1/18 - Coroplast lower grill block
6/18 - MirageForum decal
8/18 - LED running lights
12/18 - 3d printed upper grill block
12/17 -
Disabled automatic air conditioning
12/17 - Glove box light
1/18 - OEM cruise control
12/17 - Scangauge II
6/18 - 3d printed SGII mount
12/17 -
Kats 1000W circulating block heater
1/18 - Group 24 deep cycle battery
11/18 - Warm Air Intake (WAI)
2/19 - Hood gap weather stripping
8/19 - Alternator disable mod w/ deep cycle battery
1/18 - Rear sway bar
12/17 - Sport Edition D5 wheels
12/17 - Fuzion HRi - 185/60 R14 @ 50 psi
7/19 - Hankooks Kinergy ST LRR tires @ 50 psi
Daox (12-04-2018)
I am really liking these last two mods. The WAI plus the now fully blocked grill seem to really be doing the trick. I can tell the WAI is reducing my max power output. On the trip to work and home, there are hills where I have to downshift to maintain speed. I am no longer able to maintain speed on them. I slowly loose speed. This is a good thing because that means my load is increased while cruising as well.
As for how that chalks up to mpg, I've been regularly achieving 50 mpg to work. When winter first set in, I was only able to get into the high 40s without really trying. Now, I can top 50 mpg without much effort.
Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block
Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)
I'm going to again say how much I like the WAI, full grill block (here and here), and block heater for winter driving. Today it was 9F when I left for work. The block heater had ran about 30 minutes. Coolant temp was in the mid 80s when I started the car. I start and drive, I don't let it warm up unless its well under 0F. Within less than a mile, I had the heat blowing and defogging the windows because they fog up so easily at that ambient temperature. The WAI started warming up immediately and settled in the low 60s for intake air temperature for most of the drive. The coolant temp rose quickly enough, and stayed at operating temperature despite me blasting the heat with the fan on full for nearly the entire drive. This would not be so without the grill block I'm sure. These mods are so nice for winter driving.
I also filled up last night, and my tank mpg was a nice 1.6 mpg higher than the last tank without these mods, despite being colder out and having to drive through more snow/slush. I'm pretty happy with that.
Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block
Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)
MetroMPG (12-07-2018)
I'm thinking about getting some Eibach (or H&R) springs for the Mirage.
I know Subcompact Culture is running my rear sway bar and Eibach springs. Anyone else running that combo? I'd like some feedback on how the springs effected the handling vs just the rear sway bar.
Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block
Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)
This weekend I installed some weather stripping / gasket on the underside of the front lip on my hood. The gap is pretty large IMO and could use sealing up. I used some D-profile weather stripping from mcmaster carr for the job. More info in my thread here:
Sealing the hood gap
And a few pictures.
Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block
Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)
So, I have a little bit of body work to do once things warm up.
It all began with the wonderful winter that Wisconsin has brought us this year. Snowing, then freezing, then melting, then freezing. This is the result. My driveway looked like an ice rink one day last week.
I knew it was slick, but I apparently didn't take it slow enough... I slid slowly into my garage door and got this.
I really don't think it'll be bad to clean up. I'm thinking some rubbing compound will take it right off. Just a bit of a bummer. The white garage door paint sticks out on the black like crazy, haha. Ah well, once it warms up I'll get it cleaned up and maybe do a DIY on scuff removal! I have a bunch of other scrapes to clean up along the car from the previous owner as well. It'll be a good time to just go over it and make it look all pretty again.
Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block
Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)
El Kapitan (02-15-2019)
much of Canada and the US are freezing our butts off at the current time.
2014 White SE with CVT
We also suffer from the ice rink driveway here. Spring can't come soon enough.
-Karl B. 2015 Mirage DE CVT Utility Machine (and lots of other cars)
I remember reading a few comments about finding the best of soft springs and tight dampers. I remember that there weren't any aftermarket dampers (this feels weird, I'm used to saying shock absorbers) but someone was going to look and see if anything else would fit. I've read that the only choice for tighter (stiffer? quicker?) shocks is to get coil-overs. I've also read that the newer Mirages have improved suspension. Is there a softer lowering spring? Is the current (at least 2018) dampers the best option to work with lowering springs? What else is needed: camber bolts, shims, obviously an alignment...
Besides coilovers, there aren't any aftermarket dampers I'm aware of here in the US. I read about a KYB part from one of our overseas members, but I'm not sure its different from the OEM item. The dampers with the most dampening are going to be the 2017+ Mirage dampers. The 14-15 dampers are going to be a bit softer. However, when I drove a 2017 at the Mirage meet last year, there didn't seem to be a huge handling difference between my 14 and the 17 I drove.
As far as I'm aware, there is no soft lowering spring. You could always have a custom set made. I've heard custom lowering springs really aren't crazy expensive, but they'll obviously be more expensive than an off the shelf aftermarket spring.
Here is a history of the Mirage suspension revisions as best we know:
https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...ension-history
Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block
Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)