The Golden Egg mod thread. Mostly minivan modding

[orange4boy]

I didn't take any photos of the rear install but the Aluminum flat bar is 1/8" x 1 + 1/2. It curves in at the ends and four screws hold it to the plastic trim. There are two other brackets at 10:00 and 2:00 also attached to the plastic trim. I wanted to avoid drilling into metal for obvious reasons but you may be able to make a long L braket that attaches further into your wheel wells where you might have plastic fender wells to screw into.

You can drill into metal if you paint a good qwuality primer into the hole then follow up with undercoating gobbed into the holes and on the screws. Stainless screws are best of course.

[Sean T.]

I have 3 large bolts on the bottom of the car that hold the belly pan on, and several tiny bolts that hold the belly pan to the bumper lip. Those are the dots. I also have the license plate bolts and side marker bolts. Those are the lines pointing in. What would you recommend for supports? My wheel wells are pretty flimsy so I don't think I can bolt supports there.

[orange4boy]

I built the aluminum sandwhich of two pieces with the coro between bent to the shape of the bumper using a fencepost as an bending brace. I got the two pieces bent as close together as possible then I pre drilled the front bar holes and countersunk them, then clamped the two in the center, added more clamps and drilled the pilot holes through the back barand coro, tapped them with a spiral tap on a cordless drill and put in the 8-32 flat head stainless hex socket screws. The moved around the sides like that.

This make a rigid structure that requires less attachment points and no under support to the vehicle. I will add a strip along the top as it's a littile flimsy right now with only 4 screws holding it on top plus one on each end.

You will have to be creative with your set up. the tricky part will be the wheel well attachment but perhaps you can get away without it if you can attach to the bumper there.

The aluminum was about $18 for a 20 footer.

[Sean T.]

Sorry to ask so many questions, lol. It seems like your approach to the airdam is closest to what I want to achieve...

What is this?

Is it a part of the wheel well or is it an aluminum brace? (I'm trying to envision what your braces look like)

[orange4boy]

Questions are good. If I don't reply right away, I'm busy or not here.

Those are small angles aluminum bent to the wheel well curve and screwed to the bumper edge just inside the well. Not totally needed, just what I came up with at the time. I really want to run the flat bar at the trailing edge of the dam there and then go under the car to some frame part like the way my bumpers are reinforced. Triangulated would be best.

[theunchosen]

quick question orange. What kind of increase in MPG do you see with this?

I ask because I consider mounting something to divert airflow away from ugly areas.

[orange4boy]

This is a highway MPG improver mostly. I have not done any tests and being on an island, I'm on a highway once a week in a rush to get groceries, shop, pick up diodes and parallel programmers. So I don't get a chance to test these things out.... Yet. I just got my MPGuino so at some point I will get a chance.

Search other threads for airdam tests. I'm guessing 5-10% better but that's a wild guess.

[theunchosen]

I feel kind of stupid. I read every post in this thread and I already knew you didn't really know because you live on an island and all your trips are different.
I just finished up driving for . . . 3.5 hours and am kinda tired

[orange4boy]

I hear you on the tired thing. No biggie. I have noticed a big change in coastdown, just seat of the pants, mind you.

[millenniumtree]

Wow, I finally got around to checking this out.
Awesome vacuum reservoir!!
A couple of the photos, you used clear hose - I'd suggest using the black vacuum hose everywhere - it might be a little more heat/chemical resistant than the clear stuff.