little blue firefly

[MetroMPG]

Yeah, no pressure - take your time. Glad to have you here.

[samwichse]

Looks good... I like how you painted the sides to continue the bumper line the length of the car.

Maybe some black side strakes would pull the whole thing a bit closer to the ground and match up with the ground clearance of your bumper a bit better?

[rednic79]

yeah that's what I was thinking too. I'm going to try and make some side skirts that are as wide as the tires. kinda u-shaped. and match the bumper height.

[samwichse]

Great minds and all...

[MetroMPG]

Any updates on the Firefly project?

[rednic79]

Well..... not really. My fuel economy numbers have been less than impressive. Im not sure if its just the cold temps, zero or below....or that the car is a blown out old toilet..haha. hey metrompg, what kind of winter temps are you running at?
Anyhoo......my mind has been working on coming up with a retractable or perhaps folding or extending kamback design. I may start with one similar to yours then add an electric operated extension that slides from under it. Kinda like a sunroof.
Ill post it if or when it gets figured out.

[MetroMPG]

I don't drive a lot... and when I do, it's usually longer trips on secondary highways. So my numbers will be better than a short-haul commuter in equally cold conditions. We had a snowy, colder than avg. winter. My worst mileage in years (check my log).

What's your typical usage, and do you kill the engine as much as possible (got a kill switch installed)? These cars can kick butt in low/medium speed conditions, but you have to operate them like a hybrid to get the good numbers (ie. engine off when coasting/stopped).

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by rednic79

I think ill do the wiper mod on the firefly. so ill try to take some pics. those wipers are driving me nuts. the car would be soooo smooth if they were not there!

Single-arm wipers are great. Reduce drag, save a few ounces, and also a few bucks since there will be only one wiper blade to replace

[rednic79]

Thats mainly city driving in traffic. I've really been trying on this tank and am lookin to av 5.5 no I don't have a kill switch. I suppose thats the direction ill go next. I know the aero stuff won't help the city milage much. Its just more fun to do...heh. well I hope to see a steady increase at the temp goes up too.

[MetroMPG]

Warmer temps will help of course... but..

Kill switch and instrumentation are key for city driving. Do it! You'll wonder why you waited so long afterward.