Ordered Airtabs today!

[cfg83]

2000mc -

Originally Posted by 2000mc

one example i've seen a few times of adhesive damaging paint is vent visors / wind deflectors for windows. i've only seen it on trucks that were 5+ yrs old that probly had them put on when they were new, something happens to one of em somewhere along the way, but the dealer i work for isnt going to be seeling something with a damaged vent visor, or 1 or 3 vent visors. so the remaining vent visors are removed. problem is, the clear coat is gone where the adhesive was at.

Well, I think I've figured out a compromise for me. I can get the magnetic sheet that is used for car signs and use that as a base for the airtab. That way, I could move the airtabs anywhere I want on the metal part of the car. For my Saturn, that means the hood and roof. What would be interesting about this is that I could test them in the hood location that jeffreymccoy is using, *or* test them up against the windshield as a windshield wiper turbulence deflector.

To make them more secure, I can also use the interior volume of the airtab to add a stronger magnet (or magnets).

Here is an example of a use for magnetic sheet that gave me the idea :

MAGNETIC CAR BRA for 1999-2002 SATURN SL
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MAGNE...spagenameZWD1V
Attachment 1001

CarloSW2

[2TonJellyBean]

Carlo, if I ever see your car with the "mag-tabs", it's gonna make it far too easy for me to ummm "borrow" them for my own experiments,

[cfg83]

2TonJellyBean -

Originally Posted by 2TonJellyBean

Carlo, if I ever see your car with the "mag-tabs", it's gonna make it far too easy for me to ummm "borrow" them for my own experiments,

Ooof, now I'll have to take them off when I park somewhere !

Hrrmmm, maybe I'll RFID 'em, heh heh heh.

CarloSW2

[jeffreymccoy]

When you were driving through the rain, did the raindrop pattern look different? The next time it's raining, you might want to have someone drive your truck while you watch it/film it from another car.

The drop pattern did not look all that different on the front windshield. It was really hard to tell what the spray behind the truck looked like from my side and rear view mirrors. I saw all kinds of spray coming off every other car, but it was really hard to see mine at all, and when I did, it didnt seem to be as dramatic as other trucks that were on the road.

Without being in a chase car, its really really hard to tell though

[SteadFastStylee]

does anyone know if it'd make a difference if you just sat around smacking the body with a rubber mallet for awhile? I might be buying a pretty crappy looking CRX HF that wouldn't loose much "sex appeal" from a few hundred smacks with a mallet.

[Gearshredder]

does this have nething to do with a golf ball?

[cfg83]

SteadFastStylee -

Originally Posted by SteadFastStylee

does anyone know if it'd make a difference if you just sat around smacking the body with a rubber mallet for awhile? I might be buying a pretty crappy looking CRX HF that wouldn't loose much "sex appeal" from a few hundred smacks with a mallet.

Ahhhhh, the golf-ball dimple theory. Here are some similar threads on this :

dimple tape?
http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=1508

Aerodynamic grooves/ridges?
http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=3267

Winglets and bumpy paint?
http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=3478

CarloSW2

[SteadFastStylee]

I had read quite a few threads on it, but obviosly others have been taking ALOT of interest in this....sadly I'm not sure where my opinion lies now.

In one sense it almost seemed as if to create an improvement similar to the golf ball thing you would need to do it on a correct scale(larger dimples) and near the rear of the vehicle....then in other ways it seems sensible that using bumps instead of depressions more towards the front would help(the whole reason why drafting works)...then in Mitsubishi's tests it seems that bumps near the rear are the answer......

I'm glad I'm learning something either way!

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by SteadFastStylee

In one sense it almost seemed as if to create an improvement similar to the golf ball thing you would need to do it on a correct scale(larger dimples) and near the rear of the vehicle....

Speaking intuitively... Take a look at nature

Sharks have dermal denticles (I think that's the right term) - which makes their skin sand paper like; I think on a shark it's called a placiod scale (if you care to search). The shape varies from specie to specie (I'm fairly certain it's a way to identify different species) - but one purpose is that they create small vorticies to reduce drag. They are very small - you really can't see individual ones at all

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Now, speaking from something I saw at the San Francisco Maker Faire....

Look at the tail end dimples


I can't say if they help or not though... but it sure looks cool


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Oh, and I forgot to mention in my water tunnel picture post earlier.... I don't have a picture (batteries died)... But, tennis ball fuzz has a very similar purpose to golf ball dimples... While not as effective, there was a clear benefit over a "fuzzless" ball

Anyone up for covering their car in some low pile carpet?

[SteadFastStylee]

That's gotta be the funkiest 3 wheeler I ever seen HAHA...My dad owned an old three wheeled milk truck for quite a number of years. Two wheels in back, one in the front..we named it the "Blue Moon". One of our favorite things to do in her was to find long curved well paved side roads and get up to just the right speed to travel along on two wheels.....ahh the good 'ol days LOL