Honda Civic - 3 Minor changes, 5 MPG

[vandykkd]

After finding this sight and reading many interesting posts, including consideration for many mods on my own 94 Honda Civic, I wanted to post the three simple mods I have made on my own vehicle for the next persons looking for gas saving ideas. No difficult calculations, no major alterations, No engineering required, just a few simple and cost effective upgrades. Yes there will be some responses that will argue I may never recover the investment cost, but I will preempt that thought with this. My $950 86 Accord that I have driven 7 years gets 30 MPG was relegated to back up car 2 years ago when I purchased a $1100 94 Civic that gets 36 MPG (stock). With the price of gas @ $3/gallon, the break even payback period for the difference in gas mileage with consideration of my annual mileage is about 28 months. The 3 mods cost me about $200 and gained 5 MPG (avg after 4 tanks actual mileage) ......In the end both are reasonable investments since I needed a second car, but you do the math. If you don't mind getting some odd looks, here are the mods:
1) Add moon caps - snap on $90/4 - ebay. The truth is the caps on the rear wheel for this car will accomplish almost the same improvement as adding the skirts and a very easy upgrade
2) Added rear wheel skirts - Custom made from some scrap aluminum 0.024" panels I had - Something more complicated than first thought at about 8 hours labor, but I had already started the mod before the caps arrived. In the end I probably would stick with just the 4 moon caps.
3) Shaved stock outside rear-view mirrors and replaced with large inside blindspot mirrors and convex center larger view mirror. These give very good blindspot coverage which I believe is better than stock view. The car is also much more quiet. Yes I checked Fl law which is still legal and keep a copy of the statute with me in case I get pulled over, but we'll see.
I did add the vacuum gage and the changes are indicating about 3" increase in vacuum at 60 MPH. So, until the next mod that's it for now.

[NachtRitter]

Very nice; would like to see more pics, especially of the mirror mods.

[vtec-e]

How you attached the skirts would be handy. Although i empathise with you on that front. I find it hard to remember to take pics while i'm working on something. My time is precious!

[tomauto]

Do you have a link to those moon caps for reference?

[vandykkd]

Skirts - Were attached with #10 SS sheet metal screws for now and a 1/4" x 3/4" aluminum strip pop-riveted on the bottom. Strip was bent and secured inside fender well with plastic panel buttons. It took a moment of hesitation to get out the drill and put 12 holes is a perfectly good fender 1/4 panel, but then what the heck. No guts, no glory, right? I only paid $1100 for the whole car, so no big deal. The plan in to go with small expanding plastic panel plugs that snap in, at least for every other hole, once I get back to the parts market at the next car show.

Mirrors- 2 for $4 at Advance auto parts. These are rectangular blue blind spot mirrors for Ford Trucks. Very clear and sharp. Avoid cheap flea market specials. Brackets are .024 aluminum scrap with a single 1/4" wing nut & bolt through the existing OEM adjustment hole left open when the old mirror is removed. Closeout plate if same .024 aluminum painted in flat black and mounted with 1/4-20 bolts through same 3 holes for OEM mirrors. Gasket is a door seal from Home Depot. No door mods required and if I had to go back with OEM mirrors its just 15 minute re-mount.

Wheel covers - Hubcapkingdom.com. Found this set on ebay for $70 + shipping. No squeaks or creaks so far. The old trim rings used to sound like rattle cans of spray paint so I passed on trying these with pizza tins. I really like the way the SS moon caps add style. A few extra bucks but worth my time

[vandykkd]

I also thought I would share a few before/after numbers from the Mod for the Practitioner Engineers out there.
Vacuum gage with stock OEM civic 1.5 L 16 F/I 16 valve.
18" idle
was 9-10" vacuum stock OEM at 65MPH
11" with moon caps
12" with skirts
13-14" shaved mirrors.
Drive it like there's an egg under the gas pedal foot; no drag race starts.
Several tanks of gas varied between 41 and 43 MPG average, up from 36 MPG so I've gained no less than 5MPG.
Daily routine is 44 miles round trip and 50% is highway speeds, so overall average is not too bad.

[brucepick]

Nice work!

[Sularus]

real nice work! I hope I see similar results when I do these similar mods. Bad news is I have to keep an external driver's side side-view mirror. State law in Oklahoma.