Automotive enthusiasts?

FuckItsDaytimeAgain
Wallet After Summer Sale -

I am the sober horse
Right now I’m about to purchase a 2005 TDI Jetta (originally a Golf, but the car is gone) and will focus on aerodynamics.
 
I recently had a theory that with water injection a car might have reduced requirements for cooling, maybe even to allow a mayor grille block, outside of what is already done for hypermiling.
CalypsoFantasy
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition

Pre-1932 US car fan
So I had this weird dream last night, and it involved one of those 50 km/h microcars you can drive with a scooter license.
 
I dreamed I lived next to someone who had one of those, and it was almost completely covered in pony. Sadly the only thing I remember is that it had Princess Skystar stitched on the glove compartment.
Barry Tone
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
An Artist Who Rocks - 100+ images under their artist tag
Artist -

Needs to know Hebrew.
@FuckItsDaytimeAgain
 
Yep, every pickup truck I see on the highway has two gaping holes in the rear; the rear wheel arches. If those would be covered with skirting it would be a significant reduction in gallons per 100,000 miles.
 
There’s also the idea of putting an aerodynamic truck bed cover on which is even better for HWY MPG:
 
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@FuckItsDaytimeAgain
 
Water Injection (or methanol injection) is indeed a mod you could install. I’ve heard that it helps add some fuel efficiency (even BMW were trying it) but I’ve never tried it. I have, however, sprayed or poured small amounts of water down carburetors before because doing so will clean the combustion chambers exceptionally well. How well? My neighbor’s mower was stalling constantly (bad enough to need a new spark plug just to start the engine) and after I sprayed water down its carburetor multiple times (at which point the caked on carbon was spat out,) I never heard it stall again.
 
@kleptomage
 
I’m thinking that Semi could get 14, maybe 15 if Shepherd added a few more mods to it.
 
The most astronomical MPG figure (over stock MPG) that I saw is also from Ecomodder. The man, Diesel Dave, drove a 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 Pickup with a Diesel Engine and Manual Transmission. Through a few mods and very rare (and not legal everywhere) driving habits (most of his driving was with the engine off) he managed to average over 50 MPG on a few tanks. Here’s the thread.
 
Although Engine Off Coasting (and keeping the engine off at red lights) does work to increase fuel efficiency, for obvious safety and legal reasons I MUST stress the obvious; it’s risky, you could die from it, I’d never do it in front of my Mother and it will could use up your battery much quicker.
 
With an engine off you will not have power assisted control over steering or braking; both will be harder to control, if they control at all (I can’t speak for all makes and models.) I don’t know if the air bag system will deploy in a collision with the engine off, either. Although you could do EOCing (Engine Off Coasting,) if you do it you better:
 
Be more damn sure of what you’re doing;  
Have a manual transmission car;  
Be proficient at bump starting the engine with the transmission (instead of using the starter.)
 
Even if you know how to turn the engine back on while the car’s moving (with the transmission in neutral) and you know how difficult both steering and braking* are with the engine off, there’s risk in it.
 
*Braking Power Assist does last for 2 or 3 pedal presses after the engine shuts off in cars I’ve tried this in but I can’t speak for all models. After that, braking is “manual;” the car is then stoppable but it’s significantly more difficult.
 
If you have an Automatic Transmission car and try to EOC, you will need to use the starter motor much more and the car may not take to EOCing very well. You will definitely use the battery much quicker and you may damage the electrical system or give the computer glitches.
 
Again, EOCing is not legal everywhere either.
Barry Tone
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
An Artist Who Rocks - 100+ images under their artist tag
Artist -

Needs to know Hebrew.
@TheMagpulPone
 
Yes but I’m not suggesting to fill the whole wheel arch in so that the suspension cannot do its job, I’m merely suggesting a removable cover like on this 40s Cadillac:
 
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The suspension still does its job just fine with rear wheel skirts installed, they don’t extend into the wheel arches above the wheels.
Barry Tone
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
An Artist Who Rocks - 100+ images under their artist tag
Artist -

