Ren: My '92 Civic

[Sven7]

So, probably wheel skirts should come first then. Where did you read that it should go to the wheel center? My car's lowered so it's only a few inches off as is.

I was planning on black, but now you're making me think...

OH! I should also mention that I've been toying with the idea of installing some rocker panel fairings when i do the rear skirts, sort of aero-focus style. It seems that the rocker covers can unbolt, so I'll have to investigate. I can't go too low, though, because the car is low enough to scrape speed bumps as is.

[Weather Spotter]

A nose cone helps some, but for every inch of tail (kammback) is worth 6-8" up front.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Sven7

... Where did you read that it should go to the wheel center? My car's lowered so it's only a few inches off as is....

Here is the image that tells the whole tale, and I think your car being lowered will not change the calculation. What matters is the raio of the total height of the chassis to the height of the stagnation point from the bottom of the chassis. Basjoos figured the right proportion was about 4 or 5%, IIRC.

Originally Posted by Sven7

... I've been toying with the idea of installing some rocker panel fairings when i do the rear skirts, sort of aero-focus style. It seems that the rocker covers can unbolt...

They unbolted on my civic with those plastic screws honda uses sometimes where I guess rust can become an issue. Easy. I used rain gutter, cut and painted black then coated in a layer of black plasti-dip. I love em.

[Sven7]

I saw that graph in its respective thread but it was kind of confusing. I think I get it now.

I'd like to do something much like your skirts, but smoother and extending all the way to the rear of the car. I'm trying to figure out the best way to mount some skirt hardware, since my car has some really janky bodywork around the rear arches.

Also, looking back at the first few pages of this thread, if you'd have told me then what I've put into this car now, I probably would have sold it and bought something else. Oh, well. It's here now, and it's fun and efficient.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Sven7

...looking back at the first few pages of this thread, if you'd have told me then what I've put into this car now, I probably would have sold it and bought something else. Oh, well. It's here now, and it's fun and efficient.

Yeah, but unless you were going to pay a lot more, you ran the risk of that "something else" having as costly a set cars?of issues, maybe worse. I think it's best to stick with a machine, get to know it, put it in order so it can be reliable. You've done that with style and now you have this funky kickin' eco-rat-rod. It's all good.

You've seen the "donkey crx" and the ecotex cars?

[Sven7]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Yeah, but unless you were going to pay a lot more, you ran the risk of that "something else" having as costly a set cars?of issues, maybe worse. I think it's best to stick with a machine, get to know it, put it in order so it can be reliable. You've done that with style and now you have this funky kickin' eco-rat-rod. It's all good.

You've seen the "donkey crx" and the ecotex cars?

Yes, that's where I'm at right now. I've figured out and fixed most issues with the car. I'm honored that you think it looks like some sort of neo-rat rod, because to me it looks like I should have spent a little more on the initial outlay. Now my fab guy has been suggesting new rear quarter panels, which would allow me to paint it something other than that wretched red, but I don't think it's worth the money on such a crappy car.

Some searching told me that the Donkey CRX is aerohead's old testbed. Do you have a good link on it? I don't see anything on Ecotex.

I'm hoping I'll get some time this week or weekend to mess around with making actual wheel skirts for this thing. It's been long enough and I need to just do it. I'm so close to getting 50mpg on normal highway trips.

[sheepdog 44]

I think a very good business plan could made for making artistic plastic moon-disc hub caps. It'd be the new thing among generation X-Y-Z.

Originally Posted by Sven7

The wheel covers are a riot to see on the road. These look like tumbling orange slices below 30mph, and above 50 or so they just start flashing violently! It's awesome.

[drainoil]

Sven, I too like the look.

I think someone use to make fiberglass replacement quarters for this gen Civic hatchbacks. I can't seem to find them now though.

[Sven7]

I'll let the kids make their own wheel covers. The experimentation and creativity are just as important as the mpg's. With public schools cutting art programs, maybe wheel covers will get people to start thinking creatively. STEM programs are important, but we still need people to design the things the others will be engineering. Design is not just pretty pictures; it also encompasses figuring out how to make things work.

Or, as my grandpa might say, it's good for ya!

Anyway, I peeked behind the rocker trim today and the drivers side is very rusty. I think I may as well screw the skirts directly into the fenders. As long as they come off easy for tire changes I don't really care anymore. This thing may need a frame swap in the next five years.

I went to drive my truck to the employee car show at work today but I think the starter solenoid went bad. Decided to throw the bikes into Ren instead and got the commuter bike fixed at the shoppe after work. Now I can actually do errands by bike again! No more relying on the 63 for daily transport.

[Cd]

Originally Posted by Sven7

The wheel covers are a riot to see on the road. These look like tumbling orange slices below 30mph, and above 50 or so they just start flashing violently! It's awesome.

I did a similar setup on my car, but painted the entire wheel as well.
The rear wheel has a yin-yang that flashes just the way you mentioned, while the fronts have the hypnotic spiral, first seen on hippie era cars 40 years ago. This is John Lennons' personal car :



I always planned on doing the hypnotic spiral on my wheels as a tribute to the hippie era, but you beat me to it. ( We even have the exact same car )

College kids love it, while the older folks seem annoyed and just pass me at high speed.