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Old 05-30-2011, 06:52 AM   #21 (permalink)
suspectnumber961
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: I flitter here and there
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highcountryexplorer - '86 Nissan 720 KC 4x4 ST with fiberglass cap
90 day: 21.78 mpg (US)

Elroy - '03 Ford Focus ZX3 w/Zetec DOHC engine
90 day: 32.89 mpg (US)
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Don't have the link...but there was a study done back when cars were square shaped showing an avg 1-2% mpg gain from air dams...which translates to 1/3 to 2/3s of 1 mpg for the Focus....hard to expect to verify?

I think I'm going to try and do something like what you have due the the scraping problem with my air dam. I might try using plywood well primed with polyu varnish.

While the air dam probably creates a partial vac under the front of the car...the gradual deflection of the air with the front pan makes more sense except for the lift it might cause?

I've been managing ~33 mpg with mixed driving last 2 tanks and could probably do 40 mpg on a level road...no wind...50 mph.

I'm now typically accelerating at around 32 TPS up to 40-45 mph due to the BSFC map...35-36 TPS would probably be about as efficient...except that more load on the ATX means some efficiency loss? Once the ATX goes into OD...I carefully drive for mpg....using the cruise as much as possible.

A few corners and/or stop signs drop the avg pretty quick. Also short trips from a cold start.

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