Quote:
Originally Posted by BabyDiesel
Dave, I started this thread as freebeard pointed out - to talk exclusively about aerodynamics with regards o the Escort. And it has worked because I have recieve some extremely valuable information from both freebeard and aerohead, and others too.
The things I mentioned in opposition to my build... Has anyone got any ideas how to go about working these out? There is not many people who have done this to a sedan, as it is harder than a hatchback. I'll look and see what I can find in the archive that may be of some use.
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Take stock of your situation with respect to a work space,tools and equipment,your experience with fabricating and what you'd be willing to learn from scratch,and things you might outsource locally.
You could do it all in metal.You could do it all in wood.You could do it all in composites.Or mix some of the technologies.
There are some great books and DVDs out there on metalworking and everything else and now with YOU-TUBE you'll find DIY videos on all kinds of processes.
The learning curve is pretty fast with a lot of this stuff.
Check yard sales,estate sales,auctions,swap meets,Amazon,and flea markets for deals on power tools at a fraction of new prices.
Some metal recycling centers will allow you to buy salvage metal at whatever the Wall Street Journal says it's worth on any particular day.
It's nice to have a perfectly level concrete slab to work from,as it makes it the easiest for measuring critical dimensions.(I'm still driving 6-miles into town to do this in parking lots,so it's not absolutely essential).
And see if the car 'settles' when you and passengers get in.If so,you'll want to ballast the empty car with 300-lbs in the front seats for measurements,so when the car is loaded,she's at the proper inclination as far as the aerodynamics go.