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Thread: Speck :: 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (Garage entry)

  1. General Information
    Speck
    2015
    Mitsubishi
    Mirage ES
    Sapphire Blue
    5 speed manual
    Details
    •  

    Disabled automatic air conditioning, saving fuel and prolonging life of the compressor.
    2016-Nov-29
    Added WeatherTech floor liners and KDLINKS R100 dashcam.

    •  
    •  

    2017-Apr-05
    Added OBDLink LX
    2017-Apr-30
    Installed a Fumoto F106SX oil drain valve for easy, simple oil changes.
    2017-Aug-23
    Installed a ZeroStart 3100111 Engine Block Heater
    2017-Oct-19
    Adjusted clutch
    2017-Oct-25
    Added experimental warm air intake ducting from over exhaust manifold to air filter box inlet (Removed 2018-Jan-20)
    2018-Jan-20
    Battery replaced.
    2018-Jan-30
    Added grill block. Between the two, I think the grill block is more effective than the warm air intake.
    2021-May-7
    Fuel pump, gasket & lock ring replaced to address a Evaporative Emission System leak.

    •  
    •  

    Increased tire pressure for improved fuel economy.

    Summer Tires: 4 Dunlop Enasave (165/65R14) on Mitsubishi Mirage ES factory alloy rims (stock wheel set for the 2015 ES.)
    Winter Tires: 4 Dunlop Wintermaxx (165/65R14) mounted on Mitsubishi factory steel rims.

    2017-Nov-26
    Picked up an extra set of Enasaves and the Dunlop Wintermaxx tires from forum member Zero.

    •  
    Comments: 400 / Views: 275234
  1. #361
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eggman View Post
    Well folks, all good things must come to an end.

    Speck has met an untimely demise. Another driver pulled out in front of me - Speck has been totaled.
    Wow, it's been a year. Sure do miss that little car.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


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  3. #362
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eggman View Post
    Wow, it's been a year. Sure do miss that little car.
    I still smile every time I see "Speck" appear on the forum!

    I think Steve's Cheap Plastic Car & Speck were the two Mirages that I followed the most on the forum.

    I can understand someone not replacing a Mirage with another, but I would guess most miss some aspects of the unique little car.

    The year went by fast!

  4. #363
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    That song sort of draws ya in. Stood up and did a little hiney-dance here in the office.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


  5. #364
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    I can understand someone not replacing a Mirage with another, but I would guess most miss some aspects of the unique little car.
    The Mirage maneuverability was the best of any car I've ever driven. I could stuff that little car into the smallest of spaces, bigger cars & SUVs couldn't follow because they were too big. Parking was a cinch. Didn't have to worry about door dings in the parking lot it was so narrow. Super easy to drive. We (the family) often say how much we miss Speck. Our other cars are okay but take up so much space.

    In other news driving insurance for new teen drivers is crazy expensive.

    Quote Originally Posted by 7milesout View Post
    That song sort of draws ya in. Stood up and did a little hiney-dance here in the office.
    The whole album (Paul's Boutique) is stupid catchy. Now it's considered a hip-hop landmark.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


  6. #365
    Quote Originally Posted by Eggman View Post
    The Mirage maneuverability was the best of any car I've ever driven. I could stuff that little car into the smallest of spaces, bigger cars & SUVs couldn't follow because they were too big. Parking was a cinch. Didn't have to worry about door dings in the parking lot it was so narrow. Super easy to drive. We (the family) often say how much we miss Speck. Our other cars are okay but take up so much space.

    In other news driving insurance for new teen drivers is crazy expensive.


    The whole album (Paul's Boutique) is stupid catchy. Now it's considered a hip-hop landmark.
    How's the tesla and escape doing? How's ev insurance compared to Mirage?

    I just got my renewal notice the other day....The cost of all our vehicles went up by $50-100/year so that's cool. I pay almost what I paid for my Mirage to insure it for a year with bare minimum coverage. Yay for inflation!
    Mirage videos:

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


  7. #366
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    How's the tesla and escape doing?
    They're ok. They're just stupid cars that never stop costing money. We have too many cars, really.

    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    How's ev insurance compared to Mirage?
    I forget the numbers but it's not as bad as I expected, maybe another $100/6 months for the same full coverage. I mean, who likes paying for insurance? I sure didn't until my one claim for Speck paid out much better than I expected. Undamaged I might have been able to get that much by selling it - after the accident, no way.

    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    I just got my renewal notice the other day....The cost of all our vehicles went up by $50-100/year so that's cool. I pay almost what I paid for my Mirage to insure it for a year with bare minimum coverage. Yay for inflation!
    That's not bad. The premium doubled on the Escape just by adding a new teen driver. Coverage for the Tesla and the CJ-7 are suspended since they're parked for the winter.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


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  9. #367
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    I hope you keep us posted on your solar gird. It's surely an option more of us should be considering. My house sits on 72 acres. Even though most of it is wooded, I could find room for solar panels some day.
    Hey Mark, here's a PV (photovoltaic) update for you.

    The solar array is working fine. There's no manual intervention - as long as it gets sunlight, it makes electricity. Electricity that I don't have to buy from our local utility.

    And our local electric supplier First Energy (the same company that bribed Ohio politicians millions for legislation favorable to their business by charging us rate payers... See Ohio Nuclear Bribery Scandal for more details) has gotten permission from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to double their rates, starting in June of 2023. That has been a Bad Thing for most, but not me. The rate increase started at a time of the year when my solar array began producing more than I can use, so the extra production got bought by the utility at the going rate which is twice what it was last year. Now that the summer sunshine is drawing down I have saved up twice as much credit on my electric account than at this time last year.

