Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Aerohead's going to the wind tunnel! We're passing the hat to help with costs.

aerohead · 07-14-2015, 04:52 PM

I spent 2-hours this morning creating cardboard patterns for mods to the 'Poco Loco', sailboat-based bed cover.
The plan is to have side fairings which tip from the bed rail top,straight over sideways in a straight line until they contact the bed cover,filling in the twisted void created by the plan-taper of the cover vs the straight-sided bed rails.
I didn't like the way the smoke behaved around this area at the wind tunnel.
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I scoured the only metal recycling center which allows salvage,for sheet aluminum, and came up empty.
A trip to The Home Depot didn't help.I found some 10-inch by 10-foot aluminum flashing in the roofing section for $10 a roll.If I'm forced to use it I'll make it work.
I'm inclined to just fix a blocking barrier on the truck and do wet layups over the cardboard and tape to create composite skins like I did on the CRX long ago.If I did,I could make one continuous fiberglass fairing,rather than sections of lapped aluminum.These fairings would lap over the sides of the rail tops,making for better weather protection and attachment.
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The modified bed cover would allow for a shorter,better,boat tail.And I could dispense with the heavy plywood of the existing tail/stinger,and go with an all-composite,lightweight unit.Maybe on a swing-away mount which I've craved since the 80s.
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I like the new Harbor Freight rollers.They're working out fine and perhaps I'll be able to find replacements as the years unfold.
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And I think I may abandon acrylic lacquer as a paint system.The enamels don't skin as quickly,and once you have traffic,they melt into a nice glossy surface which doesn't require all the color-sanding and polishing required by the lacquer.
If anyone needs chiggers,ticks,or mosquitoes let me know.We've got a bumper crop this year!

07-14-2015, 04:52 PM	#225 (permalink)
aerohead Master EcoModder Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sanger,Texas,U.S.A. Posts: 16,267 Thanks: 24,392 Thanked 7,360 Times in 4,760 Posts	morphing 'Poco Loco' I spent 2-hours this morning creating cardboard patterns for mods to the 'Poco Loco', sailboat-based bed cover. The plan is to have side fairings which tip from the bed rail top,straight over sideways in a straight line until they contact the bed cover,filling in the twisted void created by the plan-taper of the cover vs the straight-sided bed rails. I didn't like the way the smoke behaved around this area at the wind tunnel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I scoured the only metal recycling center which allows salvage,for sheet aluminum, and came up empty. A trip to The Home Depot didn't help.I found some 10-inch by 10-foot aluminum flashing in the roofing section for $10 a roll.If I'm forced to use it I'll make it work. I'm inclined to just fix a blocking barrier on the truck and do wet layups over the cardboard and tape to create composite skins like I did on the CRX long ago.If I did,I could make one continuous fiberglass fairing,rather than sections of lapped aluminum.These fairings would lap over the sides of the rail tops,making for better weather protection and attachment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The modified bed cover would allow for a shorter,better,boat tail.And I could dispense with the heavy plywood of the existing tail/stinger,and go with an all-composite,lightweight unit.Maybe on a swing-away mount which I've craved since the 80s. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I like the new Harbor Freight rollers.They're working out fine and perhaps I'll be able to find replacements as the years unfold. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ And I think I may abandon acrylic lacquer as a paint system.The enamels don't skin as quickly,and once you have traffic,they melt into a nice glossy surface which doesn't require all the color-sanding and polishing required by the lacquer. If anyone needs chiggers,ticks,or mosquitoes let me know.We've got a bumper crop this year! __________________ Photobucket album: http://s1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj622/aerohead2/