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...

[SVOboy]

Oh no, I was going to mention truckers, but I forgot, *shrug*

[trebuchet03]

You can also mention, with respect to costs..... Recycled Materials

And, results are empirically tested with, at the very least, minimal scientific method

And gaslogs It would be a fairly elaborate conspiracy for so many people in different countries in different sections of the world to ALL falsify their gaslogs o.0

[thisisntjared]

man i want to talk to this guy. i hope i do not know him hahaha.

[GasSavers_TomO]

Meh, can't please all of the people all of the time, lol.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Originally Posted by trebuchet03

And gaslogs It would be a fairly elaborate conspiracy for so many people in different countries in different sections of the world to ALL falsify their gaslogs o.0

Don't lie meng. The gigs up. It's over. The coppers are on t3h wayz0rz.

[basjoos]

SVOboy - you need to update the pics of my car on your website. You still have pics of the old boattail.

[slurp812]

Originally Posted by trebuchet03

You can also mention, with respect to costs..... Recycled Materials

And, results are empirically tested with, at the very least, minimal scientific method

And gaslogs It would be a fairly elaborate conspiracy for so many people in different countries in different sections of the world to ALL falsify their gaslogs o.0

Yes I could falsify my gas logs, but they are more for me to gauge my effectiveness than to brag. My mileage is nothing stellar, but it kicks @$$ compared to the average Joe's Honda Accord numbers for sure. I guess you could tell him to try some of this stuff before he discounts it. Although I may not be so nice. He would be classified in my book as the type of person who complains when prices go up, but fail to realize that something can be done about FE on a personal level. Denying that gives them a reason complain. Me, I prefer to take the issue into my own hands.

[SVOboy]

True enough, I should do that!

[MnFocus]

Honestly tearing into "Rik" may not help the cause - but SVOboy's invite here may very well at least get the guy to accept non conventional wisdom (whether he actually does any type of mods or not) .I myself was pretty skeptical of any real benefit and very nervous about doing any temporary mods. My mind was put at ease after reading so much good stuff about it here and other places. I give you creds for being pretty polite and taking the time to educate him .
Now as far as bas's boattail ...the preliminary pics and subsequent testing , the fairly rough model was acceptable . The results in FE alone should speak volumes as to the merit of the idea. The new improved version is so much better I have to admit - I'd drive it and have a smile on my face .
bas, Good Form Sir! -->