    It gets even better. I've kept track of First Energy's electric rates for the past four years and they have a history of raising rates during the summer and lowering them for the winter. That means the credit I've built on my electric bill will go even further in the winter. They've already lowered their electric rates by about 25% and I'm expecting another rate decrease before winter arrives.

    Last year I stopped paying for electricity starting with my May bill (if I remember correctly) and had to start paying for electricity from January through April of this year. I haven't paid for electricity since but expect to get billed again sometime in January or February 2024.

    It's difficult to predict how things will go as it's very dependent on the weather. If we have a mild winter my heat pump will run less and in turn consume less electricity. The smoke & haze from the Canada wildfires cut into electric production - I'm guessing by about 20% compared to last summer.

    All this to say we don't have to buy all our electricity from someone else (I especially dislike my money going to corrupt businesses who bribe corrupt politicians.) If you get fed up of ongoing rate hikes by your local electric provider, you can make your own electricity or at the very least reduce the amount you have to buy. If your roof doesn't work, put up a ground-mounted array off to the side of your property that faces South or Southwest.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


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  11. #368
    Good to hear from you, Mark! Thanks for the update.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  12. #369
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eggman View Post
    Hey Mark, here's a PV (photovoltaic) update for you.

    The solar array is working fine. There's no manual intervention - as long as it gets sunlight, it makes electricity. Electricity that I don't have to buy from our local utility.

    And our local electric supplier First Energy (the same company that bribed Ohio politicians millions for legislation favorable to their business by charging us rate payers... See Ohio Nuclear Bribery Scandal for more details) has gotten permission from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to double their rates, starting in June of 2023. That has been a Bad Thing for most, but not me. The rate increase started at a time of the year when my solar array began producing more than I can use, so the extra production got bought by the utility at the going rate which is twice what it was last year. Now that the summer sunshine is drawing down I have saved up twice as much credit on my electric account than at this time last year.

    It gets even better. I've kept track of First Energy's electric rates for the past four years and they have a history of raising rates during the summer and lowering them for the winter. That means the credit I've built on my electric bill will go even further in the winter. They've already lowered their electric rates by about 25% and I'm expecting another rate decrease before winter arrives.

    Last year I stopped paying for electricity starting with my May bill (if I remember correctly) and had to start paying for electricity from January through April of this year. I haven't paid for electricity since but expect to get billed again sometime in January or February 2024.

    It's difficult to predict how things will go as it's very dependent on the weather. If we have a mild winter my heat pump will run less and in turn consume less electricity. The smoke & haze from the Canada wildfires cut into electric production - I'm guessing by about 20% compared to last summer.

    All this to say we don't have to buy all our electricity from someone else (I especially dislike my money going to corrupt businesses who bribe corrupt politicians.) If you get fed up of ongoing rate hikes by your local electric provider, you can make your own electricity or at the very least reduce the amount you have to buy. If your roof doesn't work, put up a ground-mounted array off to the side of your property that faces South or Southwest.
    I appreciate the update! It sounds like the solar panels have been an excellent investment for you! I may explore that option some day myself. My biggest hesitation has nothing to do with the panels themselves. It's more about how long I may stay where I am. My parents are 83 & 80 now, & I carry some guilt about living 4 hours away from them. Overall, they do OK together, but they have really slowed down the past few years.

    I really like where I am, & I have lived in this area since graduating from college in 1986. I don't see myself moving any time soon, but I also don't say "never".

    I also invested in a heat pump this summer. My A/C unit was dying, & I took advantage of a $500 Focus on Energy rebate, and $2,000 tax credit. I had to upgrade my LP furnace along with the new heat pump. The heat pump had a much better SEER rating than any A/C unit I would have had installed. The rebate & tax incentive allowed me to get a better system for less money. It still turned out to be an investment this summer.

    I'm still new to heat pumps, & my understanding of them is still quite limited. I think they set them up where they will work until the temperature drops below 32F. At that point, the gas furnace would be used to heat my home. I also have a small wood stove-like fireplace with a blower on the bottom floor of my home. The heat from that goes up the open staircase, & it does a good job of adding heat to my home. I own 72 acres of woods, and I have plenty of firewood available to me. Sadly, all of the Ash trees in my area have died. Those alone are providing me with more wood than I can use up. Cutting, hauling, splitting, & stacking firewood is way more work than solar panels! The work alone heats you up! When it's really cold, wood heat is nice to have.

    Despite my backyard being all trees, my house & roof face south. Trees along the west side of my house would limit the amount of sunlight received later in the day, but solar panels would still receive a good amount of sunlight for a good part of the day.

    I'm sort of living one day at a time for now, & I sort of like that. Outside of my btw wheel driving lessons, I have more freedom/time to do other stuff these days.

    I don't have a negative view of my local Electric Cooperative, and a good friend of mine has worked there for over 40 years. Using less of their electricity, however, would still be appealing.

    Curious - How many square feet of solar panels do you have approximately?

  13. #370
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    How many square feet of solar panels do you have approximately?
    That's a good question. It's a 10Kw array of 25 modules. I'll have to look up the dimensions.

    Okay, the module manufacturer states its physical dimensions as 2015 × 996 × 35 mm.

    I'll attempt some maths & conversions:
    2015 x 996 = 2,096,580mm˛
    or
    79.33" x 39.2" = 3,109.7 square inches
    or
    6.6' x 3.27' = 21.58 square feet

    21.58 square feet x 25 modules = 539.55 square feet total array surface area


    Last edited by Eggman; 09-09-2023 at 10:08 PM. Reason: Added module info

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


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