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Lol, sorry for not replying quick, I’m either at work or in the shop. I made a response post but it must not have uploaded. I’ll go and do it again, I guess.
I’m young, but I’m not a stranger to aerodynamics. I’m good friends with an engineer who flies planes and is currently working on both a diesel aircraft engine and a world record attempt HPA streamliner. He’s passed much of his knowledge to me as I design a velomobile. A car is definitely a different animal, but the basic principles are still at play. I know from my time as a cyclist just how much faster you can get by tucking in, to reduce frontal area. The magpies outside my window sure aren’t shaped like cones, that’s all I gotta say.
On my list currently: Grille Block (adjustability is a good idea), underbody panel, wheel discs, wheel skirts, a wiper deflector, and some gap filling work here and there. I may leave the bigger modifications for when the cycling season comes around, as the car won’t need to be driven.
I sometimes have the option of other vehicles, maybe I’ll consider that. My mom’s Ford Flex is around, but the brakes are problematic, apparently.
I think wheel covering will actually be beneficial in snow. From my experiences growing up in snow, I’ve gained a pretty solid understanding of how it likes to stop a car. Discs would keep it from getting inside the rim, which normally make the wheels wobble like hell. Skirts would help keep it out of the wheel wells, and with disc covers I doubt any snow could build up enough to push the skirts off. If it helps to streamline air, it should help with streamlining powdery snow. Unless I hit packed and frozen snow, but thankfully things get plowed before the roads become a foot taller, lmao.
That shelf is interesting, and could be a perfect option for my trunk. The rear windshield angle and it’s transition to the trunk is a problem area, and the Canadian regulations are restrictive of heavy modification, so working around a boat tail that doesn’t compromise the trunk’s lighting and functions is kind of an ordeal. On the other hand, I tend to be really obsessive with cosmetic appearance and just can’t figure out a slick design for the rear.
Bonneville cars are something I’ll be studying, thanks for the links and photos.
My friend was joking with me that with a paneled underbody and a slightly upswept curve below the stagnation point of the nose, my car could go sledding. Not serious, but I do wonder if a nose can be shaped to maintain good airflow while keeping snow from being scooped up. A nose like the Aerocivic’s would be like using an upside-down chisel. On that note, I’m weary of trying those wheel deflectors you pictures. I know mudflaps pack up with snow immediately and it loves to turn to ice. To the detriment of possible aero gains, I’m planning to keep all mods above the current ground clearance, except the underbody. For snow, but also for the terrible roads here, and curbs, etc. When I drive more in it and really see if the underbody gets scraped, I’ll consider mods below it.
Thank you all, lots of replies, and probably the fastest forum I’ve seen. I’m a busy guy and I’m very scatterbrained as well so expect me to answer sporadically.
The car is a ‘97 2 door Civic, standard transmission with a 4 cylinder engine.
I’ll try to figure out how to post pictures on here and get some up.
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