Binky the Civic Build Thread

[aerohead]

Plexiglass is not a long term solution. It can serve for years though. One uncle coaxed decades worth of service out of Plexiglass on his Beech Bonanza ( all glazings). Lemon Pledge was used copiously.
Lexan is actually used as DOT-approved bus windshields. It's extremely resistant to scratching.

[Piotrsko]

All the dents, scratches, imperfections, defects tend to disappear when a clear coating is applied. Lemon pledge is a short term fix, but it ablades and yellows out in the sun so that doctor killer must have been a hangar queen.

Two products worth noting: those annoying infomercials about recoating your spectacle lenses, and using one step floor clear liquid floor wax, the Zep brand being most favored. Got them clearcoat blues and delams on your favorite car?

[alexshock]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Plexiglass is not a long term solution. It can serve for years though. One uncle coaxed decades worth of service out of Plexiglass on his Beech Bonanza ( all glazings). Lemon Pledge was used copiously.
Lexan is actually used as DOT-approved bus windshields. It's extremely resistant to scratching.

But Plexiglass is UV resistant, while Lexan is destroyed by UV (it will become yellow and weak).

[Piotrsko]

You can purchase UV inhibited lexan/acryllic, only it had an unfavorable yellow tint and is double pricey

[alexshock]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

lexan/acryllic

Are we talking about same materials?
Lexan is NOT acrylic.
Plexiglass is acrylic - and it has natural resistance to UV without additional protection.

[Piotrsko]

Dyslexic. Sue me.

[JacobLeSann]

Well, I just don’t know what else I would use. It is possible to use a rear window from another car, but that sounds like too much work to be worth it. Unless it’s not. I have many random junked cars in my yard so maybe I could go that route. I’m mainly just worried about adding excessive weight to the car.

Something of note is the 90’s Lotus Esprit:

There’s two rear windows. Very weird for a car that was built to be light.

What have you guys used? What worked? What didn’t?

[Vman455]

Question: why are you so set on building something before doing any testing?

I ask because it sounds like you're fretting over details of the build without knowing if it will be worth building anything at all. You haven't mocked anything up to tuft test, pressure test, or throttle-stop test. Everyone here telling you what shape to use and what details to consider is shooting in the dark. Worrying about materials puts the cart waaaaay out in front of the horse.

If I were you (and I'm in the same situation, since I'm laying out a plan right now to reduce the drag of my truck), I would start gathering cardboard, figure out a throttle stop and check to see that it will work (test windows up/windows down), jot down ideas for devices/shapes to try and how to test them. For example, one of the alterations I want to try is a front air dam. I saved the giant cardboard box from my new refrigerator so I can cut it up and tape it in place temporarily. I laid out the limiting design goals (preserve a front approach angle of at least 20 degrees) and calculated how deep the air dam can be to meet that goal. When I actually test it, I'll start with it at its lowest height and then progressively cut more of it off to see how that affects drag. Then and only then, I'll have the data I need to build a permanent air dam because I will know what height it should be for maximum drag reduction--or not build one at all if it turns out not to reduce drag.

On you Civic, I would build a cardboard back that I could trim to change its angle and then test it. That way you can find out: 1. if such a change reduces drag or not and by how much and 2. what angle/shape reduces drag the most, if any. If it turned out that it reduces drag, then I would worry about what to build a permanent version out of.

[JacobLeSann]

Vman445, the reason I’m hypothesizing and overthinking is that the car isn’t running right now. I have to wait until I get it running to test it. Testing it before doing anything will definitely be the plan, though (I think I mentioned that in this thread). I plan to do the exact same as you, with lots of cardboard swiped from my workplace.

At the moment it’s almost more of a interest than a plan. I’m likely not going to start work on the car’s aero until a while from now.

[aerohead]

Definitely! When she wasn't in the air she was in her T-hanger at Chino Airport.