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Hi all--

So, the lease-end inspection on the old Audi went just fine, no abnormal wear or damages that need fixing, meaning I can schedule to turn it in whenever I want. I suspect that means the new Magnetic Pearl Civic Hybrid I ordered and currently sitting on my dealer's lot will be parked in my driveway this Saturday afternoon, or sooner if I can convince the wife to accompany me to both dealerships one night this week... --RN

Nice! Remember to take lots of pics.

Hi all--

So, the lease-end inspection on the old Audi went just fine, no abnormal wear or damages that need fixing, meaning I can schedule to turn it in whenever I want. I suspect that means the new Magnetic Pearl Civic Hybrid I ordered and currently sitting on my dealer's lot will be parked in my driveway this Saturday afternoon, or sooner if I can convince the wife to accompany me to both dealerships one night this week... --RN

May I suggest promising her a nice dinner out in return for getting your HCH a little quicker? Sometimes you gotta do whatever it takes. :D

Hi Proco:
Sometimes you gotta do whatever it takes. :D

___Couldn’t have said it better myself ;)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Proco--

Nah, we eat out too much as it is. I suppose I've waited since September (when I ordered the Civic); I can wait another few days... --RN

It's here!

Picked up my 2007 HCH in Magnetic Pearl on Saturday morning, with all of four miles on the odometer. Man is it sweet.

I'm clearly still learning, as in about 60 miles of running around on the weekend I was at 38 mpg. This morning's commute, though, was 43 in suburban driving in 55 degree temps, with tires at stock pressures. A long way from the 24/25 I'd have to massage out of the Audi. I didn't think it would be true so fast, but this car really does teach you how to drive it.

Anyway, I look forward to the advice of the readership of this website. Oh, and we are now a two-hybrid household -- the wife got her Prius just before the September credit cutoff, after having owned a TSX. We used to work for a household 27 mpg -- now we'll be seeing 50 before too long, I think. --RN

(I can't figure out how to attach photos, or you'd see a picture. Oh well -- it looks like the photo in Tarabell's article.)

Congrats HCHCIN!

I think if you go to "Gallery" and look at the top right you will see "Post Photos" or something like that.

Hi HCHCIN:

___As Bob mentioned, go to the Gallery and you can post away. The default is in your own gallery and then you can use img tags to show them in your posts. If you need help, just ask and I or a score of others will help ASAP.

___One thing you can do for me is take a quick pic of your HCH-II underbody before it is too dirty. I took one at this years Chicago Autoshow in February but never posted it and its now gone :( I am interested in its aero treatments up and under the radiator area as well as the rear underbody into the bumper fascia.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Okay, let's see if this works...

Behold, in all its glory:

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/medium/HCHCIN1.JPG

Eh, that picture's a little hazy. It's a 2MP cameraphone, what can I expect?

Wayne, if it gets a little warmer in the next few days I'll try to crawl under there and see what I can see.

Wayne

The HCHII has the same treatment as my EX right under the bumper cover. Then there is the engine belly pan. EX doesnt have one. Well mine does. :) Then they have pans if you will that go along both side of the car under the passenger compartment. But only cover about half of the area. There are two struture beams if you will they are attached to. They do not go out to the edge of the car/body. EX dosent have this. Then there is a panel just behind the rear suspension. EX dosent have this. There is a small panel just under the rear bumper cover. The EX has this one.

IMO the most important panel is the engine belly pan. There is a ungodly amount of air driven up under the hood and around the engine compartment on the Civic's. It caught me by suprise! I noticed there was no way to keep the engine clean in the Civic. None! Looked at the Accord,, and it stays very clean compared to the Civic. The cause? Under hood wind storm. I made my belly pan and it now stays cleaner than the Accord under the hood. The rest of the HCHII's belly pan treatment seems more of Look!!! But lets not talk about what it really does.

psy

what does it realy do?