1965 Ford F100 Aero cap? Photoshop inside...
 

Modding the Probe and reading about other success stories here has made me really want to improve my truck's 14-15mpg. Just driving it to car shows and whatnot isn't bad but last summer I daily drove it for two months while working on my Rabbit so the gas costs got painful for this college student.

Anyway, I'm just going to post up some ideas to see what you all think. It would be cool to make this over winter break so it'll hit the ground running next spring :thumbup: The cap would probably be made of painted plywood and hinged at the top for easy access. You can see the panel gaps in the 3/4 view. It's got to still be functional so it'll probably have to slot into the stake pockets for easy removal.

Of course the truck would get a belly pan and very small air dam as well, because honestly the twin I beam and underbody are a complete aero mess!

Anyway, 2 minute Photoshops...

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6236/...d87d990a_z.jpg
Aero Cap? by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6235/...e89b2007_z.jpg
Aero Cap? by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

Perhaps a curved top to emulate Hucho's template?
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6107/...b8e713cb_z.jpg
Aero Cap? by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

Would it be good to taper in plan view too, or will the edges of the box negate this? Could I make a window in it? Out of what, plexi?

What kind of gains have others seen with aero caps?

PS- for those who are wondering it's a 352 V8 with 3 on the tree. Hardly economical.

I like the idea of doing something retro and period correct, which your font certainly seems to conjure.

Curving the rear corners so it ends up being more of an arch at the little end does seem to be the trend, and would flatter the rest of your curves.

I think rear vision is surrendered unless you are going plexi-glass roof with a Prius type rear mini window.

Have you thought of making this an aero camper? I have not seen this done yet. I don't mean "pop-up" style, I have seen that. I'm thinking more like the green template humping the roof and then tapering back.

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...ck-overlay.jpg

The first two pics -- side view -- look like Air Force service vehicles. Or, a local gas station light-duty wrecker (low boom). Both cool. Let the letter type" match the Ford lettering "type" is ideal, nearly as you have it. The curved piece is almost more a 1930's or 40's look. Maybe "better", but outside of the period appeal. I vote the first pair. Either would be outstanding!

Sweet. The template is your friend aero wise but in the case of this truck a curved shell can work nicely with classic wheel skirts. The duck tail and lettering also look nice. And yes, plan taper too - definitely! :D

Agreed! But align the bottom of the template at ground level and enlarge. The gentler roof line will improve head room for interior comfort. Longer it can rest on the tailgate too. :D

Retro was not the intent, but it did work out that way. I've been wanting to do a topper for awhile but haven't had the time/money to develop some fiberglass skills. (No one sells toppers for these)

The vision is a legitimate concern so it will have to be addressed. Perhaps some thin-ish acrylic? I could layer them one over another like a lobster shell so water and air don't get caught up in the gaps.

I have thought a little about making some usable space in the bed but it really comes down to the fact that I'd never use it. However, one of my life goals (hopefully implemented in the next 5 years) is to travel the US or perhaps the continent in a VW T2 or T3 camper. This of course would need a boat tail! :D But seriously with the long distance driving it could mean hundreds of dollars of savings.

Cliffs: Not on this vehicle.

A Flickr contact said they look like airport vehicles! Haha, I don't know why this truck and not the billion others with aero toppers? :p

There really isn't a script font anywhere on the truck save for the Ford logo on the steering wheel so I'll probably just make up something 60's-ish like I did here. (Yes, it's hand lettered :D)

One of my contacts also said the curved top reminded him of this White streamliner:

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4071/4...7e10ca32b0.jpg
1937 White Model 700 Streamline Tanker Truck by aldenjewell, on Flickr

I still think it's more period correct than a boxy triangle but who knows?

Wheel skirts? Did they even make them for these? :confused:

Plan taper, got it!

Next step: 3D mockup! (Not for awhile though- finals loom)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3563/3...bb7b0119_m.jpg
1966 Ford F-100-750 Conventional Cab Dimensions by Custom_Cab, on Flickr

I think this is how the overlay needs to be done:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ickupTruck.png

^^That's the way I did it. If you're talking to Kachi, he was trying to make a high top camper.

plan-taper
 

Both the original Dodge/T-100 aeroshell and Poco-Loco which serves me today have plan-taper and provide a 13% mpg savings versus 10% for the straight-sided Ford/Texas Tech aeroshell.
It's a more challenging fabrication but will pay the biggest dividend at the pump if your willing to take it on.

Thank you for commenting, Phil! I have done a few drawings and imagine the side to side support beams to have radii on the outside edges which get larger as they go back. This could include plan view tapering but I'd like it to go to all edges for storage and looks reasons. The problem then would be what to use for skin.

