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Old 07-03-2015, 05:17 AM   #1 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: NC
Posts: 38

Red Bean - '01 Chevrolet Metro
90 day: 34.44 mpg (US)
Thanks: 20
Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Smile New to the forum, not new to saving fuel

Greetings,

My name is Mark but since so many like to use "Ninja" in some form of nickname for me, you can call me the Prudent Ninja (or Mark lol).

I'm cheap. I don't like spending money when I don't have to. This has led me to alter my driving habits to save fuel. This has also led to many other things I do to save money (lol no need to discuss those here I presume, you can check my blog if truly interested). I'm always up for saving more money when I can. I just purchased a 2001 Chevy Metro (that I nicknamed Red Bean). I was planning on getting my 1989 Honda Civic running but due to the high miles and skimpy repair history, I haven't put much into it. Then recently found a great deal on a Metro. It's a great improvement to my "previous vehicle" (a V8 carbureted van I nicknamed the Rolling Turd due to its color, got a whopping 12mpg).

I've known about this forum for a number of years but never got around to registering till today. I'm hoping this forum can be useful to me and hoping I can be useful to it.

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Old 07-03-2015, 08:53 AM   #2 (permalink)
Administrator
 
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 11,203

CM400E - '81 Honda CM400E
90 day: 51.49 mpg (US)

Daox's Grey Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 49.53 mpg (US)

Daox's Insight - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 64.33 mpg (US)

Swarthy - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage DE
Mitsubishi
90 day: 56.69 mpg (US)

Daox's Volt - '13 Chevrolet Volt
Thanks: 2,501
Thanked 2,585 Times in 1,553 Posts
Welcome to the site Mark. Nice car! They certainly can get some great MPGs. What kind of mileage are you getting with yours?
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Old 07-03-2015, 09:42 AM   #3 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
Welcome, from another Metro (Firefly) owner!

How many miles on yours? What are your modding plans to make it even more efficient?
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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.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
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Old 07-03-2015, 10:02 AM   #4 (permalink)
Not bad for a machine
 
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Baltimore
Posts: 1,024

Maechunbu - Retired - '00 Kia Sephia 1.8I4 16VDOHC
Last 3: 45.28 mpg (US)

Slasher - '96 Chevy Corsica 2.2L 3speedauto
Duct Tape Aero Crew
Team Chevy
90 day: 34.76 mpg (US)
Thanks: 279
Thanked 242 Times in 179 Posts
sounds like you will fit in great around here.
welcome ninja
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Old 07-03-2015, 10:16 AM   #5 (permalink)
Lean Burn Cruiser!
 
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Johnston County, NC
Posts: 931

Big Blazin' - '88 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Silverado
SUV
90 day: 14.97 mpg (US)

Chili - '00 Honda Insight
Gen-1 Insights
Team Honda
House of Tudor
Team Streamliner
90 day: 72.29 mpg (US)
Thanks: 835
Thanked 490 Times in 309 Posts
We decline from using the word "cheap" and prefer such words as thrifty, economical and the slogan "doing more with less"

Welcome, formally, to Ecomodder Mark!
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Remember, thank a fellow EM'er for a helpful post!!!
I hypermile better in my cowboy boots

Past threads:
ZX2 modding thread
Ecomodder's Top 10: How they do it!
ZX2 Aerodynamics: Shooting for 0.15 Cd
ZX2 coast-down testing for Cd & Crr
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ThePrudentNinja (07-03-2015)
Old 07-03-2015, 02:50 PM   #6 (permalink)
It's all about Diesel
 
cRiPpLe_rOoStEr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Quite a difference going from a V8-powered van to a Metro. BTW do you miss any feature of the van?
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Old 07-03-2015, 10:27 PM   #7 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: NC
Posts: 38

Red Bean - '01 Chevrolet Metro
90 day: 34.44 mpg (US)
Thanks: 20
Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Oh boy, a lot of questions lol. Well, the odometer reading is right around 132,000 miles. No idea the fuel economy yet. Can't get it on the road till next week since the DMV decided to be closed on Friday despite it NOT being a holiday (Saturday is).

As for cheap, I'll try to keep that in mind. I named my blog using "prudent" as it sounds nicer than "cheap *******" lol.

The biggest two features of the van I miss are being able to haul just about anything in the back and towing. When I moved this last time (to my new place around a year ago) I moved everything I owned in two trips with the van. If I had to do such with the Metro, it could easily take several trips lol. I still technically have the van, but it needs around $2000 in work done to it just to get it back on the road with another $1000 in repairs to keep it on the road. Still debating what to do with it. Could scrap it for a couple hundred dollars. Could just fix it so I can have something to haul things with when needed. Could do something crazy like turn it into an RV (after fixing it of course lol).

Kind greetings from you all and kind greetings to you all as well.
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Old 07-04-2015, 07:26 PM   #8 (permalink)
It's all about Diesel
 
cRiPpLe_rOoStEr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Posts: 12,548
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Thanked 1,622 Times in 1,447 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThePrudentNinja View Post
The biggest two features of the van I miss are being able to haul just about anything in the back and towing. When I moved this last time (to my new place around a year ago) I moved everything I owned in two trips with the van. If I had to do such with the Metro, it could easily take several trips lol.
Have you ever considered to get an utility trailer to tow with the Metro? Sure it won't pull like a 14 with a Playboy, but it's not useless at all...


Quote:
I still technically have the van, but it needs around $2000 in work done to it just to get it back on the road with another $1000 in repairs to keep it on the road. Still debating what to do with it.
What kind of repairs does it need? Eventually, that could be an excuse for some extensive ecomods


Quote:
Could do something crazy like turn it into an RV (after fixing it of course lol)
That would be cool. You could make some modular removable furniture items to convert the van into a camper while retaining the versatility when you need it for hauling.
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Old 07-05-2015, 12:48 AM   #9 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: NC
Posts: 38

Red Bean - '01 Chevrolet Metro
90 day: 34.44 mpg (US)
Thanks: 20
Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr View Post
Have you ever considered to get an utility trailer to tow with the Metro? Sure it won't pull like a 14 with a Playboy, but it's not useless at all...




What kind of repairs does it need? Eventually, that could be an excuse for some extensive ecomods




That would be cool. You could make some modular removable furniture items to convert the van into a camper while retaining the versatility when you need it for hauling.
One "crazy" idea I had for the van was stripping it down to the frame, replacing the engine and transmission with some small engine and manual transmissions, and doing a custom aerodynamic body and seeing what I can do. Another "crazy" idea was to convert it to a battery electric vehicle. The main issue at present is the transmission is shot. It most likely can't be rebuilt either so will have to be replaced. The engine is high mileage and is probably due for a rebuild. Other than that, just some rust here and there.
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Old 07-08-2015, 09:15 PM   #10 (permalink)
It's all about Diesel
 
cRiPpLe_rOoStEr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Posts: 12,548
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1,622 Times in 1,447 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThePrudentNinja View Post
The main issue at present is the transmission is shot. It most likely can't be rebuilt either so will have to be replaced. The engine is high mileage and is probably due for a rebuild.
This sounds like a perfect excuse for a Diesel swap

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