Project: Geo Metro boat tail prototype - 15% MPG improvement @ 90 kph / 56 mph

[Bicycle Bob]

Originally Posted by wagonman76

I remember back in 1989 when a Yugo got blown off our Mackinac Bridge. Hard to say what really happened, everybody's stories were contradicting, some say she was speeding, some say she stopped, some say she started swerving... but one thing was for sure, it was a tiny car driving in high winds. Since then they installed anemometers and close the bridge in high winds.

I can understand one might want to remove the tail. Taking a trip to the city, it can be a lot harder to maneuver in tight spots with a tail.

A tail tends to turn a vehicle into the wind, increasing stability. In town, a small car with a new big tail would take some getting used to, but big cars are not really all that hard to manage.

[Christ]

I think the lever angle of the tail would seriously take some getting used to, as opposed to driving a longer car in general, unless said longer car had a short wheel base and a long trunk.

Going forward (as always) won't be nearly as much of a problem as maneuvering in reverse, I think.

[botsapper]

Ecomodder's inflatable boattail concepts. Pfft. It seems that Ford went ahead a created an inflatable 'blocking' car perfect for really close drafting. Imagine your FE results!!!
Actually they are dynamic 'car' bodies used for their active crash avoidance & driver aids prototypes/programs. They are basically target practice for their sensors & monitors to create a database of optimum & safe speed/braking distances. The inflatable forms holds pretty well at speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UNQDKUV5u8

[BamZipPow]

How about this train of thought...

Something like one of those collapsible cups but in a bigger format to fit the back of the vehicle. It could be made out of coroplast quite easily fer shape and low weight. Attach it to the back of the vehicle, pull it out and lock it in place when you need the aero capabilities and unlock/collapse it back down when you don't need it.

Do you really need to go to the very edge to git all of the aero effects? Can't you just kinda step it down from the edges to git some effect? Sort of a step/chop of the extension...a compromise? Just a thought...

[Christ]

"I do sometimes wonder if any automakers... Ford included... are putting in too much technology, to make bad drivers think that they're better than they are..."

I couldn't agree with this statement more.

[wagonman76]

Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob

A tail tends to turn a vehicle into the wind, increasing stability. In town, a small car with a new big tail would take some getting used to, but big cars are not really all that hard to manage.

I was thinking more along the lines of strong crosswinds. Bassjoos said his tail does make for getting pushed around a little more in crosswinds, but not terrible.

And for city, I was thinking if you had to parallel park or even park in a really tight spot. I know around here there are a lot of places that are a pain to get out of even with one of my mid size cars with no tail. Many parking lots have screwy angles and are cramped, and people tend to just park wherever they feel like. The local gas station is a real pain, I've gotten to where I always just park in back, even before the tail. Also like say trying to back out when a larger vehicle is parked next to you, you'd have the tail all the way out before you can even see if anyone iis coming to smash into you. I get this a lot, and so even when going to McDonalds or something, I park at the back of the lot.

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by wagonman76

Also like say trying to back out when a larger vehicle is parked next to you, you'd have the tail all the way out before you can even see if anyone iis coming to smash into you.

How about a pivoting rearview camera? You stick out the tip of the tail, look left and right, like with a periscope.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by wagonman76

Also like say trying to back out when a larger vehicle is parked next to you, you'd have the tail all the way out before you can even see if anyone iis coming to smash into you.

All the more reason to reverse into parking spaces. It's safer and probably more efficient vs. driving in.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by BamZipPow

Something like one of those collapsible cups but in a bigger format to fit the back of the vehicle. It could be made out of coroplast quite easily fer shape and low weight. Attach it to the back of the vehicle, pull it out and lock it in place when you need the aero capabilities and unlock/collapse it back down when you don't need it.

Neat idea. Someone looking at the car yesterday mentioned the same concept: "you need something like those Russian dolls that go inside one another."



(Matryoshka doll - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

[MetroMPG]

Picked up some lightweight aluminum tubing to reuse in this project. They're frames from old boat tops. $20 for three from a boat canvas shop, and the other two were being thrown away by someone in the neighbourhood.


Things are progressing at my usual pace...