Quote:
Originally Posted by Cd
... why not just have it extend from the roofline ? It could be mounted on a hinged edge so it could swing upwards with the trunk. It would them match the template curve without the additional drag of a flat spoiler design.
Of course it would have to be transparent...
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Actually this is a very tempting thought. After all, the side panels are very close to the template curve so why not put the center panel on the template and really get it right?? The trouble is, all the neat solutions in the existing concept go out the window (nearly literally), or you might say out the roof.
For an mpg competition or a car show, I maybe could just make it out of cheap plastic and tape it on. Build it and use it, then take it off. But for long term use with full trunk access... ... ...
The toughest challenge I see in extending a panel from the roofline is that the roofline is bowed upward at the middle, when you view from the rear. This makes for problems in hinging the panel for trunk access. Couple that with the preference for a panel that curves downward towards rear per the template, and that means the panel would have a compound curve, not easy to build or even to fake.
The hinge for the horizontal panel - to enable opening the trunk - is what I'm having a very difficult time picturing, due to the bowed roofline. I think the widest possible spaced hinges would be two, about a foot apart, centered on the roof transverse line. The outer corners of the panel, where the roof meets the C-pillar, would have to be free to hinge the panel up to open the trunk. I could anchor those front corners with removable screws, and would have to remove them before releasing the trunk latch. Even so, I fear the plastic would eventually crack when lifting it up supported only by two hinges at the forward end.
To give it the compound curve, I could cut a lengthwise slit in the panel, and slightly overlap the edges. Or turn the slit into a V-cut and just bring the two edges together. Either way, the plastic panel is weakened by the cut, and would need fasteners down the center.
Cd, ya got any ideas on this stuff?