set on using a sawzall, I'd narrow the rear track instead, to permit more plan taper aft of the front doors. A la Honda Insight/GM EV1. Sort of a compromise over going from 4 wheels to 3 for aero.

Sounds very interesting, anyway.

Again I have a fleet of trucks to my disposal for utility, this vehicle is strictly a Science Project so to speak. I do like the idea of tapering the rear though in order to retain all four wheels. That idea is going into the scrap book. Thanks for the push, this will happen unfortunately not until the end of the year perhaps ...

In the meantime I am rolling towards my 50mpg goal ...