Air dam is pretty simple, are really I'm more looking to be more ambitious... theme is up in the air, depending on how the modifications go, but right now we're kicking around doing a "Lightning McQueen" theme with a fully developed electrical system. In that case budget will be a MAX $100 for aero. Of course we could do a 'Life's a drag, racing shouldn't be' theme...
I would expect for $100 worth of material hanging on the car one could have a well developed underside including underside (flat? Venturi?), front splitter, and diffuser. Developing some low drag ducting for the cooling system should be mostly time but very little dough. Figuring out what to do with the glassless back half of the car shold be fun too.
To put some context to this I have done a fair bit of reading in regards to automotive/racing aerodynamics... there is sufficient material to give me a reasonable sense of what is possible and what others have done. The one area that is woefully lacking is advise on where do you start so that the testing and knowledge you gained on day 1 isin't completely invalidated because of the change you made on day 11?
Ideas aren't really where I need the help , more the methology for development. For example:
I was thinking the first thing to do is find out what kind of airflow the stock neon has through the radiator at 75MPH so I know what I need to have... The stock system seemed to hold up well to track days in my IT car.
If I measure the pressure differential in front of to behind the radiator in a few spots and ensure that same differential or greater is present in my final design that should ensure it cools as well as stock right? I guess the other variable I should monitor is underhood temperature to ensure adiquate cooling...
Here I'm working with the general idea that working towards sealing off the underside of the car is the right direction to go, and that by ducting air to/from the heat exchanger I can also minimize the size of the grille opening to also help aero. Also that this is a logical place to start...
Would it be fair to use the pressure measurments from various points along the underbody to evaluate the lift/downforce changes of a belly pan? MPG or coasting could tell me the drag side, but I bon't have shock travel sensors in my collection of bits to use rideheight to evaluate downforce.
I really need to make a gameplan of what to do in a step by step fashion...
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