Hi ecomodders
 

A forum for modifiers, sounds like my type of people.

I have been modifying my cars for improved efficiency since I had a Subaru FE coupe back in 1979. My latest car is a Honda Insight, which I have modified a bit:
http://www.99mpg.com/Projectcars/mikesinsight/

Once the weather warms up a bit, I will be resuming my Saturday Hybrid electric workshops, where we work on various hybrid and EV related projects. If you live in the NE CT area, and want to come over and play, watch this events calender to see when a workshop will be held.
http://www.99mpg.com/events
The workshop blog:
http://www.99mpg.com/workshops/mikessaturdayhybri/
Mike

Welcome!

There's an understatement if I've ever read one! For anyone who's not familiar with Mike's car, I highly recommend a visit to his site. Lots of really interesting reading.

Welcome to the community Mike!

Welcome aboard Mike! :)

Extremely sweet! I look forward to hearing much more about your insight, :D

Thanks for joining us. If I am working in New England and not in Texas with NASA I will definitely attend some events. You should post some notices up as they get scheduled. It's going to take me a bit to digest your website.

Love the 5th wheel! I recall coming across your car a year or so ago. Great work!

Lucky to have you aboard!

RH77

MD2000 -

Welcome to EM!

I was reading your "Plugging into the Sun" blog and you were asking for suggestions on attaching the 2.4" square solar panels. Assuming the Insight isn't using aluminum body panels and magnets don't interfere with solar panel electricity, you can use the flat magnet sheets/tape that people use to make business cards and stuff :

15 mil - 10 pack of Self-Adhesive Business Card Magnets
http://www1.ecxmall.com/stores/lyt/Detail.bok?no=48

I think I got mine at Staples or Michael's or a similar joint.

If you are worried about it flying off, have a neodymium magnet attached to the leading edge of the solar panel. The rest of the flat sheet magnet will have to be cut flush to this magnet and have the same thickness. Here are examples of the magnets I would use :

1/4" x 1/2" x 1/16" Thick NdFeB Plate Magnet, Ni-Cu-Ni plated.
http://www.amazingmagnets.com/index....ROD&ProdID=122

44221-1 N42 rectangular magnet, 5x2.5x1mm
http://www.indigo.com/magnets/gphmgn...e-magnets.html

I am using the magnet business card sheets to hold some airtabs on my car (http://www.airtab.com/). I put a neodymium magnet in the "volume" of the airtab to insure that it doesn't fly off. Haven't lost a single one since 2007/12/02.

CarloSW2

Welcome!!!

Brilliant work Mike, glad you're here! :D

Hey Mr. Fifth Wheel! :)

Great to see you here Mike! We met at the Tour De Sol 2006 in Saratoga Springs New York. Hopefully you will be at Hybridfest this year?

Welcome to the site. I've heard of your work and browsed over your site a bit. Very nice.

Wow, thanks for the many welcomes.

cfg83
Unfortunately the Insight is mostly plastic and aluminum, so magnets don't help much. My test adhesion piece will need to cure for several days before I put it to the wind tunnel test.(My nephew has access to the Worcester Polytech wind tunnel). I also bought some 3M acrylic adhesive foam tape, that is supposed to bond metal to metal as well as rivets, so that will be my back up plan. 5 yards for $48, it better be good.

krousdb
I remember meeting you and Wayne Gerdes there for the first time.
I hope to get out to Hybridfest again this year, and will drive out if possible.
I had a good time last year.
Mike

Wind tunnel! That's amazing! WPI is a pretty good school, at that. I visited a few years ago in my own college search.

Congrats on having access to a wind tunnel. I suspect a sizeable chunk of the membership is green with envy. (Count me as one.)

I have one of Mike's MIMA kits in my Insight right now, and I can tell you, it is an unbelievable piece of equipment. Mike, you are a genius!

Hi Eric - welcome.

Feel free to post up a thread about HF/08. Dan K, Ben (SVOboy) and I have been talking about going to the event (carpooling).

-Darin

Thanks. I will once I post my official introduction.