Mods for a 1989 Pontiac Lemans

[dfregozo]

Hello, I've been reading a lot about the aero mods all of you do to your cars and they all seam great.

I have a 1989 lemans with the 2.0L engine so it give worse FE than the basic car. I would like to do some mods to my car since I drive 35 miles round trip to work, so I drive this car around 200 miles a week.
However I have a problem, I live in Phoenix, Arizona and we are getting into summer weather. We get triple digit weather from May through October and in July it can go up to 120F. Here you can cook an egg on the sidewalk, believe me I have done it just to prove it to people, and the a/c is going to be on 100% of the time.
Because of this, I don't think a grill block would be good for my car.

What do you guys think?

The car is rated at a combined 24 MPG but I just started to implement the P&G technique and was able to get 33 MPG last tank so I would like to see how high I can go and save money on the way.

Here are some pics of what my car looks like. Any tips will be considered.

[LeanBurn]

Tune up? (Air filters, fuel system, oils all done)

Full wheel covers, wing delete, smaller mirrors, tires up to higher psi, under belly pan, get rid of any extra gear, seat delete?

[dfregozo]

I have the tires set at 45PSI. The car will need a tune up soon so I was thinking on using royal purple synthetic oil. I've been looking at the pulstar MPG spark plugs and some performance wires and coil. I also want to add a K&N air filter to allow more air into the engine.
I may remove the passenger mirror but dont know AZ law. I may also add rear wheel covers I just need to find out how to do it.

As far as the rims, would you guys cover them or leave them as they are?

Would I benefit from removing the rear wing?

[pete c]

Originally Posted by dfregozo

I also want to add a K&N air filter to allow more air into the engine.

So you can add more fuel?

Save your money.

The only time you want more air is if you are trying to squeeze more max hp out of it.

Actually, that's not quite right. You want more air, hot air, that is, which has less oxygen.

Living in phoenix, hot air is in abundant supply.

You want that air as hot as you can get it, which means you need a higher throttle opening for a given quantity of oxygen.

You still may be able to use a grill block, assuming your coolant system is in good shape.

[JRMichler]

Well, you are off to a good start. Before getting into mods, I'd concentrate on some of the driving techniques discussed on this site. Start with DWL and DWB.

As you get better at driving, your engine needs less cooling. Then you will be able to use a (partial) grille block.

Use a sunshade so the car doesn't get so hot when parked. Set the AC for max cool and run the blower on the lowest speed that you can tolerate for best efficiency.

Do not expect any improvements by changing the factory ignition system.

You might pick 1 or 2% MPG by taping off the holes in you hub caps.

[dfregozo]

Thank you all, I really appreciate it. All of this helps. I've been coasting a lot by turning off the car. My commute is about 50% hwy (65 MPH limit) and 50% city traffic. I've notice that at hwy speeds (60 MPH) it is already like at 3300 RPM on 5th gear. However on the city I coast from 45 or 50 MPH to 35 or 40 MPH at lower RPMs. Since I cannot use a SG do u guys think that I could get better mileage by staying on the streets instead of taking the hwy?

[baldlobo]

if you feel like coming up to canada you might be able to find a 1.5l

Daewoo LeMans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[dfregozo]

i think that canada is a little too cold for me.

[pete c]

Originally Posted by dfregozo

Since I cannot use a SG do u guys think that I could get better mileage by staying on the streets instead of taking the hwy?

Whether or not you have a SG is irrellevant. You can get better mileage on local streets assuming there are very few stops since driving 40 mph is more efficient that 60 mph. You really do have to try both to see if this is the case for your drive.

You do also need to realize that one route is likely shorter than the other. So, the longer way might give better mileage than the shorter way, but, still burn more fuel.

[dfregozo]

Originally Posted by pete c

You do also need to realize that one route is likely shorter than the other. So, the longer way might give better mileage than the shorter way, but, still burn more fuel.

I had not thought of it that way, but you are completely right. I will check what is the difference in mileage, and try it to compare. The hwy takes me through some hills and the streets don't so there may be difference.