Hello from Sunny VA

[zapato]

Hey all, been lurking for about a week since I got my civic. I'm planning on putting on a lexan (top) grill block, coroplast (or something) bottom grill block and mooncaps, but waiting on $.

I'm also considering putting in some LED Daytime Running Lights, but I have to look into legality and what the current DRL setup is.

It's an '09 bought with 16k miles, so my wife won't let me do anything fun like a boattail or skirts.

First tank got me ~29 MPG (U.S.) with standard crazy driving, and I started hypermiling in the last 30% or so of my 2nd tank and managed 36.7 (404 miles!), which is a hair over my EPA HWY. My current commute is 70% secondary toll highway (55 mph with one booth) and 30% outer suburbia. Looking forward to what tank #3 gets me.

My reachable goal is 45MPG, which gets me under $100 and is also equal to the HCH's EPA Highway rating and better than double what my old Mountaineer gets (although that's before adjusting the nut behind the wheel).

I also have a stretch goal - 60MPG. Not a whole lot of reason here, just feels like a good number to aim for.

I'll make sure I get some "Before" pics up before I start putting the neckbolts on!

Thanks for all the info you guys have put up so far, I'll definitely be stealing some DIY ideas...

[MetroMPG]

Hi -

70% @ 55 mph and 30% outer suburbia sounds pretty ideal as far as MPG friendly territory goes (depending on traffic). I predict good results

As for those rear wheel skirts, show this to your wife and see what she thinks:



from: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...irts-3816.html

60 is going to be a stretch with an automatic, but it's good to stretch.

Welcome to the forum!

[zapato]

Thanks metro! I'm sure if I had a couple hundred dollars worth of fiberglass and 70 or 80 hours to kill I could make some skirts like that, but I have kids instead

[zapato]

cheap post towards images...

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another post...

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last one.

[zapato]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Hi -

70% @ 55 mph and 30% outer suburbia sounds pretty ideal as far as MPG friendly territory goes (depending on traffic). I predict good results

As for those rear wheel skirts, show this to your wife and see what she thinks:



from: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...irts-3816.html

60 is going to be a stretch with an automatic, but it's good to stretch.

Welcome to the forum!

Ok so I've been thinking about this... And I think I could pull it off with fiberglass, cardboard, and a couple attempts. Since the fiberglass and resin come in fairly large quantity at Home Depot anyway, I might just give this a shot... I won't paint until I'm happy with the shape and effect, so one can of Honda touchup and a can of good high-impact clear-coat should do it. I'll probably need a can of black krylon for the mooncaps, but I haven't entirely decided on a paint scheme there.

I was playing in pixlr, and here's my ideal target car. Blue is lexan, red is cardboard/fiberglass, peach (mooncaps) is up in the air, but probably cardboard/fiberglass. I mostly did a different color there so you could tell it was a cover under the skirt in the rear.

I have some experience with plexiglass resin/sheet over cardboard, but I will definitely need to find some 4mm mylar for that smooth finish trick.


I have some concerns about the kamm - I'll need to be able to use the trunk. I might do a partial in cardboard with trunk clearance and try a tuft test.



edit: And I did show my wife those pics, and she okay'd them. Thanks metro!

[zapato]

Testing signature...

[MetroMPG]

my wife won't let me do anything fun like a boattail or skirts.

So, what did you do with the body?

(KIDDING!)

I have some concerns about the kamm - I'll need to be able to use the trunk.

There are other ways to do it that don't involve adding a hinge above the rear glass. More complex, but it's doable.

From: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ods-20741.html

[zapato]

And it's ok being loose on the sides like that? Looks like it's just held on with hinges on top and the lynch pins on the trunk?