Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Creating a bubble top for a kit car, legal? and my aero car design.

thewindkeeper · 05-16-2014, 02:45 AM

I saw his activity, but the thread was also 4 months dead so I took a chance on something I was interested in...

the reasons for a bubble top are many, the reasons against are few, we should start with the reasons against:

-the interior gets hot
-there is often compromise to structural rigidity

This doesn't explain why black cars and convertibles are so popular...why all the hate?

it doesnt have to be a hemispherical bubble from the jetsons it will conform to any mold (I'm talking about plastic at this point)

the advantages are that the world is at your wheel, you don't have to deal with the wind and weather, you dont need a rear view mirror or side mirrors (depending on vehicle geometry) it looks unique, potentially avoid glass which is fragile and very incompatible with many designs...I could go on. I was actually hoping to do a more advanced take with a laminated composite straight sections that have a scaffold and fit together like a compound eye. material with active dimming layers built in, this avoids undue lighting, adds some insulation and minimizes the greenhouse effect to some degree but thats sci fi at this point, I'd be happy if I could just start with the basics of how they are formed, I have heard that they are blown and that they are vacuum formed... I would guess the latter but I doubt both are true, and if we can get to the bottom of what is permissible on the road, all the better.

05-16-2014, 02:45 AM	#22 (permalink)
thewindkeeper EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 6 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	reasons for bubbletop ownership I saw his activity, but the thread was also 4 months dead so I took a chance on something I was interested in... the reasons for a bubble top are many, the reasons against are few, we should start with the reasons against: -the interior gets hot -there is often compromise to structural rigidity This doesn't explain why black cars and convertibles are so popular...why all the hate? it doesnt have to be a hemispherical bubble from the jetsons it will conform to any mold (I'm talking about plastic at this point) the advantages are that the world is at your wheel, you don't have to deal with the wind and weather, you dont need a rear view mirror or side mirrors (depending on vehicle geometry) it looks unique, potentially avoid glass which is fragile and very incompatible with many designs...I could go on. I was actually hoping to do a more advanced take with a laminated composite straight sections that have a scaffold and fit together like a compound eye. material with active dimming layers built in, this avoids undue lighting, adds some insulation and minimizes the greenhouse effect to some degree but thats sci fi at this point, I'd be happy if I could just start with the basics of how they are formed, I have heard that they are blown and that they are vacuum formed... I would guess the latter but I doubt both are true, and if we can get to the bottom of what is permissible on the road, all the better.