Hitched Detachable Boat Tail finished. With tests! - Page 2 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Christ · 10-25-2009, 01:04 PM

Re- bathtub acrylic - You have to heat the stuff up pretty warm before it becomes ultimately flexible, but once you do, you only have a few minutes before it remembers the new shape you've put it into. It's a PITA to work with unless you have access to a heat forming station.

brucey · 10-25-2009, 05:48 PM

Yeah I'm redoing the front pieces in tin as we speak. (: Its easier to cut and bends and holds its shape well.

brucey · 10-26-2009, 05:37 AM

It's done! I'll have day pictures and data in the next day or two.

brucey · 10-27-2009, 05:37 PM

Well I'm done. I formed a gasket out of some spare pipe insulation and will be putting it on the car and testing it out late tonight. YES that front top piece is coroplast, but it should be operational until I can find some more metal that will work there.

Christ · 10-27-2009, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brucey

Well I'm done. I formed a gasket out of some spare pipe insulation and will be putting it on the car and testing it out late tonight. YES that front top piece is coroplast, but it should be operational until I can find some more metal that will work there.

What's that tube for? The one between the tail lights.

brucey · 10-27-2009, 06:57 PM

the shorter one is a handle to control the thing as its put on the car. The longer yellow one is just the jack handle its sitting on. It's a 2 man job to put this on without a floor jack.

vtec-e · 10-27-2009, 07:09 PM

Well done. You have far more patience than i do. I can't wait to see the numbers.

ollie

brucey · 10-27-2009, 09:26 PM

Well I was going to do a run with it tonight, but I decided against it. It's rigid and solid, but not the mount. It bounces too much on bumps. I'm going to have to work out more than 1 connector. Possibly 2 stablizing type connectors.

Always something eh?

I can at least include a picture of how it looks on the car at the moment:

Now I need a way to mount it more securely to the car without doing anything TOO awful permanent. More tubes? (:

Christ · 10-27-2009, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brucey

Well I was going to do a run with it tonight, but I decided against it. It's rigid and solid, but not the mount. It bounces too much on bumps. I'm going to have to work out more than 1 connector. Possibly 2 stablizing type connectors.

Always something eh?

I can at least include a picture of how it looks on the car at the moment:

Can you fit a 3mm thick aluminum tab at the top of the hatch?

If you can, you might be able to make a couple aluminum bar clamps if you bent some straps into a L shape, and fasten them to the top of the frame. You'll also probaby want to put rubber or something inside them, so they don't damage the paint.

That way, you can slide the bottom into the hitch, and then if you can slightly deform the upper part of the frame by hand, you'll be able to clip the top into the hatch to keep it more stable.

jmf · 10-27-2009, 10:05 PM

What about some straps from a bike rack, they are made to hook over the top of the back hatch. They would be quick to attach and remove plus very simple.
Looks great!