Hi from Texas!
 

I'm a wandering Canuck that now calls south central Texas home - midway between San Antonio and Austin. Owing to an unfortunate car fire this past June I did some personal soul searching in regards to my choice of vehicle and it's fuel economy. I used to drive a '99 Grand Marquis - great road car and I did actually get 28mpg once on a trip loaded with 3 adults a kid and all the luggage. But for general around town driving it seemed to be thirstier than I wanted.

So, after the car fire I bought a lightly used Roketa 150cc scooter - theoretically I can probably drive it 8-9 months out of the year down here. Of the 9 or so fillups I've had with it - I'm getting 76,1mpg average from it. Since I knew that the scooter won't be much fun in the ran or when it gets below 50 or 60 degrees, and I needed something to tow my antique boat and motors to the lake, I was on the lookout for a small pickup - I ended up getting an '86 Mazda B2000 (2000cc) for $700. It runs well and I've changed out the leaking gas tank, fuel and air filters, kept track of the air pressure in the tires, etc. I've just filled it (new tank) so I haven't gotten a record of mileage off of it yet.

I did just finish installing a vacuum gauge and wondered how to read it. At a given speed, is it the gear with the most vacuum that I want to be in for best fuel efficiency?

Future plans are a tyvek bed cover stretched over a frame like an airplane wing. Moon disks on the wheels, lower it an inch or two, fender skirts. Possible project might be a plexiglass or aluminum kammback off the cab - unless I hear from others that it's a waste of time with a pickup. In which case I might go with full aero cap.

My bone stock B2000, the day I bought it:
(oops can't post photos yet) try kruitzkraft . com / b2000

Welcome to ecomodder.

That's a bit more than south of the border

That would help.
Lowering can be expensive for a rather limited return in fuel efficiency - making it uneconomical.

An airdam would also help, preferably with sideskirts below the chassis
Belly pan. Grille block.

Do a search for Phil Knox's (aerohead) T100 to see what can be done if you're willing to go the distance.
Here's just one thread, but his truck will show up more often.
(And hopefully in the news headlines sometime next fall as well - "Truck Sets New Speed Record" :cool: )
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tion-6323.html


Also, have a look at what user BamZipPow has been up to with his truck.

A plain flat cover for the bed will help and is easy to build.
Nothing will beat a sloping, aerodynamic cover though.

B2000

Hi and thanks for the links and info. I've already read about Phil's vehicles and his mods - he's about 5 hours north of me - maybe one day I'll be in the vicinity for a visit.

My B2000 has front torsion suspension, so it can be lowered easily without changing any components. The rear would just need some blocks and new U-bolts - I'm guessing $50 or so total to lower it.

I've already made rear fender skirt template - not sure if I want to try aluminum or fiberlgass for it. I need to bump it out a bit for tire clearance, so I may use a couple of layers of foam to sculpt it into the fender flare then use that as a mold for fiberglassing a skirt. It shouldn't be too hard - famous last words.

I'm hoping to make up a folding/stowable semi rigid bed cover with Tyvek - still trying to hash out a design in my head for that. I'll keep searching to see what I can find out on the board for that.

There's a scrap metal place a couple miles from my house and I head over there once in a while - hoping to find a big aluminum skin I can use - either for a bed cover or an under body pan.

BamZipPow is down here is Houston with me.

Hi deathtrain - is ecomodding big in Texas, or does it get confused with the Houston Car Art parade? :-)
What kind of mods have you guys done with your vehicles?
Dan

not really.... Texas is more on who has the bigger truck. Me I just do my own thing. I have my 96 Dodge 1500 for weekend hauling. Got my 07 Charger for drag racing/car shows. Got the 65 Ranchero for my old school. (for sale) And the yota is for M-F.

Mods well none really. I wanted to max the mpg out before doing any mods so I can see any changes. I just go the car started getting my coast targets set. Then once I was comfortable with my coast targets I started EOC. To date my highest MPG tank was 60MPG. I have a list of them to do but have not got to them yet.

our family owned land in txas since before it was a State. Just south of Dallas on highway 76....south of Desoto.

I found you comment halarious!!!!!

I left Tx 23 yrs ago but will be back in the north Texas area OR in Boerne by Dec 2012.

N B is beautiful!!

Have you do the water park???
I stated at a little bed & breakfast downtown a couple of yrs ago. The is a backery downtown that is to DIE FOR!!!!!!!

I actually work at the waterpark - Schlitterbahn "as seen on the Travel Channel" :thumbup:

Naegelin's bakery is great - right near the downtown square - oldest continually run bakery in Texas - mmmm, creme horns.....

Oh, and I have enough posts, so here's my test platform, should be some good low hanging fruit on it.....
Only mod so far is to tint the rear window and add a vacuum gauge - it's fun trying to keep it from hitting 5 or less.

http://kruitzkraft.com/b2000/IMAG0438sm.jpg

Hey, what part of Canuck land do you originate from?

I was born in Port Credit (now Mississauga) grew up in Oakville, ON, Calgary and King City, ON. Moved to Chicago after college got married and 15 years later moved to Texas - been here going on 5 years. Nice winters, hot summers, but the humidity is low, so it's a dry heat....