Green Options » lifehacks http://greenoptions.com/tag/lifehacks Posts tagged 'lifehacks' Mon, 19 May 2008 23:05:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en How to Get 70 MPG Out of a Honda Civic http://gas2.org/2008/05/19/how-to-get-70-mpg-out-of-a-honda-civic/ http://gas2.org/2008/05/19/how-to-get-70-mpg-out-of-a-honda-civic/#comments Mon, 19 May 2008 23:05:46 +0000 Clayton B. Cornell http://gas2.org/2008/05/19/how-to-get-70-mpg-out-of-a-honda-civic/ Honda Civic Hack

Although it could be one of the ugliest car hacks I’ve ever seen, Mike Turner of Hodges, SC, modified his 1992 Honda Civic to get 70 MPG.

As you can see in the picture and video clip, the modifications are relatively simple use of aluminum siding and plastic, which decrease wind resistance (vaguely reminding me of Aptera’s Typ1 electric car) and lowering the vehicle’s drag coefficient. It’s a much more extreme version of the modification seen on Ernie Rogers’ 76 MPG VW Beetle.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/05/19/how-to-get-70-mpg-out-of-a-honda-civic/feed/ A Truck That Runs on Coffee Grounds (and How Wood-Gas Powers Cars With Garbage) http://gas2.org/2008/05/14/a-truck-that-runs-on-coffee-grounds-and-how-wood-gas-powers-cars-with-garbage/ http://gas2.org/2008/05/14/a-truck-that-runs-on-coffee-grounds-and-how-wood-gas-powers-cars-with-garbage/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 20:23:30 +0000 Clayton B. Cornell http://gas2.org/2008/05/14/a-truck-that-runs-on-coffee-grounds-and-how-wood-gas-powers-cars-with-garbage/ Cafe Racer, Wood gas truck, wood gas generator

Photo Credits: deborah sherman photography

The Cafe Racer Truck Runs on 100% Recycled Coffee Grounds

A commenter on Ben’s wood-powered truck post pointed us to a similar car hack. The truck above is also powered by a wood gas generator, except this one runs on coffee grounds. The Cafe Racer is a 1975 GMC pickup that essentially burns up used coffee to create a combustible gas. The gas is filtered on its way to the engine and, Viola, a caffeine-powered truck.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/05/14/a-truck-that-runs-on-coffee-grounds-and-how-wood-gas-powers-cars-with-garbage/feed/ Need a New Car? Nope, Just a New Engine! http://gas2.org/2008/03/25/need-a-new-car-nope-just-a-new-engine/ http://gas2.org/2008/03/25/need-a-new-car-nope-just-a-new-engine/#comments Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:34:01 +0000 Benjamin Jones http://gas2.org/2008/03/25/need-a-new-car-nope-just-a-new-engine/

Engine Repower is a new service that gives car owners the option of replacing their old, worn out engine with a rebuilt engine of the same vintage instead of simply buying a new car or repairing specific problems. When a first saw this page, I was very interested, as I am a proponent of keeping your car as long as possible to reduce wasteful manufacturing processes, even in the face of promises of lower emissions made by newer cars.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/03/25/need-a-new-car-nope-just-a-new-engine/feed/ Car and Driver Increase Pinto Fuel Economy with $11 of Ecomods http://gas2.org/2008/03/15/car-and-driver-increase-pinto-fuel-economy-with-11-of-ecomods/ http://gas2.org/2008/03/15/car-and-driver-increase-pinto-fuel-economy-with-11-of-ecomods/#comments Sat, 15 Mar 2008 01:06:59 +0000 Benjamin Jones http://gas2.org/2008/03/15/car-and-driver-increase-pinto-fuel-economy-with-11-of-ecomods/ EcoModded Ford Pinto

Recently Darin at EcoModder dug up a Car and Driver article from the middle of the US gas crisis in 1974. It may be a little dated, but considering recent gas price increases these kinds of DIY hacks are becoming relevant once again.

The material prices may be a little different, the cars may be a lot different, but surprisingly little has changed in terms of fuel economy and gas prices. The Car and Driver article is interesting because not only is it old, but it’s still relevant today.

As someone who has been around ecomodding for a while, I can vouch for the efficacy of many of these modifications, and have done some of them myself. So, if you’re really interested, I encourage you to get out there and do some yourself. None of them are engine modifications, or particularly difficult, so don’t feel intimidated by them. Some of the biggest fuel economy gains can come through aerodynamics and rolling resistance modifications.

Read about the modifications after the break.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/03/15/car-and-driver-increase-pinto-fuel-economy-with-11-of-ecomods/feed/ Car Hacker’s Hummer Gets 60 MPG http://gas2.org/2007/12/14/car-hackers-hummer-gets-60-mpg/ http://gas2.org/2007/12/14/car-hackers-hummer-gets-60-mpg/#comments Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:50:16 +0000 Clayton B. Cornell http://gas2.org/2007/12/14/car-hackers-hummer-gets-60-mpg/ Biodiesel Hummer If you haven’ heard of the Motorhead Messiah, Jonathan Goodwin, let me introduce you: he hacks cars for a living, and he can get 60 mpg out of an H3 Hummer while doubling the horsepower and cutting emissions in half. Unbelievable? Yes, but this is no joke, and it’s doesn’t defy the laws of physics either. The hacked H3 is a hybrid with the gasoline fuel system removed. In its place, Goodwin installed a biodiesel-burning jet turbine to recharge the electrical system:

Goodwin leads me over to a red 2005 H3 Hummer that’s up on jacks, its mechanicals removed. He aims to use the turbine to turn the Hummer into a tricked-out electric hybrid. Like most hybrids, it’ll have two engines, including an electric motor. But in this case, the second will be the turbine, Goodwin’s secret ingredient. Whenever the truck’s juice runs low, the turbine will roar into action for a few seconds, powering a generator with such gusto that it’ll recharge a set of “supercapacitor” batteries in seconds.This means the H3’s electric motor will be able to perform awesome feats of acceleration and power over and over again, like a Prius on steroids. What’s more, the turbine will burn biodiesel, a renewable fuel with much lower emissions than normal diesel; a hydrogen-injection system will then cut those low emissions in half. And when it’s time to fill the tank, he’ll be able to just pull up to the back of a diner and dump in its excess french-fry grease–as he does with his many other Hummers. Oh, yeah, he adds, the horsepower will double–from 300 to 600.

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