What else can I do.. already have grill block, hubcaps, belly pan

[sl2eggplant]

I seem to to running out of aero mods, at least the "low hanging fruit" type.

Already installed did the following
Passenger side mirror delete
Sealed hood to bump gap
Grill block
Smooth hub caps
Full belly pan



Others that I plan to do are
Rear wheel skirts
Divert air away from front and rear wheels
Turbulator tape (need to find the zig zag scissors)
Smaller driver side mirror or make current mirror more aerodynamic



My 99 Saturn SL2 is my daily driver to work so it has to look somewhat normal, else I would really consider a nose job and boat tail. What else can I do. At the moment, I am thinking about the doing the very small things such as seal all gaps and smoothing out any rough edge.

I am approaching and will break 40mpg with an automatic. That seems to be the ceiling for other ecomodders as well. Roads around here are good but a little bumpy so I know that I am taking a small hit there.

[Daox]

A lot of Saturns seem to respond well to warm air intakes. I have no idea what it gets you, but thats what I've read.

[dcb]

Well, it is sorta low hanging in terms of cost effectiveness. I would get you a s1-series stickshift parts car (~$300) and a 99 manual ECU (~$30) and swap in the tranny and clutch pedal and shifter.

Different Racing
sooner than a i thought... - SaturnFans Forums

FYI, I didn't swap the brake pedal on mine (large pita), I just used the cutoffwheel to make it the right shape/size and moved the rubber pad over.

[busypaws]

I started with weight reduction and now am moving over to Aero Mods.
My commute is 5.5miles and 22 stoplights so I never get going fast enough for aero to be low hanging fruit. Lightweighting is the low hanging fruit for me.

Remove Passenger seat/back seat. Remove Glove box. Remove P/S remove A/C? Remove spare tire / jack and replace with can of flat fixxer.

Now I'm starting on aero (Grill block first) and looking at rear wheel skirts.

[sl2eggplant]

Thanks for the responses so far.

One of my first mods was installing a WAI/HAI. I did get some improvement, maybe 2 - 3 mpg or 6 - 10%. Right now, I'm trying to test various temperature ranges to see what is the best warmest temp I can use. 200 F is okay but it drives with a delayed response. I"m trying to "cool" the temps a bit by relocating my dryer hose to see if I can get most of the gains and return some of the responsiveness.



DCB, I don't have enough "brownie points" with the wife to buy another car or do another major overhaul that takes up the garage for a couple of weeks. I'm saving what little points I have to buy a good, used fixer up truck or minivan. Besides, I don't think I will ever drive a manual b/c never did and its such a big change. I had leased a 2008 Jeep Patriot and tried but didn't like shifting using the autostick.


Off topic, but the car has the original transmission and 2nd engine (same year though). I'm on track to hit 200,000 miles in a week and half. That requires a celebration of an oil and transmission fluid change, and a car wash for such good service.

[sl2eggplant]

Forgot to mention that I removed the front passenger seat and LOVE IT!! Should have done it years ago. This gives me so much more room and its much easier to install/remove the car seats but the kids normally don't drive in the Saturn. Also, I'm able to put several 2x4x8 studs, probably can fit the 10ft studs.


There's not much else in the car except for the spare tires and a few tools. I don't use the AC but it still works so I am currently resisting the urge to not remove it. Also, thought about removing the carpeting b/c it so old and smelly. Just not sure about the lack of insulation ... more noise, more temperature swings in summer and winter. I can spray on some "rubber", but I need to let the idea sit b/c I need to be more patient about non-reversible or difficult to restore changes.

[sl2eggplant]

Busypaws, I found the smooth hubcaps is the BEST overall aero mod. I can't remember the thread but it states

Air drag comes from:
40% shape and proportions of the body,
30% wheelwells,
20% under the car,
10% airflow through the engine bay.

I have to agree. The belly pan took a lot of work, and did not provide any decent mpg improvement, maybe 1mpg but the hub caps added 1.5 - 3 mpg based on my unscientific measurements.

[sl2eggplant]

My scangauge is coming soon, I hope it will be here by Friday, else its going to be a disappointing weekend.

[Phantom]

If you want to remove the carpet but worried about sound and temp changes look up "eDead V5 cTherm" Elemental Designs News Blog Blog Archive Introducing eDead Version 5 - cTherm

[gasstingy]

Keep working on the "brownie points." My wife started out luke warm on some of what I'm trying to do. She used to pick on me a little for driving slower than the posted speed limit (50 - 55 in a 65, driving in the slow lane), but as I kept at it and my gas mileage hovers at 40 with NO mods whatsoever, now she just enjoys the scenery and we chat while others blow past us. She doesn't even miss a beat anymore when I take it out of gear because "when gravity outruns aerodynamics, we should coast."

Improvements around the house are the same way. The power strips on the microwave oven and the entertainment system took a little getting used to, but a lower electric bill made that pill easier to swallow as well.

Having more disposable income makes a great arguement. Keep up the good work! Every dollar you don't spend on gasoline, you can spend on your family.