This is a place holder for what will hopefully become a long thread and a road map for my thought process.
I picked up my project truck a couple days ago. I have been reading a lot here and learning as much as I can. I will be learning a lot more once I get started.
The test vehicle is a 1994 Toyota Pickup. 2 wheel drive, extended cab, manual transmission, 4 cylinder (22re engine). It has 172k miles on it. I searched for a while for that exact configuration as my aeromodding test bed. This will also be my commuter, so that should help me gather a lot of empirical data
I just topped off the tank on Wednesday, so once I get the MPG calculation at next fill up I'll post the findings here.
I plan on making the truck bed accessible, and the aero cap easily removable should I need to do the occasional material hauling.
I just bought a house so I have needed a truck from time to time, and it also means I'll be taking it slow on this truck project
I have decided to break everything down into stages to help keep me focused on the next step I need to take and not get too ahead of myself or let the project fall into abeyance.
Stage 1: Repair and Tuning.
The owner has done "ok" maintenance but the engine idles a little rough, and some sensors could use cleaning. Getting the truck in peak operating condition is my focus on this stage. Engine, drive line, and suspension. This will also give me some time to finalize my designs and build/program some engine and fuel monitors, mpguino, etc.
Stage 2: Streamline.
Hopefully this is where I'll be spending most of my time
I want to start with an aerocap on the bed, air damn on the front rigged to a coolant temp sensor to open an air inlet only when needed (with emergency manual bypass?), belly pan, side skirts, wheel covers, and maybe toy around with dynamic panels that change according to speed. what's good at 50mph might not be the best at 70mph...but I'm new to this so I don't really know what I'm talking about
Stage 3: wrapping up.
Filling in any dents and dings received along the way, caulking the body panels, painting the car, other eco mods (removing power steering, low rolling resistance tires, swap to electric radiator fan, etc)
This should be a fun trip and I look forward to sharing it with all of you