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Old 01-13-2010, 05:45 PM   #35 (permalink)
aerohead
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imperfect

Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
Don't get me wrong: the purpose of this thread wasn't to suggest the camper style top could be superior to a properly designed tapered aero cap.

I was just very surprised to read from several sources that it was possible a conventional topper could improve fuel economy compared to an open bed. It seemed counter intuitive to me...



... but we seem to be collecting a fair amount of anecdotal and imperfect test evidence that it may be true.
Before 1973,there is very little case-specific data for pickup trucks.The SAE papers just lump everything together.
The early Suburban,which is a direct descendant of the Chevy/GMC C-10 pickup,would mimic a pickup with a straight topper.The Blazer was also a pickup derivative.
I'll look deeper,but my recollection tells me there is little fertile ground in the past for specific data.
PS the El Camino/Ranchero might be compared to their sedan/coupe/wagon counterparts for clues.Perhaps some of the members have data on those.
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