I would like to introduce my two most visited forums to each other.
ERE, meet Ecomodder:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/
Both are about saving (fuel,money) mainly by cutting down on waste.
Both have beneficial ecological side-effects as well.
And both have been personally inspiring of real life change for me.
Ecomodder
Nothing, eh?
They were interested enough in you!
10 replies on that side.
Granted, autos are really expensive.
But reality is, some of us are going to have them.
May as well get that absolute most for your money as possible.
Ecomodder will show you how.
Me, I save about $2K per year by doubling my work truck's fuel mileage (from 15 to 30mpg)
They were interested enough in you!
10 replies on that side.
Granted, autos are really expensive.
But reality is, some of us are going to have them.
May as well get that absolute most for your money as possible.
Ecomodder will show you how.
Me, I save about $2K per year by doubling my work truck's fuel mileage (from 15 to 30mpg)
Hello Bakari,
We (DW & I) enjoyed your youtube videos very much on another thread and DW liked your voice and your commentary on the videos very much.... I was a motorcycle enthusiast (for fixing, not riding... I loved to strip and put machines back) in college and owned a moped and saved up and purchased tools since school for various handy jobs around the house. I saved up and got myself exactly a bike like this (mostly peer pressure... I liked going around in bicycles until friends refused to be seen with me )-: ) that I tuned and maintained in ship-shape (nearly 60-65 kms/litre!), then went abroad immediately. Mother loaned out my tools to people in good faith and many never came back. My brother is not mechanically inclined and used it for as long as he could. Now, it is sitting as a pile of rust in my parents' place (I relocated for ERE ;-])
So, I got the will and I have the previous experience! But much as I wanted to comment on this thread, where I am (India), this kind of hobby is just not possible because we as a nation, have a relatively new addiction to cars. So junkyard spares and second hand parts are not easy to find, and because this is not so much a common hobby, tools are reeeally realllly expensive. Auto companies are really pushing cars down people's throats, so maybe in two years time, I will have access to things cheap; fingers crossed.
We have a Maruthi Alto that gets mostly taken out only during emergency trips to my parents' (it usually develops a 1" dust coat before I clean it
) and a Honda Activa scooter for DW's occasional city mean streets' zipping around... DW and I are big on public transport and even this one usually gets a .4" dust coat!!
Ciao,
Surio.
---
We (DW & I) enjoyed your youtube videos very much on another thread and DW liked your voice and your commentary on the videos very much.... I was a motorcycle enthusiast (for fixing, not riding... I loved to strip and put machines back) in college and owned a moped and saved up and purchased tools since school for various handy jobs around the house. I saved up and got myself exactly a bike like this (mostly peer pressure... I liked going around in bicycles until friends refused to be seen with me )-: ) that I tuned and maintained in ship-shape (nearly 60-65 kms/litre!), then went abroad immediately. Mother loaned out my tools to people in good faith and many never came back. My brother is not mechanically inclined and used it for as long as he could. Now, it is sitting as a pile of rust in my parents' place (I relocated for ERE ;-])
So, I got the will and I have the previous experience! But much as I wanted to comment on this thread, where I am (India), this kind of hobby is just not possible because we as a nation, have a relatively new addiction to cars. So junkyard spares and second hand parts are not easy to find, and because this is not so much a common hobby, tools are reeeally realllly expensive. Auto companies are really pushing cars down people's throats, so maybe in two years time, I will have access to things cheap; fingers crossed.
We have a Maruthi Alto that gets mostly taken out only during emergency trips to my parents' (it usually develops a 1" dust coat before I clean it
) and a Honda Activa scooter for DW's occasional city mean streets' zipping around... DW and I are big on public transport and even this one usually gets a .4" dust coat!!Ciao,
Surio.
---
Hey Bakari, looks like an interesting forum. I was just reading the tailgating thread and getting a good laugh out of everyone's stories. I drive an old Ford Focus from time to time. You can find me in the right hand lane on the freeway going 55 in a 65 with little puffs of cigar smoke coming out of the driver's side window once in a while.
