Texas Show Apr. 22-24: Post Your Questions

[KD]

Where do people get the idea that they are packing an extra 400 lbs? That would be an awful lot of weight to pare off what I thought was already a pretty lean machine. If they are getting 81 mpg with a 1600 lb trike 84mpg should be a piece of cake with a 1200 lb machine. Larry

"We" get that "idea" from the Elio road crew. Agreed on the rest of your post...

 

[Ekh]

Spec weight is something like 1260 poinds. Body panel weight accounts for some of that, but as the car has become more civilized it has gained some weight. Just like all of us. Imagine Paul and his team are scrambling hard to shed that extra twenty-five or 30 pounds they can't account for

 

[WilliamH]

I DO get out to central tx on a regular basis. Point being, if you're scared of taxing the .9l engine (understood!), then we must abide (not unlike the dude) by what we as individuals are comfortable with. I think your mpg observations are well within reason, it is Hill Country after all, with plenty of ups and downs. And lots of 18 wheelers on I10.

I believe when VW Beetles were "somewhat" popular back in the day, interstate speed limits were 70 mph before a president decided 55 mph speed limits would conserve national fuel reserves. But, I digress...

One must know what one is comfortable with out there on the hiways and biways with the general populace I guess is my meandering point.

What? There was a point there? Yes, it went straight over my head...

All in good fun!

Not scared of taxing a 55 cu in engine, but if top end is 88 MPH and you are usually, in normal driving, coming close to maxing it out, it leaves you without any reserve for emergency.

 

[Ekh]

Not scared of taxing a 55 cu in engine, but if top end is 88 MPH and you are usually, in normal driving, coming close to maxing it out, it leaves you without any reserve for emergency.

Bring on the turbo option!

 

[HonestTex]

I looked under the P5 trying to see how easy it would be to drop the fuel tank, and was looking up at a solid steel plate covering the entire area under the tank. I'm sure there's 20 pounds extra the E's won't have. There may be an extra few pounds here and there that we can't see that will also come off of the E series. Just my opinion.

 

[HonestTex]

In case you're wondering about my obsession with fuel pumps; Any time a relative, a friend, a friend of a relative, or a relative of a friend has a fuel pump that needs changed, it somehow ends up in my yard.

 

[Coss]

In case you're wondering about my obsession with fuel pumps; Any time a relative, a friend, a friend of a relative, or a relative of a friend has a fuel pump that needs changed, it somehow ends up in my yard.

There is a fix for that; I know because I used to have the same problem.

I started out working on cars for a living; and I had people asking for help 24x7 it seemed like; I'd be at a party, and a couple of people would grab me and say "can you come out and tell me what you think this noise is?" "It's parked right outside" or the other "I took my car to a shop and I think they did this or that wrong; could you come out and look?" This was happening with friends and family even friends of friends that I had never met before.
The other one is; when you have some free time could you ..... (insert different project or fix/job here).
I simply learned to say .......... No

In the long run, it saved a lot of pain and abuse I was being put through.

Sometimes saying no is the right answer because these are the same people that will take advantage of you and your skills any time they can.

 

[pistonboy]

There is a fix for that; I know because I used to have the same problem.

I started out working on cars for a living; and I had people asking for help 24x7 it seemed like; I'd be at a party, and a couple of people would grab me and say "can you come out and tell me what you think this noise is?" "It's parked right outside" or the other "I took my car to a shop and I think they did this or that wrong; could you come out and look?" This was happening with friends and family even friends of friends that I had never met before.
The other one is; when you have some free time could you ..... (insert different project or fix/job here).
I simply learned to say .......... No

In the long run, it saved a lot of pain and abuse I was being put through.

Sometimes saying no is the right answer because these are the same people that will take advantage of you and your skills any time they can.

.
Many times we are made to feel guilty if we do not help someone "who is in need".

These people are not in need, they are simply being cheap and don't want to spend money taking it to a mechanic they will have to pay. They are wanting something for free. If it is not serious enough for them to take it to a mechanic and pay them, it is not serious enough you have to look at it.

You should not feel guilty saying no. They should feel guilty asking.

 

[TCBronson]

Where do people get the idea that they are packing an extra 400 lbs? That would be an awful lot of weight to pare off what I thought was already a pretty lean machine. If they are getting 81 mpg with a 1600 lb trike 84mpg should be a piece of cake with a 1200 lb machine. Larry

I have to agree. I did not realize that the P5 is 400 lbs over weight. I wonder where that number came from. Reducing any car by 400 lbs is a lot!

 

[TCBronson]

I DO get out to central tx on a regular basis. Point being, if you're scared of taxing the .9l engine (understood!), then we must abide (not unlike the dude) by what we as individuals are comfortable with. I think your mpg observations are well within reason, it is Hill Country after all, with plenty of ups and downs. And lots of 18 wheelers on I10.

I believe when VW Beetles were "somewhat" popular back in the day, interstate speed limits were 70 mph before a president decided 55 mph speed limits would conserve national fuel reserves. But, I digress...

One must know what one is comfortable with out there on the hiways and biways with the general populace I guess is my meandering point.

What? There was a point there? Yes, it went straight over my head...

All in good fun!

I would not want my Elio engine straining to go the posted speed limit. I used to live in Texas and it would be nice if the Elio had enough power to spare to cruise comfortably at 80. At that speed I would not expect to get 84mpg. But at 70mph it would be nice to get at least 80mpg.