View Single Post
Old 01-26-2012, 06:52 PM   #6 (permalink)
johnunit
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Toronto
Posts: 76
Thanks: 14
Thanked 11 Times in 9 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sven7 View Post
Wider wheels probably aren't going to make much of a difference either way. Lowering would make it more fun to drive and look at, as well as counteracting the (nominal) extra frontal area of the wider tires.

What style are you going for? If you wanted to do slot mags, the skirts would look terrible. If you're doing a grandpa car sleeper thing though, by all means skirt it. Also think about a trunk spoiler to push the airflow back up where it should be. Tuft test the car and see where the problems appear to be.

No matter what it would probably help to do a full belly pan.
I'm guessing you're thinking the frontal area increase from wider tires would cancel out any aero improvement on the side of the car? I'm sort of looking at the increased frontal area as a lost cause. Once it goes 6.7+L (probably 408CI, maybe 427) and Trick Flow 205CC heads, wider tires won't be optional. It's more a question of whether it's worth going out of my way to get the outer surface of the wheel in a certain place to gain some of the efficiency back.


I will probably lower it mildly, but I like the whole "potholes can suck it" feel of this car, in terms of harshness and durability, so it wouldn't be more than an inch or so. It spends a good amount of it's life bombing around city streets comparable to Chicago or Philly with 3 or 4 guys in it.


I'm going as close to stock looking as possible. Wider diameter tailpipes and wider tires will likely be the only visual difference. I want it to look like what I've dubbed "plausible Stock." Something Ford could have conceivably built in small numbers. A special subtly hotted up model that the guys at the car shows "just haven't heard of before." If I can find wheel skirts I like, that's certainly something I'll look at. But for something that'll get MAYBE 3500 miles a year on the highway, it's probably going to be hard to justify the cost of buying and painting skirts for no gain other than highway FE.

I'm trying to visualise what a spoiler might look like on the car. Maybe something like a steeper version of a Grand National? I want it to look like what I've dubbed "plausible Stock." Something Ford could have conceivably built in small numbers. A special subtly hotted up model that the guys at the car shows "just haven't heard of before."



A bellypan of some sort will happen. I'm not sure about between the axles, but front and rear for sure. A big priority is bridging the gap between where the trunk pan ends and the rear bumper begins, there seems to be room for pretty much the entire height of the bumper support to be caught by the air travelling under the car.

I've even considering finding a way to temporarily mount plexiglass to the front, starting at the front of the bumper and ending above the headlights and grill, for better aero on roadtrips.
__________________
2001 Prius - 170,000 KM - just got it (no consistent FE numbers yet)

Last edited by johnunit; 02-29-2012 at 04:13 PM..
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to johnunit For This Useful Post:
Sven7 (01-26-2012)