Needs to know Hebrew.
@TheMagpulPone
 
Yes. Skirting on the front wheels is more difficult, considering the wheels need to turn but it’s not impossible. The Aerocivic handles this nicely:
 
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There are conveyor rollers under these front wheel skirts; The front wheels rub against the rollers instead of rubbing against the skirting:
 
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Barry Tone
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
An Artist Who Rocks - 100+ images under their artist tag
Artist -

Needs to know Hebrew.
@TheMagpulPone
 
It might be pretty quiet. I tried looking in the first 10 pages of the Aerocivic’s Thread at Ecomodder but the only reference to noise in the car was “wind noise is greatly reduced.” The conveyor rollers can of course be oiled so I don’t think they’d be a problem.
 
Aerocivic (Modified Honda Civic that usually gets over 75 MPG:)
 
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Barry Tone
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
An Artist Who Rocks - 100+ images under their artist tag
Artist -

Needs to know Hebrew.
I should mention Disc Brake Drag Reduction Clips.
 
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I’m not sure if newer cars come with these or not but they don’t seem to get mentioned a lot. They’re not on my 2005 Explorer’s Rear Disc Brakes, at least.
 
These clips help your brake pads retract both quicker and more effectively which should increase fuel economy by a small amount. They won’t make a large difference but every little bit helps and these are pretty cheap (under $20 to cover all 4 wheels in two different sets of clips.) I haven’t tried them. I’m also not sure if AutoZone or O’Reilly’s even carries these, I’ve only looked online.
 
Here’s a commercial demonstration.
 
I’ve seen them for sale at Amazon and RockAuto. Prices I’ve seen range from $5 to $10 per set (a set only covers either the front or rear wheels and it has 4 clips; 2 clips for each wheel.)
 
Maybe I’ll buy some for my Explorer. They look easy enough to install and a set’s available for the front wheels. I’ll check to see if I already have them on the front wheels first, though.
FuckItsDaytimeAgain
Wallet After Summer Sale -

I am the sober horse
@BarryFromMars  
I finally understood how his front covers work thanks to your explanation. Might have been asleep when I read it on the site.  
Also I’ve been looking into pick bed covers too, I kinda wanted to mod a ridgeline with well covers, maybe even a head swap and everything cuz why not. By trucks I meant HGVs, but pickups too.
 
Btw funny, this thread started with some people talking about aero.
FuckItsDaytimeAgain
Wallet After Summer Sale -

I am the sober horse
One thing I was thinking of was, now with the 20s coming back, and supposedly bringing art deco and other shit back with it, I hope it inspires automakers to build something hopefully more aerodynamic back again.
 
 
@BarryFromMars  
Last but not least, about the Jetta, I’m going for the famous 1.9 TDI in manual, inspired by it’s reliability and hybrid like fuel economy. I have plans to do aero mods to the car. I tried water methanol once on a extremely ghetto setup and if that worked, I know I can do better.  
First, I want the cleaning effect the valves and the rest of the combustion chamber and other circuits.  
Then, the added power and possibly fuel economy, specially relevant if spraying mostly water (which I can make for practically free with my custom Reverse Osmosis system).  
Third, the cooling effect. Theoretically it might allow me to reduce the amount of airflow required by the radiator to cool the engine.
 
These cars have users reporting 60-62 US MPG without actual modifications. I’m pretty sure with some aero, water/meth and weight reductions should be able to get somewhat close to the famous 100MPG class. Tho now thinking might need too look into raising the final drive too. Still that’s not all: Low weight oils, engine tuning, free flowing intake/exhaust by sacrificing some noise, there is many things that can be done. Hope it actually happens, will keep you all updated.
Barry Tone
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
An Artist Who Rocks - 100+ images under their artist tag
Artist -

Needs to know Hebrew.
@FuckItsDaytimeAgain
 
You’re welcome. There’s some good aerodynamic mod information over at EcoModder about different modifications although not all the threads are helpful.
 
It’s not too funny that it started with talk about aerodynamics, I’m the one who posted about it. I haven’t ventured into aero mods much myself (I mostly just read about them) but I did try this homemade air dam on my Diesel:
 
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It did have a good effect on moving the air to the sides of the vehicle and the effect is noticeable. This pic’s from before I added pieces to the sides of the dam that made it curve on the edges, though.
 