I've driven slowly since I was 16. I was cured of being annoyed by tailgaters when I was young. One day I was going the speed limit (which apparently makes me a slow, irresponsible driver who's impeding traffic) on a little 2-lane road near my house when some other 17 year old was riding right on my bumper. I did what I always do about tailgaters, gradually slow down a bit in case there is an emergency and I need to stop suddenly so that I can compensate for his reaction time as well as my own. Well, after about 3 minutes of following me and forgoing an early opportunity to use a passing zone to get around me, he passed me on a double yellow line in a 45mph zone, flipped me off and proceeded to speed ahead of me going at least 70mph. "Good Riddance, I thought."
Then, about 6 miles up the road I came across his car wrapped around a tree. There were already five people stopped, helping with visible cell phones, so I just kept going figuring I'd just get in the way. I read later in the paper that he died instantly, they estimated he was going 80-90mph at time of impact.
I guess that's one way to keep aggressive driver's off the road.
I've driven slowly since I was 16. I was cured of being annoyed by tailgaters when I was young. One day I was going the speed limit (which apparently makes me a slow, irresponsible driver who's impeding traffic) on a little 2-lane road near my house when some other 17 year old was riding right on my bumper. I did what I always do about tailgaters, gradually slow down a bit in case there is an emergency and I need to stop suddenly so that I can compensate for his reaction time as well as my own. Well, after about 3 minutes of following me and forgoing an early opportunity to use a passing zone to get around me, he passed me on a double yellow line in a 45mph zone, flipped me off and proceeded to speed ahead of me going at least 70mph. "Good Riddance, I thought."
Then, about 6 miles up the road I came across his car wrapped around a tree. There were already five people stopped, helping with visible cell phones, so I just kept going figuring I'd just get in the way. I read later in the paper that he died instantly, they estimated he was going 80-90mph at time of impact.
I guess that's one way to keep aggressive driver's off the road.
I've followed that forum before. I drive a Toyota Yaris. When I bought it I was averaging 41 mpg. I bought a scangauge and got it up to 45 mpg average. Now I live closer to work and the increased cold engine time has brought it back down to the low 40's. The scangauge has taught me to drive for mpg and it's working in my Toyota pickup too.
What I learned: Lots of throttle, low RPM to accelerate. Drive as if you have no brakes, long coasts up to stop signs and lights.
What I learned: Lots of throttle, low RPM to accelerate. Drive as if you have no brakes, long coasts up to stop signs and lights.
@Surio
Thanks. I don't really care for those videos myself. I did zero planning or thought, and would have done it differently if I had scripted a little. But I do like how popular my living small / full-time RV video is on youtube!
I got my motorcycle (250cc displacement, smaller than some scooters) because of San Francisco traffic - in CA it is legal to drive in between the cars in a traffic jam. It gets around 50mpg driven normally, and up to 100 when hypermiled. (I've never gotten above 75 myself)
I fix bicycles (the pedal kind) part time. Getting good mileage is good for the wallet and the environment, but a bicycle is even better!!
@mikeBOSS
when I was 19 I used to race folk on the highway, and drift corners, and do 180s in parking lots. Then I hit a mid-size pickup with my hatchback Civic, flipped it, and totaled both vehicles. Cured me of fast driving forever. Now I mainly only go as fast as the speed limit on downhills (with the engine turned off)
No highway where I live has less than 2 lanes (each direction, most have 4 or more) so there is never any reason people can't just go around me. Yet I have had brights flashed, horns, even some gestures, anyway. Its hard to understand people some times. Not to make light of death, but honestly, I kind of enjoyed your story.
I wrote about this once, looked up the statistics: the idea that driving with the flow of traffic is safer even if it means speeding is a myth. Speed is the single most significant factor is risk of fatal accident. Believe it or not, it plays a greater role than drinking or cell phones. Its physics. At 2 times the speed you will have 4 times the braking distance and 4 times the impact force.
Tell that to whoever claims you are being irresponsible.
