Pamela Adan, A search with “low rolling resistance tires” will come up with a ton of information that can be far more informative than I can be here. We used a local auto shop, but any tire place should have or be able to order low rolling resistance tires. Basically they use rubber compounds that [...]

Hey Nathan,

Another consideration is that $600 of the total spent went toward low rolling resistance tires, but $400-$500 is an inherent cost (that you’d have to spend anyway) when getting new tires.

Also some $200 was spent on the Scangauge computer, which is obviously unnecessary.

The 2001 4Runner was a great car and actually quite aerodynamic (on top). Like all SUVs, the greatest challenge is the underbelly. With our project we left 6″ of clearance all the way around (for curbs, speed bumps, and gravel roads). I’ve been surprised at how little clearance we actually need for some of the [...]

Ha ha! Yep. We did detail the car after the conversion and the mildew came off nicely. Made for a good before and after shot.

Very true! Everything the club did on this car could have been completed in a weekend. Of course a lot of research went into materials, products, and execution, but once the tools started flying, it came together very quickly, very cheaply, and made a noticeable difference in MPGs.