Thought I would share some updates on my CR-Z.
I made the fibreglass grille block more permanent by securing it onto the bumper with screws. I also added two electrical plugs to accommodate the engine block heater and the intelligent battery charger/maintainer. Makes it look more OEM/Stealthy.
Following Bernoulli's principle, I made a
somewhat air-tight duct leading to the radiator. So far, it seems to help, as the coolant temperature is stable at cruising speeds (95C or 203F).
I opted to install a basic 8" android tablet for displaying various gauges through an OBD2 Bluetooth dongle (ELM327). My Scangauge II is still going strong, but it has limited displaying capabilities.
With the tablet, I can view up to 10 gauges simultaneously compared to 4 with the scangauge. The android app is called InfoCar. I also bought Torque Pro, but I don't really like the interface. I might revisit it later though.
The downside with android apps is that I don't have access to the specific x-gauges from Scangauge, especially pertaining to the hybrid system. I can add custom PIDs, but converting the x-gauge codes to PIDs is very difficult.
I will be building a partial boat tail or a kammback tail. To help with the process, I recently installed a hitch receiver. It will serve as the mounting base for the structure.
Below is a "napkin" sketch of my vision...haha.
User
Cd was kind enough to do these two sketches to help me further visualize the project.
The plan is to make it OEM-looking and removable. It will follow the car's existing curves and aerodynamic design cues. Wheel skirts and rear diffuser will also be added afterwards.
I am currently trying to decide what material to use as the base for the structure. Maybe some aluminium strips to form some sort of brace. The structure will be made of carved foam to attain the best shape prior to the fibreglass layer. The first stage will be a 12" kammtail extension.
Cheers !