Got a funny message from crxMPG today

[SVOboy]

Thought ya'll might enjoy it:

Hi there,

I'm very puzzled by your website and the ideas that you have for better fuel economy by blocking off the front grille. THe openings in the front grille are there for the cooling factor on the radiator (as well as the rad fan, yes I know). By blocking off a major source of cooling air you are, in the long run, causing more problems on your cooling system & the parts associated with that.

I also was looking at teh civic with the riveted on boat modifications. Just how much weight did you add in order to become more streamlined? I bet the weight offsets any gain you would find in fuel mileage.

Not to mention all the costs involved in the peices the people have had to buy in order to convert their vehicles to **** buckets.

Your website doesn't teach anyone anything except bad ideas..
-Rik

My response:

Dear Rik,

As you'll know from a basic understanding of automotive cooling systems, they are designed for worst case scenarios. This means you usually have much more cooling than you need. This, for my car, is very true. In fact, in the next year of civic, the civic only came with a half radiator because Honda decided a full radiator was not necessary. By monitoring my coolant temperature, I have seen that it has not been raised at all. Also, during the winter, the car heats up more quickly, which is better for the engine, because, as we all know, more wear happens on a cold engine than most other times.

The civic with the aero modifications is not mine. Your bet that the weight, which is less than 100 pounds, would offset the fuel economy gains is wrong. If you look at the effects of weight and aerodynamics on fuel economy, you will see that aerodynamics are generally more important, and that person has proven it fairly well with his own car.

I don't know how much he spent working on his car, but I don't think it looks goo dand would not do it myself.

That said, I'm glad you took the time to whine to me, and I hope you validated now. I, and most people who have worked with fuel economy, would gladly give you more information on various topics if you feel like stopping by www.gassavers.org and criticizing us.

Thanks...