Hello folks! - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

dissimilation · 12-14-2007, 02:41 AM

Hey there, I found this site by way of google that got me to crxmpg.com, which led me to metrompg.com and gassavers.org - where SVOboy turned me over here (yeah, I think I got that right). If you guys are members over there, you may have already read the following (but not so condensed)...

Since about 1997 I've been an MPG nut. In 1997 I bought a 91 Geo Metro that I gutted over the years to make as lightweight as possible (getting all those interior rattles out may have been a bit of the original driving force I have to admit). I gave it to my Dad a few months ago and we're going to convert into an EV over time. I have a 91 convertible that is a parts car and will eventually become a matching trailer for my 90 Geo Metro convertible (I swear, it is the most fun car ever made). My current daily driver is a 93 Honda Civic DX hatchback (all stock) - which I average about 41 mpg on. I'm going to give the Honda to my wife and make the Geo convertible my daily driver. On the low side of what the metro gets in mpg, it would save us about $1200 a year. (I drive a lot, but the savings of getting my wife's 19mpg Camry wagon off the road is what makes such a dramatic increase, and getting it off the road is a favor to mankind as a whole).

The Metro cost me $450, due to it being sold not running from the prior owner. It was completely straight, stock and had a good interior - but had a wrecked top, a terrible looking paint job and a few less than stellar problems here and there. It took me an afternoon to figure out that a $16 timing belt was the only thing keeping it from getting back on the road. With help from the parts car and Earl Scheib, the little convertible is in great shape now and is ready for prime time (and perhaps some modded mpg improvements).

I've always been fond of the color orange, and it was the only unique color on the Scheib list of affordable paints - so thus the color was laid. The new paint job is called "Competition Orange," which I'm sure that refers to the competition of getting the highest gas milage

I'm experienced with keeping these things running, but I'm new to tuning them for MPG. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I look forward to seeing what I get as far as gas milage from daily driving and where I can go from there, and look forward to sharing the experience. Here are some pictures of the car from our wedding back in August...

I sure do love the little guy.

Lazarus · 12-14-2007, 09:25 AM

Nice work. . Looks like both of you are on the same page in regards to FE. I though a Carmy would get better mileage then that. Welcome to the site and congratulations on the wedding

roflwaffle · 12-14-2007, 09:45 AM

Great looking car!

dissimilation · 12-14-2007, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazarus

Nice work. . Looks like both of you are on the same page in regards to FE. I though a Carmy would get better mileage then that. Welcome to the site and congratulations on the wedding

The Camry in question is a 1997 V6 wagon automatic. The EPA didn't have a listing for the wagon, but the sedan is rated 20/29. She only takes it on the freeway for about 1 mile and about 2 more miles of city driving to get to work (one way). With other around town driving she does, the beast is probably seeing about 80% city driving.

MetroMPG · 12-14-2007, 10:47 AM

Welcome to the site! Nice to see another Metro(s) owner.

I'm curious to know how you did with your lightened '91. How much weight did you take out, and what effect did you see (other than more road noise

)?

XFi · 12-14-2007, 02:29 PM

Welcome to EM Dissimilation! Nice Ride(s).

dissimilation · 12-15-2007, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Welcome to the site! Nice to see another Metro(s) owner.

I'm curious to know how you did with your lightened '91. How much weight did you take out, and what effect did you see (other than more road noise

)?

I can't say for sure, I wasn't religiously weighing what came out of the car or recording the mileage. I had a 79 Caprice Classic before the 91 HB, and all I cared back then was that it got over 45 no matter what and it wasn't getting 16mpg. If anything, the road noise was diminished from simplifying the interior because of all those rattles. They got better over the years, but in those days the interior was pretty flimsy. I used to reach under my seat and find one of those plastic screw clips that were littered around the car and say to the passenger, "I bet you 50% of this car is made of these, and the other 50% is made of melted down ones." If I were to guess on the mileage difference, I wouldn't expect it to be more than one or two mpgs. I had removed the carpet and almost all the plastic from the inside except for the dashboard.

MetroMPG · 12-15-2007, 03:25 PM

They must have done a better job on the later cars then, because my '98 is rattle-free and surprisingly well put together (on the other hand, it's still basically in new condition).

Hasn't stopped me from removing stuff though. I removed the pass. and rear seats a while back to turn the car into a moving van, and haven't put them back in yet. As a result, I hear noticeably more suspension, exhaust & road noise than before. (I think the rear seat in particular blocks/absorbs a lot of that).

Coyote X did some fairly exensive weight reduction on his XFi (in addition to the "natural" biodegrading weight reduction that Mother Nature is doing to it on an ongoing basis)...