TJ: Bug Shield testing

[GasSavers_Red]

Coyote X,
With the Jeep I can't really coast worth anything @ speeds greater then 45 MPH, speed drops like a rock when I put it into neutral on the highway. One of the lots at school is fairly steep, I could use that but I doubt I'd get faster then 30-35 MPH before running out of road.

So here are the results from todays test. 10 mile trip, elevation delta -112ft, Jeep was at operating temp, closed loop, cruise control set to 65 MPH. Weather is slightly crappy right now, 64F no wind.

w/out BS: 25.2 MPG
w/ BS: 21.5 MPG
w/out BS: 24.9 MPG

A delta of 3.55 MPG or difference of 14% using the "w/outs" as a baseline.

So I think I'm gonna put it up for sale again. If it doesn't get sold this time around, I think I will chop it up some, see what would happen if I change the curvature.

[2TonJellyBean]

maybe it would fetch a nice trade-in on new or used hybrid?

opens the HOV lanes for you Californian solo pilots...

and any vehicle gets poor mileage stopped ;-)

[GasSavers_Red]

Bah, I'll be lucky to get 20 bucks....

[2TonJellyBean]

If actually really low in value as you suggest, maybe keep it as the occasional fun go anywhere just not quickly vehicle... would it hurt the wallet badly as a 2nd vehicle to insure?

[trebuchet03]

I agree with jellybean... If the value isn't too high, and you can afford to store it... Hold on to it until you go on a more extended trip.... I don't recall bugs being that big of a problem during my summer stay in the Bay Area, but I have no idea about the surrounding areas....

[GasSavers_Red]

Originally Posted by 2TonJellyBean

If actually really low in value as you suggest, maybe keep it as the occasional fun go anywhere just not quickly vehicle... would it hurt the wallet badly as a 2nd vehicle to insure?

Ahhh I completely misunderstood your post 2ton. I wasn't going to sell the Jeep by the end of this test, I was planning on selling the bug shield. Insurance on this sucker is fairly cheap though, considering a 20 yr old owns it; 50 bucks monthly. Which would probably drop some if I classed it as a recreational vehicle.

eh, in most of the places I've driven to in CA, bugs aren't anything worth a shield. I had originally bought it because some claimed it cut down on the wind noise, but a small roll of electrical tape did a much better job.

If I did sell it, getting a Mazda3 hatch would be pretty fun.

[2TonJellyBean]

*hangs head*

I so misunderstood that!!! LOL

Nice area... We have good friends in the Pittsburg (without an H along the Delta), and I love cycling up Diablo... well except that ramp at the summit.

[astroturf]

Any further mileage results to post? Thanks, Jim

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by astroturf

Any further mileage results to post? Thanks, Jim

When I bought Rusty, he had one of those large, flat plexiglass bugshields on him. (Similar to this one)

I took it off and got an extra 2-3 MPG. I don't know if the modern curved "areo" bugshields have the same MPG penalty though.

-Jay

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

I always figured they'd be more effective for aero if they went from about half to 2/3 back along the hood. Not on vehicles with decent windshield rake though. In your mind you might think Marvin or an S-10 blazer was 100% bricklike, but they are not really. Most mid 80s up trucks and vans aren't too bad for that really. We had a 2.5 van in the family, it came with a bug deflector on, the owner liked it... she got more bugs hit than Marvin did and got 19mpg while Marvin was getting 21 with the V6. When it cracked up and broke off she started getting 22-23mpg.

I have a bugshield put away, it's probably going on top of the bumper on Marvin as an aerodynamic grille block.