Hello Ecomodding... NEAT STUFF!

[techhobbit]

I got a 1985 Chevy/Toyota(Nova) for free!
I'm looking into DIY electric conversion but until I decide, and get the $$$, aeromodding looks very interesting.

(If you are still reading...)
I have to commute 36 miles one way, down (and back up) a large plateau, and 10 milesw on dirt road - extreme requirements for electric.

And if you're STILL with me...
(Let me get up on my soapbox...)
How come we see such tremendous advances in every technological field,
except fuel economy??? My '85 Chevy/Toyota gets 33 MPG consistently, after ...almost 200K miles...1985!!! And there were several other cars, 20-30 years old that did/still do better than that.
I truly believe we should be seeing 100MPG or better, on everything from cars to semi's -- except for the ever-power hungry oil/auto mogals greed.

I know, I'm probably preaching to the choir...

Anyhows.. I hope to do some radical streamlining to my chevy/toyota!
Glad to see what everyone is doing here.

[SVOboy]

Welcome to the site! What kinda budget are you looking for with the EV?

[DifferentPointofView]

I like to think the oil companies bribe the auto manufacturers lol, but seriously, I think it's more or less the person who drives the car. a regular driver complains he's not getting the gas mileage the sticker says. An ecomodder complains ABOUT those people because he got twice the gas mileage the sticker said, and is sick of hearing about it.

You can achieve over 100mpg in a Prius, or similar hybrid. You can also get 100mpg in a regular gasoline powered vehicle. You would just have to aeromod like crazy, similar to the aerocivic. Our problems are we care too much about how we look when we drive than how much cash is coming out on gas every week or few weeks. So everything is designed for looks, and not aero. Which I understand. If you were a car company, would you rather make a vehicle that looks good and make millions? or make an aerodynamic gas sipper that sells poor and you loose millions? This is probably why SUV's sell like crazy despite high gas prices, cause people wanna look "good" driving around in an SUV with 24 inch dub's and tv's in every nook and cranny.

[Gone4]

First, welcome techhobbit.

Second,

Originally Posted by DifferentPointofView

...Our problems are we care too much about how we look when we drive than how much cash is coming out on gas every week or few weeks. So everything is designed for looks, and not aero...

Some of the aeromodifications come down to practicality, too. I can't park the aerocivic on Boston or Providence streets, and I find myself there quite often.

[basjoos]

Part of the problem is that Madison Avenue ad writers have convinced people what cars should look like; that cars are a fashion statement, similar to clothing, rather than a piece of equipment that should be efficiently designed to do its job. To me,the streamlined shape of the aerocivic looks a lot more natural and functional than the typical brickish shapes that constitute most of the highway population. Interesting, with aircraft, the reverse is true. The highly streamlined Glasair is considered beautiful whereas the blocky lines of a Zenair CH701 is considered ugly. The Zenair is a low speed STOL aircraft with a max speed under 100mph so it can tolerate less than perfect streamlining.

The aerocivic isn't any longer than a mid-sized SUV (the aero mods added 5 feet to its overall length), so if you can find space to park an SUV, you can park the aerocivic. I've had no problems parking it.

[WaxyChicken]

Originally Posted by techhobbit

I know, I'm probably preaching to the choir...

Hallelujah, brother!!!!
I like you already!