Damn your eyes, Sven7 (jk ;) )
You've ruined my whole weekend.
Running a google search on this dreamboat turned up these strange beauties,
which I'm going to have to research more fully:

1938 Diamond T Seagram's custom van

1937 Heintz Comet
http://images.hemmings.com/wp-conten...02_resized.jpg

Custom bodied Alfa Romeo
http://images.hemmings.com/wp-conten...eo_resized.jpg

NASA '37 Chevy? custom
http://images.hemmings.com/wp-conten...tail%20450.jpg

1933 Holland Coach Craft van
http://images.hemmings.com/wp-conten...ft_resized.jpg

Hungerford Rocket car, the "Shirley Lois Moon Girl"
http://images.hemmings.com/wp-conten...35_resized.jpg

Pribil Housecar
http://www.leblogauto.com/wp-content...l_housecar.jpg

REO Speed Tanker
http://images.hemmings.com/wp-conten...er_resized.jpg

All from various pages of streamliners and teardroppers | Hemmings Blog: Classic and collectible cars and parts

Oh damn! When you find something would you mind posting a thread on them?

3D model in progress... couldn't help myself.

Nice finds.

Here are a few more along those lines.

Just a Car Guy: Cool Rv's, 2 because they melded a vehicle and a trailer into one
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_i_AovfzNXg...+'30s..jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_i_AovfzNXg...2Bblogspot.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_i_AovfzNXg...0/earlymh1.jpg

All those random truck pics should really have their own thread...

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6033/6...072db125_z.jpg
Aero cap mockup by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6108/6...e07f9bc9_z.jpg
Aero cap mockup by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6102/6...89e77312_z.jpg
Aero cap mockup by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6240/6...b5df05ac_z.jpg
Aero cap mockup by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

For some odd reason the top of the cab wouldn't turn white...

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6212/6...f322d5f1_z.jpg
Aero Cap by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6054/6...456cd5e4_z.jpg
Aero Cap by Tyler Linner, on Flickr

That looks very intriguing.

Confusion is my curse, sorry. I meant existing openings in side panels for the wheels. They have nice curvature. A teardrop shell (side view) blends with those elements so it not only pleases the wind but eyeballs too. Since you don't use the bed much, construction can be simplified. Sounds like you don't need/want a hatch lid for access. 3D mockup is fun. Google Sketchup is free yet surprisingly good. Here's a concept I doodled a while ago that might offer some food for thought.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1321799679

that duck tail one looks great! Now just imagine for a moment, a receiver hitch bumper and tail light extension assembly about 4' back, and a three piece easy on/easy off removable boat tail for the long road trips. Might be worth building a temp one to see of it pays.

Ok, I see. I do want to have an access hatch. Sometimes I sit in the bed and draw cars at car shows. And, although it looks cool on a newer truck I really want to keep it looking somewhat period correct. It appeared to be too much trouble to make the model how I really wanted. The tumblehome would increase as the topper goes back, so that the rear of it would have perhaps 60* of inward slant.

And, well, I tolerate 3D mockup for the result! :D

No trailers! lol, I don't have the time or money for that, and the truck's not going on road trips. Its main duties are car shows and trips to the lumber yard with my dad.

And picking up the ladies! This is slightly more masculine than my '81 b**ch basket hahaha

Not a trailer, a set of tail lights and light frame that plugs into a receiver hitch. then you attach the boat tail on that.
I doubt it would enhance the chick magnet effect.

If so then your, ah, date might be manlier than you . . . .

Take a look at what I did fer a hatch on my aero cap... ;)
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...dea-15137.html

BZP I'll take another look.

Oh, I see now. Hah. Don't hold your breath! :D

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6...b48664ce_b.jpg

Thanks a ton to ChazinMT for the Flow Illustrator! I threw up a few variants. Looks like the belly pan should angle up more in the rear. Maybe it can angle up to the bottom of the bumper. That would be slick.

Did a couple more renditions with longer rear pans. They seem to do some good.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6...8e89377a_o.jpg

Program crashed so I'll try more later.

Ok my big presentation was yesterday so I had some spare time today.

Looks like the flat cap does pretty much the same thing as the aero cap. It's also 100x easier to build. Have fun.

Left:
tailgate down
tailgate up
flat cap
aero cap
teardrop

Right:
top three: w/ bellypan
bottom: w/ nosecone

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6...c756a429_b.jpg

This may be the most promising contribution yet. For a so-called toy program (by the author not me) these pix seem to correlate reasonably well (coarse grain) to more advanced and serious work by domain experts. It would be great if the templates were available to others as a starting point for further fiddling, along with the parameters used in these runs. Thanks a bunch in advance and rock on! :D

I'm glad that I came back to this thread, cool stuff.

