Introduction and Questions

minic6 · 05-09-2007, 06:12 PM

Hello,

My name is Dave Brown, as to Minic6 it is a 62 Mini Copper on Ebay, but I'll keep the handle.
I drive a 94 Geo Metro, 5spd., 2 dr. It now has 106000 miles on the clock. Still seeing 55 mpg. last tank. Kill switch, coasting, synthetics, and 40 psi. Very little problems over a 7 year period of driving. I bought it 5 yrs. old with 2200 miles. It sat in an underhouse heated garage with lots of bird sead. With the heater lever pulled to high, mice moved in everywhere! Hence the $3000 US price. A note to others with mice mobiles, the smell never really leaves!!! I plan on some aero updates and have enjoyed the photos of all of the great things I have seen. The frt. skirts with rubber inserts really a great idea. Plans are to add quite a bit of aero parts to the car. Rust has started so modifications no longer bother me as to the nice sheetmetal. I have been lurking for quite sometime so know its time to say HI.

I work as a Senior Eng. Tech at GM's Milford Proving Grnds. Assigined to the V-8 car group. Love those Vettes! I don't have to feed them or insure them!
I work with the engineers that calibrate the ecm and get them to pass emissions. Lots of cool electronic toys! To bad my geo is pre obd 2.
One thing I have noticed in alot of disscusions is poor fuel economy, here people seem to understand speed and weight kills fuel economy. You seem to be in a minority. Most people think that with road rage and 80 plus. They should get EPA mileage. HA HA

Now to a couple of questions. 1 has anyone lowered the original springs by cutting them? 2 how about a 13 in. wheel without having to update to either convertabile or 95 or newer hubs.

Thanks in advance, Dave

Matt Timion · 05-09-2007, 06:23 PM

Hi Dave... someone here lowered their honda del sol about a year ago and noticed good results. I do think that reducing the frontal area would be a real plus with any vehicle.

I would love to have a car automatically lower itself at highway speeds.

minic6 · 05-09-2007, 06:43 PM

What results and if it's a geo how much and were did you cut them

Hockey4mnhs · 05-09-2007, 07:11 PM

hey you work with vettes how bout a little slip on the new ss vette?

minic6 · 05-09-2007, 07:15 PM

All I can see is do a search, sorry I really like my job.

Hockey4mnhs · 05-09-2007, 07:35 PM

awww man

but welcome to the site

trebuchet03 · 05-09-2007, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by minic6

I work as a Senior Eng. Tech at GM's Milford Proving Grnds.

One thing I have noticed in alot of disscusions is poor fuel economy, here people seem to understand speed and weight kills fuel economy. You seem to be in a minority. Most people think that with road rage and 80 plus. They should get EPA mileage. HA HA

Now to a couple of questions. 1 has anyone lowered the original springs by cutting them? 2 how about a 13 in. wheel without having to update to either convertabile or 95 or newer hubs.

Thanks in advance, Dave

Dave, Mechanical Engineer perhaps? Just curious -- that's what I'm studying right now. How did you end up with such a job? And if you don't mind another question.... Any advice on how to reverse engineer an ECU? Just curious as I'd like to get into that

It is sad that we're considered a minority (it's true).... I can't wait to fill up tomorrow to see what my mileage was after a 200 mile trip on the highway (at ~60-65 mostly in semi trucks' slipstream

)

Just remember that spring stiffness is a function of coil diameter and uncoiled length -- decrease the length -- increase the stiffness.

GasSavers_TomO · 05-09-2007, 09:28 PM

Welcome to the board! Cool/fun job you have there.

What do you know about Motorola based processors in ECUs and the use of 16bit code? And would you be able to share some knowledge with me on the subject? I ask because the VX ECU in out Honda VXs runs 16 instead of 8bit code and has two processors. One for the heater controls of the wideband L1H1 and the other for running the ignition and timing maps.