Hello Everyone,

My name is Bryce and I'm new to the Fit community. I've taken a long and winding road to get here, but if you're interested, I'll tell y'all a little story.

I used to be heavily into motorcycling, both touring around the country on them:



...and riding them on the racetrack:


This all ended in 2007 when I hit a deer on my touring bike in the middle of WV. I regret the day I ever got on a bike as it has left me with permanent disabilities. But...all was not lost. When I got out of the hospital I attempted to replace the motorcycles with a 2006 Mitsubishi Evolution IX SE:



This car was great, I made some upgrades, it was fast, flashy, cornered very well and had 4 doors and a trunk. Who could ask for anything more? Well I could...it just didn't give me the feel of the bike back like I had hoped.

So I set out to find my motorcycle with four wheels and a roll bar. And I found it in a Lotus 7 replica made by Brunton automotive. Meet the Brunton Super Stalker:



I flew from Norwalk, CT to Tulsa, OK to buy the car and drive it back with a few fun detours in between. l) My trip log and pics can be found here:

Flying out 8/26 to OK and driving my Brunton Super Stalker Home!!! - USA7s

So the Brunton Super Stalker is every bit as fast as my bikes, has 4 wheels, is a great conversation starter on the road and it rocks. So now I didn't need the EVO. So I researched all the small hatchbacks to find something that got great MPG, had great storage space, would be a reliable DD and hold a lot of camping crap in the back. I chose a used 2009 manual Fit w/ 1958 miles on it. It was in good mechanical condition, but had horrible swirl marks, dull finish and fine scratches everywhere. I am an amateur detailer and I got a small amount of time to work on it....it needs more work, but you can see my progression here (pre photos at the top, and post at the bottom):

Used 2009 Honda Fit b4 and after | Facebook

It went from:



To...



To eventually:



As a result of having the Brunton Super Stalker for fun and the fit for utility, the EVO is for sale:

http://forums.evolutionm.net/sale-ca...45k-miles.html

So what is next? TSB for the MPG Meter - I am actively/moderately hypermiling, but there is no way my AVG is 50.8MPG in this first tank of gas (have not filled it up yet).

I also ordered keyless entry fobs from CFLHonda, and next is floor mats & perhaps fabricating my own vinyl cargo shelf/cover. I just received snow tires from Tirerack as well, and they fit w/out putting the seats down, score!



I'm very appreciative of this forum being around for reference and I hope I can help others in the future. Thanks for reading along!

 

welcome!!!

 

Interesting story, some are not as fortunate to walk away from motorcycle wrecks, I know a hand full that have not and a couple that have rods in their arms and scars to remind them off what happened. No car can be as liberating as a motorcycle and thats the beauty of them.That said you did an amazing job with the paint, mind sharing your technique, what tools and products did you use. Welcome to the family

 

Oh, I've got plenty of plates in my arms and legs





I will say the Brunton Super Stalker with 275hp/300ft. lbs. gives me the EXACT feeling the bike did...in fact I'm faster around the corners and safer in it.

Anyway, about bringing the paint back to life, it's time consuming, but with a decent array of Meguir's products and a Porter Cable 7924, I've done alright. I love doing this kind of stuff!

1st time ever... my rear spoiler w/ M205 & PC - Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online

If you'd like to get into it, let me know. I've modified everything from how I wash my car (I know use the "two bucket method" and no longer use car washes either), to what types of fabric touch the paint (microfiber, no longer cotten towels), to polishing & waxing via the rotary buffer instead of by hand (much quicker and more uniform).

It's fun, but time consuming. I only had a bit of time and the car needs more attention, but you can still see in this photo:



That was after hitting the paint with a ultra-cut (coarse) polish, and while the heavy swirl marks and fine scratches are gone, the finish is still not perfect and could use some additional polishing. I am also taking into consideration that the clear coat is only so thick, and I can only hit it with heavy polish so many time before wearing through the clear coat....and with 2k miles on the ODO I expect that clear coat to have to last quite a long time. haha.

I learned a lot from these forums:

http://www.autopia.org/forum/forum.php
Auto Geek Online Auto Detailing Forum
Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online

Thanks for the warm welcome!

 

Yes you got the scars, hitting a deer is no joke, imagine hitting those damn things that roam around Alaska, moose. It's like hitting a brick wall with fur. Heck even a rabbit at speed will wreck a motorcycle. Much of it due to the fact that you may lose control. I'm sure it's time consuming doing it right, but the end product is worth the extra effort

 

dang, quite a venture. welcome to the ordinary(?) Fit world.

 

Thanks kenchan,

The EVO and Lotus 7 have been fun because they are fast, exciting, garner attention etc. and it's a challenge to drive them well at a quick pace.

The Fit is a challenge as well, but in an entirely different way. I could get 28mpg out of the EVO when I did my own hypermiling with it. It's a dirty secret of mine, but I actually get off on getting great MPG, even though I have owned sports cars previously.

So the fit has been fun, and even with the base I can understand how people call them "quick" and go-kart like. It's been a pleasurable experience thus far.

Now if I could only find a cheap way to cover the cargo area when the seats are up! Ugh. And I also think I'll add a trailer hitch over a roof rack. They both create drag and add drag, but the trailer does not hurt the paint like a roof rack has the potential to do, can lug more crap from Home Depot than a roof rack, and I already have a small trailer I pulled behind the Lotus 7 Replica back from Tulsa, OK. hehe:

 

28 mpg out of the Evo is really good, I'm averaging 24-30 mpg in the fit.

 

It was strictly Highway in the Ozarks while on vaca w/ the GF...coasting down hills in neutral, over inflating tires, drafting semis, eh prob won't try to see that sort of MPG in the EVO again. haha

 

Oh yea those things called hills, only thing like a hill down here are the trash mounds :/