That, and your real-life story!
@AlexK
yup. its only the beginning, but its a great start. On cold mornings I plug in my block heater for 10 minutes, and fully close the grill block.
@JohnnyH
I have a 6.9L V8 diesel, which can pull over 12,000lbs (truck and trailer), made in 1983(pre-computer), with no overdrive, which I use for moving and hauling.
I average 29-30mpg
Thanks. I don't really care for those videos myself. I did zero planning or thought, and would have done it differently if I had scripted a little. But I do like how popular my living small / full-time RV video is on youtube!
I got my motorcycle (250cc displacement, smaller than some scooters) because of San Francisco traffic - in CA it is legal to drive in between the cars in a traffic jam. It gets around 50mpg driven normally, and up to 100 when hypermiled. (I've never gotten above 75 myself)
I fix bicycles (the pedal kind) part time. Getting good mileage is good for the wallet and the environment, but a bicycle is even better!!
@mikeBOSS
when I was 19 I used to race folk on the highway, and drift corners, and do 180s in parking lots. Then I hit a mid-size pickup with my hatchback Civic, flipped it, and totaled both vehicles. Cured me of fast driving forever. Now I mainly only go as fast as the speed limit on downhills (with the engine turned off)
No highway where I live has less than 2 lanes (each direction, most have 4 or more) so there is never any reason people can't just go around me. Yet I have had brights flashed, horns, even some gestures, anyway. Its hard to understand people some times. Not to make light of death, but honestly, I kind of enjoyed your story.
I wrote about this once, looked up the statistics: the idea that driving with the flow of traffic is safer even if it means speeding is a myth. Speed is the single most significant factor is risk of fatal accident. Believe it or not, it plays a greater role than drinking or cell phones. Its physics. At 2 times the speed you will have 4 times the braking distance and 4 times the impact force.
Tell that to whoever claims you are being irresponsible.
That, and your real-life story!
@AlexK
yup. its only the beginning, but its a great start. On cold mornings I plug in my block heater for 10 minutes, and fully close the grill block.
@JohnnyH
I have a 6.9L V8 diesel, which can pull over 12,000lbs (truck and trailer), made in 1983(pre-computer), with no overdrive, which I use for moving and hauling.
I average 29-30mpg
I'm with you in spirit, but the relevant equation is
#gallons = #miles / mpg
and I find minimizing miles to have a much bigger effect than maximizing mpg. For one thing, #miles is usually virgin territory for huge cuts with the crowbar method; improving mpg is making incremental adjustments to someone else's engineering. For another, mpg is the denominator so linear improvements have diminishing returns.
That said, improving efficiency is always a noble pursuit, so happy trails.
#gallons = #miles / mpg
and I find minimizing miles to have a much bigger effect than maximizing mpg. For one thing, #miles is usually virgin territory for huge cuts with the crowbar method; improving mpg is making incremental adjustments to someone else's engineering. For another, mpg is the denominator so linear improvements have diminishing returns.
That said, improving efficiency is always a noble pursuit, so happy trails.
@KevinW
Oh, I'm with you on minimizing miles!
I pay slightly more in rent for the privileged of living somewhere where 99% of what I need is walking distance.
I work part time for a bicycle shop which provides free storage and low cost repairs to bike commuters, and occasionally for the local bicycle coalition.
However, my main job involves driving. I do small deliveries and hauling. So I end up putting a lot of miles in.
My incremental change has been literally 100% (from 15mpg to 30)
Plus, its just a fun hobby, and good thing to be able to boast about at parties
Oh, I'm with you on minimizing miles!
I pay slightly more in rent for the privileged of living somewhere where 99% of what I need is walking distance.
I work part time for a bicycle shop which provides free storage and low cost repairs to bike commuters, and occasionally for the local bicycle coalition.
However, my main job involves driving. I do small deliveries and hauling. So I end up putting a lot of miles in.
My incremental change has been literally 100% (from 15mpg to 30)
Plus, its just a fun hobby, and good thing to be able to boast about at parties