After reading all the posts I think I'm going to try a low tech variation of this.

Starting with a ball of playdough under the pedal to find out how much throttle I really use on commute, and then a length of screen door spring adjusted to that pedal position running from the pedal arm up to the lip of the dashboard.

Hopefully the spring will be just enough resistance to let me know when I'm "there"

if and when you do this, post some pics. another idea is to use multiple springs that aren't so high of tension so that you could vary the tension by adding more or taking some away.

The off roaders have been using something like you want.

jeep_throttle

custom-home-made-hand-throttle

You can always use an old T shifter and a friction base to hold the shifter in place.
Not too tight just enough to hold it in position. Push forward more throttle, pull back less throttle. If you have a console in the vehicle then you could align the T shifter so you can rest the shifter in your palm.

*****s U C C E S S ****
 

Ok, well, maybe it's not that exciting, but it was cheap and easy.

First I went to the hardware store, $14.95 for a screen door spring. That's not happening.

Then I went to that bastion of quality goods, The Dollar Store. Got one pack of PlayDough, (generic) and one pack of... bungee cords. Not the good multi strand ones, but the cheap, flat ribbon-like ones, with the plastic connectors rated for no more than, say, 3 lbs of pressure. Not what you want to hold your luggage on the roof for a long vacation, but for this, perfect.

https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...d58651a778.jpg
Took the PlayDough straight out of the can and put the whole thing under the accelerator pedal. Gave just a bit of resistance, and after letting off would easily go back to that point and then more resistance as it squished. I gave it too much gas coming off the exit ramp and had to stop, reshape the silly putty and continue with a lighter throttle pressure. I was shooting for just enough throttle to get me up the hills at 40mph (the lower legal limit) and not use any more throttle than that.

When I got home it looked like this:
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...b831f7cf53.jpg

I put it back under the pedal and gently pushed down by hand to get an idea of how much travel I was using.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...4de9e98ff7.jpg
It obligingly stuck to the pedal making the next step much easier, where I used the plastic hook on the bungee to go around the armature for the pedal. Then I hooked the other end onto some sturdy ductwork under the dash.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...07d45d4fe9.jpg

Then I pressed down on the pedal until the PlayDough stopped it again, shortened the bungee to that length and tied the shortened end off with a half hitch.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...e63ae0fcf6.jpg

Then I went for a ride. Sure enough, I could feel definite resistance when I got to the end of the slack in the bungee. But if I needed to floor it I could. When I drove my usual route to town with the pedal just at the bungee's engagement I was doing 68mph downhill (65mph limit) and about 37mph up the steepest hill, so I had to give it just a *little* juice to stay legal. (40mph minimum)

Average speed, surprisingly, was above 55mph. (not from a scangauge, just my observation), so I think my next area of improvement will be from aerodynamics. There is hope.

that is awesome. I figured it would take a lot to accomplish what you wanted to (originally). that solution is simple, effective, and still safe. oh yea and the most important COST EFFECTIVE (you know what I mean).

Now if I can just break 28mpg with it... then I'll be happy.

Good on ya'

Nice solution.

just curious, how much PM (preventative maintenance) have you done? you could change plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter, and other wear items on your car. it would be hard to say how long it would take to see a return on your investment.

a grill block really helped me and so did the WAI (warm air intake) I have heard that the WAI doesn't work for everyone though.

my goals have changed since I started. I originally wanted 50mpg and then reality set in. then it was 35mpg and now my new goal is 40. it seems that my mpg is steady going up though. I figure I will plateau here pretty soon but that is OK too.

PM happens next week, as well as a check by the mechanic. Then comes the grill block, rear skirts, belly pan and then a mini kamm back.

Plugs and wires on this beast are EXPENSIVE (and I think you have to drop a wheel to get to one of them. Thanks Mr Engineer, for that kind design feature.)

I would like to get back in the 40's, but I think that's not likely in this car. I'd be pretty delighted to go from 21 to 35.

I got a nice little bump from changing the fuel filter. It was a lot easier than I thought and it was I think $6. I did change my plugs and wires but they were a little pricey and it will probably take a while for them to pay for themselves.

you may want to check into a WAI as well or at least read up on it. there are mixed opinions on it. I had a very positive experience with it. see if anyone else has a vehicle like yours here and see what they have done.

I went to the "garage" and searched for "cavalier" of course you wouldn't do that because you have something else but you see what I am talking about. it is always good to use other peoples trial and error to see what others have done.


if you have some free time, there is a member on here that has his own site www.metrompg.com and I know you don't have a metro but a lot of his info will work on any car and he has other good articles. it is a lot of info but it is good info.