displaying your MPG
 

this is an idea that I have been playing around with for a while. I stole an idea from another member (can't remember his name, fordguy maybe) and put a white board in my back side window. my wife thought it looked horrible but it was changable.

my biggest problem was that when I went to change lanes, I would check the mirror and then twist my head to check the blind spot and there was "SOMETHING" there all the time. I was very concerned that I was going to wack someone because of it so I have been searching for an alternative.

my idea was static stick lettering and numbers. my mom used to use these types of things on the glass storm doors during christmas time. obviously it wasn't numbers but frosty the snowman and other characters. I knew I had seen them before so I continued to search. I was looking through the summit racing catalog and came across something. it was meant for track times but it serves the purpose. I had to cut out the MPG myself out of leftover vinyl.

my wife said that it was cheesy but looked a lot better than the white board. I put in pics of the finished product along with the package of numbers and the white board. kind of a before and after shot.

Way to go!

I used the white vinyl lettering for Boat Licenses from Walmart and put it in my back window.

What I love is the people who "think" they know what their mileage is but never actually calculate it.

I used to have something similar on the back of my Insight but the #'s were slightly higher. It produced some SERIOUS haters so I took it off.

The latest I haven't installed yet is the message board LED license plate frame. Thought about mileage # on there. I may install it this weekend or next.

Static cling letters are great.

The whole concept just reminds me of the South Park episode where there is an epidemic of 'Smug'.

The fact is, most people who will read it simply could not care less. Some will care enough to try to run you off the road, and others will self identify as supportive fuel economy geeks. It's not worth it IMO.

That's what I found, with only a simple "energy star" sticker and nothing more. It's off now, and I'm hypermiling stealth-style. What's more stealth than a white Honda Civic?

so far, the white board didn't get me any negative feedback other than it was cheesy.

it did spawn a 2 hour conversation with a mechanic about a WAI when I went to get my wheels aligned. we did talk about aero dynamics and other things I have done to my car for mileage. people tend to want to hear what you have to say when you are getting 10+ mpg over epa.

I still can't touch the honda guys but it is an auto trans

Hmm...actually, every bit as good as a whiteboard is NO whiteboard, just use the same dry-erase markers (or Window Chalk) right on the glass. It still looks cheesy because it's hand-written, but at least it doesn't look cheesy with an ugly whiteboard stuck to the window.

Do you think the LED message board would get you in trouble at all at night ?

Maybe a daytime only, calculator type LCD screen. I think realtime, 'instant' MPG would be interesting, though probably distracting.

No one has shown me hate yet in the Festiva, they go around me a lot though, but I guess that happens when you shifted through 5 gears before 25MPH....

I'm relatively certain that an LED display will get you pulled over, at least in Virginia. Va is really strict on lighting regulations.

-Jay

The LED message board will get you pulled over, even if it's not violating any laws.