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Old 02-23-2014, 03:38 PM   #520 (permalink)
xpedro01
xpedro01
 
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Join Date: Feb 2011
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Short boat tail

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeyjd View Post
I read this whole thread over the last 3+ hours and I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you sharing your experiences with us. I think there are many people that have been inspired to streamline their aerodynamics as a result of your work.

Mikeyjd, l agree. These professional jobs made me decide to attempt to do a short version and hopefully get some, if smaller, gain. I am very old (87)and wobbly, but this project was completed in one very cold week, in the living room and attatched garage, with the door that connects left open to warm the garage.
My method was to take a second rear bumper and cut it in two, both horizontally and vertically, overlap both 6" and use sheet metal screws to make it into a bumper with about 50% of the area compared to the original. The rear light wires were all lengthened to move them back to the new smaller bumper.
Since I have the freedom to drill holes and not be concerned about the next owner, l used .031" lexan to connect the new bumper 16" behind the existing one. The 31" height of the sides and the inward angle +the bottom made a very rigid structure. A piece of .090 lexan attatched to the Hatch Lid extended the airflow on the top. A vertical piece of 1/8" brass rod was shaped to release the "latch on the hatch". MPG info to come next.
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Last edited by xpedro01; 02-24-2014 at 10:55 AM..
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