Nissan Versa Base 1.6

[skyl4rk]

For short trip commuting, a full grill/valence block may work fine. My typical trips are longer than 50 miles. I took the valence block off before a 3500 mile roundtrip into a remote area during summer heat.

What I am seeing is that instead of running at about 200F with the grill and valence blocked, the car is running at 185F with the grill blocked and valence open.

For short trips, fast engine warm up is very important. For long trips, I think that reduced temperatures may cause less stress on the motor and less decay of rubber parts.

It would be interesting to measure the mpg difference between an open valence, blocked valence with moderately sized port (80 square inches or so), and a completely blocked valence.

[orange4boy]

Nice work. I like the grille blocks. Love the storm trooper visual pun. Loved the boat tail/wing tail. May it rest in pieces.

Regarding the Versa forum, I have to say you have a great deal more patience for idiocy than I do. Those tuners can be asses but then they are probably compensating for "shortcomings" in other areas. They will hopefully grow up one day.

In my youth I was a tuner and had a VW bug that I lowered / hotrodded. I got plenty of jeers and negative comments from the V8 gang but I loved what I was doing and just ignored them. I got 35mpg though, probably from P&G between lights

Keep on modding!

[Sulfuric]

Wow those look good.

[skyl4rk]

I installed a trailer hitch this morning. Ostensibly this is to put a bike rack on the back of the car, but in reality, it is the mounting point for a new boattail. I need to save up some more money first, the hitch cost a bit more than I expected.

I had to get a new drill and 1" drill bit, because I could not find a way to do it with my old 3/8" drill. I also needed to buy jackstands, which I need anyway.

The hitch is slightly lower than the rear car body, so I will need to add a belly pan panel from the rear crossmember to the hitch.

My goal is to build a plywood "cargo extension" that is well streamlined and hopefully lightweight. I may use coroplast for part of it. I do not plan on using it to haul anything, but I intend to label it "Cargoholder" or somesuch nonsense so the average idiot will know what it is. The boattail will have led taillights built in and the car license plate will be moved to the boattail, which will be pretty much permanently in place, unless I need to use the trailer hitch for something else. Thats the plan, anyway, and it may fail due to extreme spousal resistance. But for now I can dream of the freedome to run with a boattail.

[skyl4rk]

I found some 1-1/4" steel square tube at the local tractor store. It fits in the hitch receiver just right. I have 48" but will cut it down.

I plan to use angle iron bolted to the tube to fasten a plywood base. I may take the cutoff piece of tube and weld it to the end to make a tee, to improve stiffness.

I would have preferred aluminum square tube to reduce weight but the steel was only $10 and there was no aluminum in 1-1/4". Its not that heavy. I think I am pretty lucky to have found the steel so easily, just happened to walk by it while buying some other stuff.

[MetroMPG]

This sounds interesting. Looking forward to following the project.

[skyl4rk]

I decided to buy a cheap wire welder from Harbor Freight. Maybe this weekend I can play with plasma and try to fit the frame of the tail together.

[skyl4rk]

The frame is welded up of 1-1/4" square steel tube. It fits in the hitch receiver tightly, with just a little play.

A plywood base will be bolted to this frame. Then a body will be assembled from light plywood glued to the plywood base. I will attach nylon straps to the interior of the tail and tighten the tail up to the top of the trunk of the car. With a connection to the frame of the car through the trailer hitch receiver, and two nylon straps holding the top close to the car body, this one should not self-destruct. I will also make sure there are no large gaps to catch the wind.

[wkumtrider]

I'm sure it was mentioned somewhere in the thread, but where can you get the colorplast stuff to make the grill blocks? Great job!

[wwkayaker]

I found some coroplast at Lowe's. It was over next to the for sale signs.