I found this in the site's pick-up truck album section today.

Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - aerohead's Album: Pickup images - Picture
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-ae...-overdrive.jpg
Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - aerohead's Album: Pickup images - Picture
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-ae...ilkisons-t.jpg
Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - aerohead's Album: Pickup images - Picture
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-ae...0-profile2.jpg
Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - aerohead's Album: Pickup images - Picture
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-ae...od-blister.jpg
Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - aerohead's Album: Pickup images - Picture
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-ae...r-3-4-view.jpg

FYI - Lots of interesting article and ideas here - streamliners and teardroppers | Hemmings Blog: Classic and collectible cars and parts

I think this old "Seagrams Diamond T" streamline truck could be a source of inspiration.

http://blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/...01_resized.jpg

FWIW,
Tim

^^^ Most of those old streamliners were more styling exercises than anything. I do like them but they have to be kept in their own place- next to the Chrysler Airflows of the world. :)

Thanks, I do plan on making the triangle shaped cap. Hopefully over winter break. If you or anyone wants a side view to work from I've got Photoshop so just let me know the year, make and model and I can do it for you. It literally takes about 3 minutes max. :thumbup:

Edit: Here's the thread.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tes-19728.html

From Phil's album? I've studied those quite a bit in fact. Almost all of my source information for my projects comes from this site. Thanks to everyone for all the help!

The Dodge pickup was probably one of my biggest sources of inspiration for this particular aero cap. (Along with BZP's enthralling Toyota)

We are kicked out of work for 4th of July week so I'm taking the opportunity to go back to MN to get the truck and drive it to my new place in Detroit. This means aeromodding.

I've been thinking about work vs. payoff on the 750 mile trip which, at 15mpg, will cost about $200- the same as an Amtrak ticket. If I bump it up to 16mpg (6% better) I'll save 1.8 gallons and $7. At 17mpg (13% better) I'll save 6 gallons and ~$24. Remember, I have to buy lead fuel additive as well.

I really don't think it's going to be practical to get more than 15% increase with the week I've got at home. It's also going to be carrying my Schwinn Hornet and some random crap.

Tentative plan is: half tonneau cover, deep front air dam, wheel skirts, passenger mirror delete, partial grille block(without covering any of the radiator). Also, oil/filter change, coolant flush, make sure stuff's working.

Does anyone else have some ideas? I'm looking at probably breaking even after doing these mods. The air dam will probably stay on long-term. Tonneau, maybe. Am I missing anything?

EDIT- the mirror mounts are so simple on this thing that I could probably build up a small bullet shaped convex mirror and save quite a bit of frontal area and Cd. With 1961 truck technology, I'm going to need all the help I can get.

I'll do some googling, but does anyone know if using E0 gas will be worth the money in an old vehicle like this? (352 V8)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5263/5...e81aced9_b.jpg

I've been running E10 in the '59 for 13 years now. I'm expecting valve recession but it still runs good. If/when I detect a valve issue I'll have hardened seats installed, no big deal.

Once you get the supplies together the chin spoiler is less than a 2-hour job and that includes clean up, so do that step first.

Your truck would look good with a white 1/2 cover, the black colored product tends to swell in direct sun and remains quite distorted once it cools back down.

S10 4x4 Pick Up Photos by kach22i | Photobucket
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...psd50b7b34.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...psfd11bc4d.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps81a3ae8b.jpg

A stiffer heavier material may be warranted.

Half the work is getting the supplies and details sorted out, it's a fast job after that. I'd make the cover the second thing on the list.

^^^ Thanks on the topper. I didn't think about distortion, but it would just be plywood cut to fit anyway. None of that fancy rubberylonastica! :D

Any MPG results? I run E10 with lead additive. (Planning to restore the truck at some point and the engine will get rebuilt too)

Now thinking that it might not be a big deal to just built an entire aero cap like the green '77 F100 here on EM. Even if it's just a triangle, it should save me almost $20 over the trip, increasing total savings to $30 or so... just speculative. A half-tonneau may not hold the improvements I'd like over that kind of mileage. Either way the ROI would be at the very end of the trip, or on future trips. More of a "what can this truck do" experiment...

It gets driven so little I suspect a good portion of the fuel evaporates (no evap system). When I did check it IIRC it got 20. I've put about 12,000 miles on it over those years.

Lead additive if it is being worked hard. Easy highway cruise, no.

- Age of your tires and their pressure is a higher concern (Firestone Transforce has an excellent price/reputation in oilfield work). Monroe Reflex shocks

- The big one is: coolant + pump + hoses + thermostat (MR GASKET 4363, the old ROBERTSHAW HD piece [see pics; buy from this range]; ck for fit and temps). I'd also add Radiator Master RMI-25 to the propoer blend of new coolant. If the radiator is at all questionable, repair or replace. Same for fan, clutch and shroud. This system is likely the most problematic due to lack of maintenance, and most likely to leave you stranded. Fuel pump a close second.

