Oops, I did it again! Bought another cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage. Mods in progress...

[MetroMPG]

71 MPG US = 3.3 L/100 km


New this tank: about 90% was with the alternator disconnected, which in this car is MUCH easier to do than in a Metro/Firefly. Simply disconnect the field control/charging light wire connector from the body of the alt.


Tank MPG was 9% higher than the previous tank, with many of the same trips. That said, it was in fairly warmer weather. So I figure the alternator delete is about a 6-7% gain, conservative estimate.


The big [used] deep cycle batt I'm running seems to be good for around an hour of driving [with about 10 minutes of lights on for safety in that hour] before voltage under load drops to ~11.8. Below that level, the engine seems to run a little rougher. [Ha, how can you tell...]



Daox has experimented with this on his Mirage as well: alternator delete on my Mitsubishi Mirage.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

wrong tire size, wrong hubcaps

For me it has been quite surprising how some tire sizes are becoming harder to find on radials even in a country like mine, where small economy cars are still mainstream and stuff from the '80s and '90s are still plentiful on the streets. I recently had a talk with a friend about eventually resorting to locally-made bias-ply tires instead of Chinese radials.

[MetroMPG]

Yeah, the selection here is very limited even for the 14" OEM size tire on the Mirage. I can't imagine searching for 13" (Metro/Firefly), never mind 12" (ForkenSwift came with 12's)!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Yeah, the selection here is very limited even for the 14" OEM size tire on the Mirage.

Same is happening here in Brazil. Nowadays some economy cars available here are fitted with 15" rims, and surprisingly the previous generation of the Chevrolet Onix is now available with 15" as standard even though the newer one has 14" for the entry-level spec and 15" for the other trims.

I can't imagine searching for 13" (Metro/Firefly), never mind 12" (ForkenSwift came with 12's)!

The last vehicle I remember with 12" wheels available in my country was the Asia Motors Towner microvan, which was phased out in '99. Some folks resort to Uruguay as a source for tire sizes that became uncommon in Brazil, since a lot of classics are still daily-driven in Uruguay and thus the demand for tires with the correct sizes is higher there. As far as 13" goes, AFAIK only the lowest trim of the Fiat Mobi is currently available with this wheel size in Brazil right now.

[MetroMPG]

I suspect the Mirage is the last new car with 14" wheels in the US & Canada.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I suspect the Mirage is the last new car with 14" wheels in the US & Canada.

Which is quite bad, as a smaller rim and taller sidewalls smooth out the ride on harsher terrain. OK, it may sound like the US and Canada has fewer harsh terrains where someone would actually try to drive a Mirage than Mexico or Uruguay, but the extra buffering provided by the taller sidewall is still desirable as it may decrease wear and tear to the suspension.

[MetroMPG]

Well, Mirage #3, the Even Fancier Metro, is about to be kicked to the curb!

It has been usurped by an even cheaper base model Mirage, which I'd been searching for all along. Rear seat passengers, better get used to cranking your own freakin' windows! (Because there's no A/C either!)

So I've been transplanting the ecomods from the old Mirage to the new one. And getting the old one ready to sell.

Mechanically, all it needs is front brakes. I just ordered front pads & rotors. Both had plenty of meat left on them, but as is typical for cars in my part of the world that aren't driven regulary, rust had spread into the the braking surface, making a mess of things. Too much for my wire wheel hurricane machine to fix.

So once I get the front brakes on, I'll take it to my mechanic to have the provincial mechanical inspection done, which will make it a lot easier to sell.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Rear seat passengers, better get used to cranking your own freakin' windows! (Because there's no A/C either!)

Reminds me the days when Argentinian-made economy cars always retained hand-cranking windows all-around when fitted with A/C, while it was common to fit them with power windows when there was no A/C.

[MetroMPG]

Well, it's tidied up, and I posted the for sale ad last night.



I was surprised to see the average wholesale & retail values for the car (for Ontario) at $4700 and $5500. I'm asking a bit less than wholesale because it's got above avg kilometers for the year, an above average number of minor scuffs and scrapes, and it's a stick.


We'll see what happens!


Beauty shots...

(I always shoot ad photos at my parents' place - much nicer looking neighbourhood than mine! )

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I always shoot ad photos at my parents' place - much nicer looking neighbourhood than mine!

That's a good strategy