partial boat-tail

[MetroMPG]

(EDIT: preliminary results posted in thread below on Jul. 18.)

Come back, 95metro!

Originally Posted by 95metro

Well, there's a mockup of the adjusted spoiler/boattail. It only extends back the same distance as the rear bumper (but it could go maybe 6" over) and it shouldn't (knock on wood) impair vision through the mirror.

Spent about 45 minutes playing this afternoon. No, it's not tested yet, and was more of a design exercise than anything else for the moment. I may reinforce and test it if the right weather comes up in the next day or 3 (before it falls off/gets wet). Otherwise, it'll come off having served its purpose as a learning tool for how V 2.0 should look.

Constructive feedback welcome!







Above: what this crappy picture from my antique 1 MP camera intended to show was that Metro95 was right: it doesn't seriously obscure rear vision. The boat-tail cuts of 1/5 of the rear window view, and though you can't tell from this photo, the horizon on level ground is just below the "roof", so full visibility is retained of following traffic.

[Mighty Mira]

Be (very!) curious to see what mpg you get.

[zpiloto]

This boat tail for you 95metro. Metro you so inspired me with this post that I took the rest of my colorplast and put one on casper extending off the roofline. . I don't know what it will do for aero but went for a test drive on my test loop and came in with 38.2 which is the best every for that loop and this was at night with the lights on. I'll be out of town this week but I'll try to get some testing and some pics this weekend. I could tell from my route that it coasts better, but only testing will tell for sure.

[JanGeo]

use clear plexiglass . . .

[GasSavers_Ryland]

I would think about getting a hatch from a junk yard, and rebuilding fully, then dimple it.

[ZugyNA]

I can visualize a nice row of vgs right in front of where the top drops down at the rear window.

Then right above the taillights a sort of flat fin extending straight out maybe 1.5'.

And a row of vgs on the sides...much like the airtabs?

In theory...the top vgs would keep the flow more on the rear glass...while the fin would force a high pressure plume of air to the back....preventing the big disturbed vortexes from forming?

The side vgs in front of the rounded corners would help to fill in the low pressure also.

[MetroMPG]

My thoughts while making this:

- compound curves are hard to get right (I got the "roof" of the tail eventually, but not the sides right).

[MetroMPG]

zpiloto: glad to hear that lunacy is infectious. Hope your immunization is up-to-date for unsolicited public comments.

[zpiloto]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

zpiloto: glad to hear that lunacy is infectious. Hope your immunization is up-to-date for unsolicited public comments.

I've never had too much unsolicited public response to the wheel skirts, but the cardboard partial boat tail drew a small crowd. A question and answer session ensued in which at one point my sanity was debated.

No hope. I don't do shots. I'm past the comment stage, everybody thinks I'm the mad scientist. When I meet someone new in the neighborhood it's always "you're the guy that rides his bike all the time and has weird stuff all over your car" Then when you start talking about the car you get this blank stare and then why are you doing that. But on a high note the commute to and from turned out some good numbers, 39.5 MPG, That's about 2 MPG better(man I wish I had time to test it) than normal since I had to stop EOCing. The transmission has started to complain. I think you'll see some big numbers once you're done since you have a good eye for detail and are very talented at these mods

[Gary Palmer]

I like the overall look of your shape. If you could live with the harder corners, you could build a prototype out of coroplast, possibly. If you wanted to do something out of fiberglass, you could get the rounded shape you are looking for.