Monster Spoiler for Boat-Tail?
 

Hello -

I'll bet you could use a monster spoiler as a frame for a boattail. Here is a before/after :

https://home.earthlink.net/~cfg83/gas.../boattail2.jpg

The "roof" portion of the boat-tail could be clear plexiglass for visibility.

The example above is not good because the car is a coupe. You can't open the trunk!!!!!

This would work better on a hatchback, where the boat-tail is attached to the hatch.

CarloSW2

That's a damn good idea! Spoilers are cheap due to the rice/market saturation, just adjust the height so you don't go past 15 degrees, and the entire thing has to slide into/out of place and secure easily. But I think it could be done.

That is a great idea! brilliant!

I haven't really thought this thru other than looking at the picture. So my question is this, would it create a blind spot?

ketelOne -

In the picture above, yes (that is exactly what my co-worker said). But the sides could be plexiglass too, and I think a well made boattail, by definition, will have to address the issue of a blind spot. If I had the above installed, I would go with panoramic rear view mirrors and the 3 inch convex fish eye mirrors (I already use these on my normal SW2).

This would be another form of the blind spot issue, along with the threads dealing with removing the side view mirrors (what a drag!).

CarloSW2

Overall it is a great idea.

On a side note........

My yaris ends up with more dead bug bodies on the mirrors than even the front end.

theclencher -

D'OH!

From what I have seen of other boattails on the other threads, the "back" appears to be open. A stick with a mop or a squeegee at the end would be helpful, assuming you are standing behind the car in a parking lot. If it were a really good design with good seals, not much rain would "get inside". However, I agree that there is a likelihood that it would be high maintenance.

CarloSW2

VG claim less dirt on the back end of boxes so it may stay cleaner

Why not leave a few inch gap in the clear top where it meets the body? That way rain can get through, but the flow can seperate at the rear of the car where there's less area, hopefully.

omgwtfbyobbq -

Is that compatible with the concept of the boattail? Isn't the idea to make the air flow over the top and off the end? Also, wind going under at speed could rip the boattail off.

CarloSW2

I think you'll find that most air will still flow over the car. Take this spoiler for example, it isn't flush, but it redirects air such that drag is supposedly reduced. If the back of the boattail is sealed, then very little air should get in, and even if it isn't I doubt there would be very much lift. For example, airfoils result in lift because the area on the top is greater than the area on the bottom with the same approximate air speed, but in this case, there won't be very much air flowing through the opening, and the area on the top and bottom will be the same. YMMV. ;)

that is why wagons and hatchbacks are better than sedans and coupes.

I was thinking you'd want to hinge it so that you could a) access the window for cleaning, and 2) access the trunk. The hinge could be at the structure's leading edge and latch near the rear spoiler/trunklid. This way if you unlatch it, you could lift it up to open the trunk. Also, if the hing was at the rear, and the latch was at the front, and the latch failed for some reason, the think could get ripped off by the slipstream.

maybe. :)

Hello -

Here's a few more example images :

https://home.earthlink.net/~cfg83/gas...ivic_coupe.jpg

https://home.earthlink.net/~cfg83/gas...ivic_sedan.jpg

https://home.earthlink.net/~cfg83/gas...c_coupe_01.jpg

CarloSW2