Build Your Own Car from Scratch That Gets 100 MPG

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Doug Snodgrass
The roaster version of MAX is a joy to drive, but you can also add a top.

Build your own car from scratch with these tips. Inspired by classic race cars but grounded in frugality, MAX may be the world’s coolest car that gets 100 MPG.

What started in the summer of 2008 as an ambitious project to create a do-it-yourself, 100 miles-per-gallon sports car within a budget of $10,000 has come full circle. MAX (Mother’s Automotive eXperiment) now has more than 100,000 miles in its logbook and consistently achieves 100 mpg at speeds from 45 to 55 mph.

The project proves triple-digit fuel efficiency is feasible — even on a tight budget, and especially if you build your own car. If I can make a 100-mpg car in my Oregon garage, what could the major automakers be giving us?

That said, it’s important to understand upfront that MAX is not comparable to a modern sedan, with all of the creature comforts most drivers expect. But it doesn’t need to be.

  • Updated on Dec 6, 2022
  • Originally Published on Mar 1, 2013
Tagged with: building a car, car, Jack McCornack, MAX, mechanics
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