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Old 02-02-2008, 03:40 PM   #77 (permalink)
aerohead
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Your tail will tell on it's self

I did all the modifications you've considered to my CRX,with the addition of a boat-tail.I drove the car from Texas to the West Coast and back in 1990,with a detour to Bonneville,where I made a number of passes,each successive run with something else removed from the car,until the last run represented the stock car in factory form.All the fore-body modifications netted me a 0.5 mph bonus to top-speed.The boat-tail,by itself gave me 8.0 mph.The car set a land speed record for the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association,and I was seeing mpg in the mid-sixties for the trip.As much as I love the "aero" look,I think you should follow basjoos lead,and go after the back of the CIVIC.I believe there is no significant separated flow on your car,up to the hatch,after which ,your dragging an enormous wake of turbulent air wherever you go.I really like what your doing,don't get me wrong,however,I truly feel like you'll miss the boat(no pun intended),unless you go after that wake.What basjoos has done in the front of his car is an insurance policy to guarantee the full effectiveness of his boattail,which is doing the lion's share of drag reduction as was proven to me at Bonneville.Please don't lose a golden opportunity to see some really remarkable mpg improvement.I think you'll find the wing a disappointment.Wish you the best with the project,Phil.
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