Scion xA aero mods

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by harshalsk

I do not have rear spoiler on my Scion xA. Should I get it? Does it really help to get more MPGs?

If it's not there from the factory, you most likely don't really need it.

Somehow, there's a very large market for useless oversized spoilers

[harshalsk]

Thanks for clearing that up. You save me bunch of money. I owe you a beer.

[NeilBlanchard]

The smooth hubcaps definitely help, especially in the winter (the air is denser and has more drag). However, I cannot recommend the type of covers that pop into place with the springs that hold it there. After a while, the covers fall off, and they creak as you roll.

It is more work, but it is better I think to bolt some aluminum pizza pans on. Or, glue/rivet them onto the stock plastic hubcaps. The pizza pans are a lot less money, and they should stay in place better.

[StockBox45]

Hey I read an article on a site called AutoSpeed. com called "Blowing the Vortex" and one useful application of the Airtabs they found was on the underside of the front bumper...if you still have some it might be worth testing.

Here's the part of the article: (remove the spaces)

autospeed. com/ cms/ A_3061/ article. html


Great work by the way! I love the go getter DIY style!

[NeilBlanchard]

One of my rear wheel strakes got nearly ripped off the car, when a stick hit it. I need to modify it (make it narrower) and reinstall it. I'd love to remake it out of aluminum, but I think the Coroplast is a lot tougher; and I already have it, so probably the same piece will go back on.

My FE is slipping lately -- the car is either getting older (and possibly the clutch is slipping a tad), and/or my driving is too many short hops in cold weather.

[Sulfuric]

I've been taking a lot of really short "cold" (in FL) weather trips, and I noticed a serious drop in FE. It's only a guess, because that's all I have, but my gauge is at 60 where is should be at about $100

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Sulfuric

I've been taking a lot of really short "cold" (in FL) weather trips, and I noticed a serious drop in FE. It's only a guess, because that's all I have, but my gauge is at 60 where is should be at about $100

I've been compiling data from a 1.1-mile coast-down I do in the T-100 when traffic permits.
My terminal velocities are all over the radar screen,especially when I do the short commute to town with long stay,then cold restart and commute back home.
To give you an example,my terminal velocities range from 38mph at the 'finish line',to a dead stop,75-feet short of the line.And this is with zero modifications to the vehicle.
My last 'tank' ( 560 miles of mixed commuting ) was down 0.50 mpg as we slip into winter here.
I have a SAE paper which addresses these changes.Hope to post that sooner than later.
Bottom line is,short trips and colder temps are murder for mpg.

[NeilBlanchard]

I repaired the passenger side rear wheel strake (it got whacked by a stick) -- it is better than it was. It was a bit too wide, so I narrowed it a bit and rebuilt it off the car; then taped it on, so it looks better.





I also had to reinstall the rear wheels skirts, after having the winter tires put on. They are holding up fairly well -- Coroplast is tough stuff. Here's the front grill block -- I redid it with aluminum last summer and never got a picture of it. There are two pieces -- the first one fits the main opening and is cable-tied on. The second extends down to the bumper, and is pop riveted to the first; which covers half of the cable ties. The lower corners probably need pop rivets through the plastic grill; but for now I have them taped down (the air flow lifts them).





I also got the Ecomodder sticker on last summer.

The right front wheel cover is somewhere on Rt 80 in Ohio -- it came off a second time right after I had stopped to retrieve it. The right rear has come off at least 3 or 4 times, and is a lot worse for wear... Though I think flatter covers on the rear are slightly better?

I gotta rebuild the left wheel strake...

[alohaspirit]

thanks for the update neil


shes looking great

remind me again why the wheel skirts are angled like that?

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

I was in K-Mart last evening and since I need a wheel cover, I checked what they have on sale -- and they are selling all of their 14", 15" and 16" wheel covers for $16 for a set of 4.

I got the smoothest style of 15" and I used some foil tape I have to cover all but one opening:




I put the wire hoop in the tightest setting, and we'll see how it goes...

I was thinking of doing fiberglass over the plastic, but the foil tape is quicker. I do need to try doing fiberglass, if I'm going to attempt to build my CarBEN EV...