Air Dams may not be as good as belly pans but if you want something simple on a pickup or SUV that doesn’t have very good aerodynamics on the undercarriage, this is an easy way to help aerodynamics. I’ve seen SUVs and Trucks with Air Dams on them from stock but they’re not very big, mine’s bigger. Do keep local laws and the air dam’s ground clearance in mind, though. I left 4 or 6 inches off from the ground.
 
I made the air dam out of floor mat bought at Tractor Supply.
Barry Tone
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
An Artist Who Rocks - 100+ images under their artist tag
Artist -

Needs to know Hebrew.
The 99 Chevy Suburban K2500 6.5 Turbo Diesel pictured above is stupidly fuel efficient, BTW. It has a 42 gallon tank (which I never fill up all the way) and an automatic transmission but somehow I still got 20 MPG in that slow, heavy, beastly brick. This has to be the most fuel efficient 8 Cylinder Turbo Diesel made in the last 30 years but it’s not powerful. 194 horse, 430 torque in a 6,300 pound beast (with the 3rd seat row removed.)
 
I’m not exaggerating the fuel efficiency. I ran it on Shell T6 5w40 Oil at the time, though which made a difference. I don’t know what gearing I have in the differential, it’s probably light.
 
I haven’t driven it regularly for a while because of rust repair that I decided to dive into without knowing how to work on metal well. :/ I bought the quarter panels and wheel arch panel and I have the means to bond it all together but I didn’t have any inner wheel arch to replace the rusty mess I cut out. I still have to work on it come spring. I don’t want to just slap bondo over rust and call it a day, I know very well that’s not how it works.
Barry Tone
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
An Artist Who Rocks - 100+ images under their artist tag
Artist -

Needs to know Hebrew.
@FuckItsDaytimeAgain
 
@FuckItsDaytimeAgain
 
This sounds exciting. I remember reading the VW 1.9 Diesel with a Manual could get 45 HWY MPG in a 98 Passat, you’re saying it’s even higher. Whoa.
 
I should recommend you an oil or two:
 
Renewable Lubricants Low Ash 5w40 Diesel Oil at Amazon
 
I used this in my 6.5 Diesel shown above for 2,000 miles and it worked. It has Vegetable Oil as its base so it is non toxic and is one of the most earth friendly motor oils on the planet now and very few people know about it, you can only get it online and in the rare few stores that will carry it. It’s certainly a 5w40 but it’s a very thin 5w40, it’s thinner than Shell T6 5w40. I’ve used a thinner oil (Shell T6 0w40, not 5w40) but the 0w40 was being burned up or it was leaking more than this RLI 5w40.
 
Check out this oil’s Data Sheet if you read them.
 
Note that RLI has another 5w40 but it’s not the Low Ash formula. That other 5w40 is not as thin as this Low Ash formula.
 
To back up my claim that this oil is non toxic, in 2016 I took some of it (new and used) and poured it on my lawn. The grass did die initially but it regrew within a week. Compare that to when I had to clean my fuel tank due to leaks it had; the grass didn’t regrow for months or a year.
 
BTW… I gotta say this, make sure the turbo’s in good shape; I don’t want oil slipping through which will cause the engine to runaway.
 
Also, engine pre-heaters (which I have little experience with outside ones that were already installed on an engine) can help even in warm weather. The engine warm up takes more energy than many people realize.
Barry Tone
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
An Artist Who Rocks - 100+ images under their artist tag
Artist -

Needs to know Hebrew.
@TheMagpulPone
 
Thanks.
 
Merry Christmas and drive safely. I say that with reason…
 
Buy one or more of these emergency hammer / cutters if you didn’t already; it breaks windows and cuts seat belts. Keep it in a pocket so you can get to it quickly, you don’t want it flying out of your reach if you’re stuck in a car wreck upside down. Maybe you’ll never need it but think of it like a fire extinguisher; you WILL desperately need it if you’re in a situatuon where it’s needed and you don’t have one.
 
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