View Single Post
Old 09-03-2012, 11:37 PM   #1 (permalink)
caliboundranger
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 9

Power Ranger - '97 Ford Ranger 4x2
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Aerodynamic Bed Cap Add On-- UPDATE w/pics!

Please bare with the lengthy post. Thanks

Hello, Im new here but love the site already. I'm 22 and own my own auto repair shop which I have to temporarily close the doors on for various reasons. Among this time off I have decided to do something I have always wanted; travel the U.S. ending up in California and bumming on the beach for a while. I will be taking a 1997 for ranger 4cyl 5spd. I will also be living out of the bed. Fuel mileage is of concern with as many miles being driven I see an opportunity for huge savings.
Please I need some advise so I can get started on building as I leave oct 1st. I am doing some of the regular stuff like covering the wheel wells, adding full moon hub caps, molding a semi-sphere onto the front of my mirrors, blocking off the grill, tire pressure, ect.... ect.... ect.... my biggest challenge is making a boat tail. I will be making a carrier basket for the rear that will be a big aluminum box like a tool box to store some stuff in and see how i can use this as shape to extend the boat tail further past just the rear bumper. problem is the truck has a cap that will stay in place as i will be sleeping there. My idea is to add an air foil to the top of the cap playing off the natural curve of the windshield and sloping down to the carrier(which will also be sloped in design and align with cap foil).



FINAL QUESTION!; is this being counter productive as i am adding more frontal area? or.. will the effect of the boat tail outweigh the extra frontal area? Attached is a pic of my truck with pvc laying on top that would be the structure & shape for the foil. The other pic is the exact outline of the truck shape with the cap, air foil leading into the carrier. to me it looks very good but I am still young and dumb and looking for some advice from some pro aero-guru's.

Thanks guys for any help. I will be updating with many pics throughout the build. Like I said I own a shop and am kind of picky about the things I build looking as nice as they function. Having all necessary machining equipment I plan on it looking very clean and refined. oh, my website is joshsautorepair.webs.com Thanks again!

Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	2012-09-03_21-37-17_476.jpg
Views:	69
Size:	40.3 KB
ID:	11449   Click image for larger version

Name:	car4.jpg
Views:	105
Size:	50.0 KB
ID:	11450  

Last edited by caliboundranger; 09-09-2012 at 10:48 PM..
  Reply With Quote