Smokey's Modding Thread (2000 Civic VP sedan)

[Mira]

I created some quick sketches to help me organize my plans. Hopefully the methods I have schemed will work out in the end. I highly recommend sketching.. I already feel much more organized, and now I can refer back to what I've done without having to re-think it every time

Good news: I have found a sweet someone with loads of power-tool and building experience to help me to bring these mods to fruition. Go team!

And a goal! I am going to the Bonnaroo music festival and leaving on June 12th. I hope to get a whole slew of mods done before departing, to reach my goal of 50 mpg hwy for the ~1500 mile round trip. I will have three friends along as well.. eco fun for all!

[AndrzejM]

Nice sketches! And a nice target! But I'm sure that you can achieve that just by adjusting nut behind the wheel With all the mods that you have planned it will be much easier though

Good luck with the mods.

[justme1969]

Oversize drive tires can lower final drive ratio and get hiway mpg.
Quite a few posts in here on it for selection.

[Mira]

Originally Posted by justme1969

Oversize drive tires can lower final drive ratio and get hiway mpg.
Quite a few posts in here on it for selection.

Yes, I plan to buy taller LRR tires with ideally, a stock width in the front and a notch or two slimmer in the rear. That would also leave more room for rear wheel skirts I reckon in one swift motion I may also swap for lightweight rims once I evaluate the stock rims weight vs. aftermarket options. Rotational weight, much more sensitive than dead weight.

Originally Posted by AndrzejM

Nice sketches! And a nice target! But I'm sure that you can achieve that just by adjusting nut behind the wheel With all the mods that you have planned it will be much easier though

Good luck with the mods.

Absolutely, the nut behind the wheel is my most frequent adjustment I know I will be able to sustain 50mpg, the matter is how high a speed I can keep while doing so. I feel honored to have your support, I'm a big fan of Berta's

[Mira]

Another question for you guys. In regards to Headers. I am thinking to install some to replace my old rusty manifold. Not only is it an admitted eyesore, but it's probably unnecessarily heavy as well. I read that short-tube headers are better for the low RPMs. Can anyone point me in a good direction as to which header style/brand would be the best for the low to mid RPM range? In my sharpest "pulses" my rpm usually never exceeds 3200, and that is only momentary anywho.

If I do this header mod I will likely also install a block heater while I have access to that sweet spot.

[AndrzejM]

Originally Posted by connorkeyser

Absolutely, the nut behind the wheel is my most frequent adjustment I know I will be able to sustain 50mpg, the matter is how high a speed I can keep while doing so. I feel honored to have your support, I'm a big fan of Berta's

Thanks! That's nice

[WesternStarSCR]

Subscribed!

[Mira]

Side mirrors are gone! Took me 15 minutes tops. For the exterior, I cut two triangular cardboard pieces to fit and covered them with an almost stealthy black tape. Inside the cabin, we've got two handy little suction cupped mirrors on the windshield.

Afterwards, I took a deserted highway test drive. On the way out, I used P&G from 20-40 mph and saw 47 mpg. Coasting down from 40 to 30 seems to take a second or two longer, but 30 to 20 seems unchanged. Coming back, I drove a more-or-less steady 45 mph and saw 52 mpg. No official results or percentages, but I'd say a decent improvement overall.

[Mira]

Set a couple of new personal bests today! The drive is about 60 miles one way, from LA to our other home in Mississippi; mostly freeway, a handful of traffic lights thrown in... I usually stayed between 45 - 50 mph, faster when gravity allowed.

Outbound: 50.3 MPG
Back home: 51.5 MPG
Now, my SGII under-estimates by about 5 or 6%. So the actual figures may be as high as 53 and 54 MPG respectively.

I have made a couple of recent improvements to Smokey that made this possible: Mobil1 synthetic "advanced efficiency" oil and filter, ethanol free dino juice. And also, I called upon the Sun and asked him to make it super freakin' hot today. That sure helped

Cheers everyone!!

[Mira]

Hello Ecomodders... as usual, I unfortunately have had my plate full of things OTHER than performing ecomods. On the plus side, I have been making many road trips and seeing new parts of our beautiful world

I have been maintaining 50 MPG on the highways, and sometimes in the city/suburbs as well when I am lucky. Been doing lots of trips to our MS home, about 60 miles away...





who said gas ain't cheap....