Short Notice Cross Country Trip: Best Bang for Time?
 

I need to leave shortly for a cross country trip due to a death in the family. I have one day to complete one of my pending modifications (not including the one day to just make sure its ready) on my Civic VX. My choices:
1) Install mpguino and vacuum gauge (perhaps hand throttle time allowing)
2) Install moon discs (gotta figure out a workable mounting) and smooth undertray
3) Warm air intake WAI (intercooler based)
4) Install cruise control
5) Other

I have everything except for the nickle-and-dime stuff for each.

Trip details:
3600 miles
All Highway
two other drivers, non-hypermilers
Will be some major hills

I would say the belly pan and moons would give the best increase on the highway followed by warm air intake. Cruse control is nice on long trips.

MPGuino. Everyone always says that "the nut behind the wheel" is the most important mod and the Guino provides the feedback needed for improvement

Agreed with the below. Some of your other mods, like figuring out the mounting for your hubcaps may be best completed when you have more time than have one fail halfway through the trip due to a rushed job.

I thanked this as it was the first time I thought of my childhood friend spacemanspiff in years. haha thanks for that!

Normally I would say MPGuino. but beings that this is pretty much a 100% highway, and mileage is more of a function of speed/drag rather than hypermiling skills I would lean towards the aerodynamic modifications. For me mileage feedback serves mostly as a reminder to keep speed down. Pulse and glide gets pretty near ineffective at highway speeds. If this is to be a quick get the drive done trip you will already be driving with a decent aerodynamic load.

That said MPGuino install is only a couple hours, doing a good job on the aerodynamic stuff could take significantly longer unless you have planned it out well already.

Slap some packing tape over the wheels you have now. Then go to the belly pan.

I'm an Ecomodder rookie so consider my comments with that in mind. You are already driving a VX gas sipper. Single digit percentage increases will not amount to any serious cash for a 5K mile trip. If I had to choose only one, I'd go with the cruise control for comfort convenience. Last November I did a 4k plus mile trip in my Civic. Went through about 105 gallons of gas. A 5% increase would have netted approx. 5 gallons. I'd have gladly traded 5 gallons for cruise control. It's on my list of things to do.

wheel covers, belly pan, myswell do a partial grill block while your at it
for best improvement

personally i would have to go with cruise control i'm bad at long distances without it

Belly pan in less than 24 hours that will be in one piece upon his return? I believe he has a time constraint.

With the other two drivers as non-ecomodders, I'd install the cruise control. Tell them to set it at the speed limit. I think that'd be your best chance for best overall mileage if you are swapping drivers.

Belly pan in a day? It be bad to not test it completely and have it fall off or something in the middle of the interstate.