aerodynamic improvements
 

I thought I'd compile all the aero mods I've done to my car into one thread.

grille block tried 90% but backed that down to 80%
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...271813d705.jpg

I tried Vortex generators but have found they were causing more drag than they were fixing so they came off.

front tray and wheel dams
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...083179155d.jpg
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...2ad583f51d.jpg

rear diffuser
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...3fad14d698.jpg

roof rack delete
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...52570f5c13.jpg

foam gap filler the interior is much quieter.
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...eb1135f3cb.jpg

Passenger side mirror delete (don't even miss it)
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...a02710f5b7.jpg


fog light covers (not tested yet but I think they will help a tiny bit)

https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...60c0029d73.jpg
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...31ff3dc3fd.jpg

That's inspiring. Now I want to do some long-forgotten under-tray and wheel air dam ideas. Your workmanship is way better than mine.

Why white for grille blocking? It would look ok if it was 100% coverage, but with holes it looks weird. Also, what's with the green string looking thing on the upper grille?

What foam material did you use for the gap filler?

how did you secure rear under tray @ the "far side" (the side closer to the center of the car)?

As well as the side that runs along side of the exhaust.

Pics would be great!

How did you determine the net benefit of the vortex generators? Seems daunting (well, to me anyway).

looks nice! i'd like to know what you used for your gap filling material, too. I'm suprised you haven't painted your hubcaps black to match everything else. Looks cool.

I used the green string to operate an experimental adjustable grill block... found it was a real PITA due to the curve of the grille. I used White coroplast because I was given a sheet by BEEF it is all painted black now.

My gap filler is standard Home store door weatherstrip foam. I would recommend finding something with a closed cell.... this stuff is a sponge


the front tray is screwed to the frame and a skeleton mounted to the frame. I have since extended the tray to the back of the oil pan.

The rear is screwed to the spare tire well and the frame as well as the bumper.

I really would rather not have an all black car if I did there wouldn't be hubcaps. I kind of like these even over the original alloy wheels.

I have a question for the wheel skirt users....
I have inner fender mounting bolts about 3/4 of the way down the opening. Is any skirt better than no skirt or should I go ahead and cover as much as possible?

Sorry if I didn't answer earlier. I did a quick and dirty tuft test that showed them in stagnant air. I utilized a friend with a truck traveling next to me on the FWY. he saw them not fluttering much and going in random directions. so because of that they came off.

I have not made my skirts yet but once payday rolls around I might. I'm also looking at a front splitter as a possible addition but I don't know how much benefit I'll se from that.

I keep looking at your picture trying to spot the new addition and then remembering it's part of your signature!

How did you adjustable grille block work anyway? I can't see from the picture how you guide the movable bit.

I made a track out of coroplast and slid the panel in that. Unfortunately the adjustable bit needed to be moved a lot and that shredded the flyline so I just took it off and went with a fixed opening.

Great work you?ve done there! I?ll have to make an undertray like that myself!:thumbup:

aerodynamic improvements
 

I love anything Aerodynamic, but unfortunately this track gets way too repetitive after a while, it's like they made a Homework version of it.

You might not be able to drive with a blocked grill without overheating, but most people here do not have that problem. When you've got enough cooling for 200hp and you're only using 40 of those 200 ponies, you really don't need a lot of air flow to the radiator...

Upper grilles are mostly cosmetic these days, they usually pull air from lower down.

often car makers use the upper grille to make the car look bigger rather than add cooling so they are just cosmetic. On my car the grille is open but it only exposes just 10% of the radiator the other 90% is exposed to the bottom opening.

any idea on mpg increase with all your mods? where can i get foam gap filler is that a car parts store item?

i'd say half of my improvement isdue to driving technique so the other half must therefore be mods.

Also, don't forget that mods and driving technique complement eachother; they produce a result larger than the sum of their individual results. For example: The wheel skirts help on their own, and coasting helps on its own, but put them together and you can coast further than before...

spotangeal,

I used weather stripping from advance auto parts for mine. make sure to get the type with the closed cell so it doesn't soak up water and retain it. it has more of a plastic feel to it than a sponge feel. i got the generic kind and it was about $15 for a 20 foot roll or something like that.

*edit* in my garage, you can see it on some of my frontal view pics. it is between my hood and bumper and around my headlights. there is a gap in it so that I can actually open my hood. it is also easily stackable. I put more than needed to be there and then closed the hood on it so that the springiness of it also holds it in place.