(My first car, 1973, was a 1966 V8-428 Ford Country Squire with every single option. Test runs out of Dallas on FM-455 blasting through Sanger, TX part of the tuning regimen back then. The old FE Ford motor ain't exciting, but it is reliable).

- New exterior lamps, fuses, etc, just because they are old. Keep current ones as spares. HD flasher unit (electronic) if not already in place.

- Wiper blades and brake linings.

- Steering slop.

Record your mechanical baseline (maintenance/repairs). On a truck it is even more important than with a car, and work will show larger FE changes.

.

I always use lead additive and this most recent fillup was with 91 octane too, which seems to help it run smoother.

Unfortunately didn't have much time to prep the truck but it did great the whole way. No overheating or any issue besides the battery connections not working once. We (a friend rode along/co-drove) repositioned the cables and it worked fine.

Made an air dam with the deepest lawn edging available at Menards (over a trimmed 2x6 wooden frame and bolted to the frame) and threw on the plywood tonneau my dad had been using to protect the bed.

Ended up with 15, 17, 17, averaging 16.3mpg over the whole trip. Wow!

http://i44.tinypic.com/5da1w6.jpg

I don't think I'll be driving this on the freeway enough to really warrant any more aeromods and likely will just remove the air dam and tonneau since I don't like that look on this old truck.

But it was a success!

So it's coming time to drive to MN and back. I've got to bring home a drill press and it's cheaper to drive Boo than take Amtrak then rent a pickup/minivan/car.

I've had a shop here do a lot of work to it last week (incl. carb rebuild), and am taking it in tonight to tie up loose ends and discuss concerns.

In the mean time, I'm trying to throw together some aeromods. Last time the air dam paid for its $20 self, and I'm hoping the addition of a well-designed tonneau will help even more. I bought two 4x8', 1/2" OSB sheets and am going to hopefully throw something together.

Putting the template over it, it appears that I can gain some efficiency by extending the [blue] tonneau back about 15" from the inside of the tailgate. The blueprint is incorrect; I added a new tailgate line where the bed really ends (7' long, 6' wide over top of bed rails).

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-sv...00-tonneau.jpg

I'd love to build some sides on it to create a box cavity, but don't think I'll have time for that. I'll taper the edges of the tonneau in about 10-15 degrees and hope for the best. I'd love to do a partial tonneau, but I'll be carrying bicycles in the back.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-sv...ture4138-a.jpg

Other temporary mods will include passenger mirror removal, and perhaps some tape-on wheel skirts if I feel like messing with painter's tape again. I'd like to have a more aero-friendly mirror to throw on the driver's side, but it's not in the cards this time around. Also might try some airflow trips on the front leading edges of the truck. These trucks actually have pretty decent stock grille blocks though.

I suppose it will be something like 5-7% improvement, since the stock bed is too short to really create a phantom boat tail. Add to that the air dam that I kept from the last trip, and we might be talking about something from maybe 6-10% improvement, no?

So, maybe 17 mpg or so. Last time I topped out at 17mpg but it was running rich. I'm really hoping the new tune and new tonneau will bring it back up there, and maybe brush closer to 20 mpg. 18mpg would be about 38 gallons and $115 one-way. An Amtrak round trip ticket is ~$140 and renting a truck for the weekend is $600+

18 mpg
 

18 seems like a reasonable expectation.
My grandfather's old Dodge went from 11-mpg,to 16 mpg with 4-speed OD and taller rear axle.
An aero nose/grille-block/ fan delete/Plex headlight covers/front wheel gap closures/side mirror delete and addition of small car mirrors/full rear skirts,and aeroshell got it to 21.5 mpg.On a weak slant-six.It already had full wheel discs.
No doubt the Ford has low 20s potential,but I think you'll have to take it further to get it.
Let us know!;)

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1321799679
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/1965-ford-f100-aero-cap-photoshop-inside-19522-2.html#post271138

For when you get back, I like KamperBob's rendering from 2011. A little signage in a 60s typeface could 'age' it appropriately.

How big a drill press? I got this one at Goodwill for $45:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...5-100-0842.jpg

I have no idea why importing this picture un-rotated it. :confused:

I have had stuff like that happens. It seems like it does not actually save changes to the file, it just makes a note of them, so when you copy or transfer the file, it leaves the notes, and "reverts."

That's a reasonable theory, but I resized and rotated and the resizing stuck while the rotation dit-ent. So I'm still :confused: