1989 Chevy Celebrity 4 door - kammback ideas

[wagonman76]

It's probably going to be another week before I finish it. First I need to sharpen my drillbits to attach the shower liner. And it's been too windy to paint it. Then since I am still cut back on hours, I wanted to find a deal on tallights. I found some on ebay, for about $1 a piece including shipping and they are supposed to be here next Thursday.

The clear part does not hinge. The whole thing hinges at the back of the framework that comes off the bottom of the bumper. I have a pic at home I can post. It still bolts to the rods on the trunk so it is not going to flip up or anything when driving.

Not sure about the coastdown tests. Michigan has these whipping winds that never quit and change direction a lot. Plus the roads are beat up. So it is nearly impossible to get a consistent coastdown test anywhere. I'd be better off just seeing how my mpg is with the guino on a given trip where I know about what I should be getting based on weather, temperature, and wind.

[wagonman76]

Finally it is pretty much done. Yesterday I cut the taillight holes and painted it and wired the lights. Today it rained for awhile then later I stretched the shower liner over it and attached the license plate. Then I ziptied a piece of coroplast into the bottom of it so it doesn't catch air from below.

I still have to add backup lights, but the wiring is done. I am going to somehow fit in these new driving lights I have had laying around for awhile.

Also from the pics I see my taillights do not have reflective lenses, so I need to add some reflectors or reflective tape.

Also need to add a license plate light. But it's going to be probably the end of June before I drive it at night again, so I can get those things done whenever.

I'm pretty pleased with how it has turned out.

Monday I go back to work, so let's see how it affects my mileage.

[Frank Lee]

I WANT FE RESULTS!!!

I CAN'T WAIT!

[Daox]

Wooohoo, looks great!

[Jetta90GL]

From a distance the round tail lights make it look almost like a Corvette. I'm surprised how smooth the shower curtain turned out, do you think it will stretch loose in hot sun?

I can't wait to see your results either.

[wagonman76]

Hard to tell right now if it helped FE. 30F and wind and rain all morning, plus I had to drop 2 kids in 2 different places on the way. The way home should give a better indication if it is helping.

Have not seen much sun this year so I'll have to wait and see if the curtain heats up and stretches. It was about 40F when I installed it, had to lay boards on it to keep it from blowing away. (Where's that global warming anyway, it's June and I am still running the woodstove.) I stretched it pretty good on there and used a screw and washer at least every 3" with the rough side of the washer down.

A coworker happened to be following me part of the way this morning and he said it looked like a Corvette or Delorean, till I turned the corner then he knew who it was. I was actually shooting for the tail end to look like my old trailer in the pic, which I made to look like a semitrailer, but then I realized I didn't have another license/backup bezel. Now I see it does look kinda cool, like a vette.

One thing I noticed this morning is the curtain was all fogged up so I had to use my mirrors. Another thing is I am getting reflections from the inside of the framework and back of the car which makes it harder to see. GM solved this issue with the windshield of the APV vans with black carpet on the dash, so I may look for some black carpet and fill the area.

This is something I have been thinking of trying rather than the shower curtain, and is cheaper than plexi or lexan. But for now, I want to keep it as cheap as possible since I don't have much money to spare.

One Step Ahead Baby - Clear Banister Guard Kit

[wagonman76]

Well so far it is tough to measure, but it appears to have given me about a 5% improvement in FE.

Going downstate last time I had a headwind both ways (entire way south, then the wind shifted north for most of the ride home). I got 38.3 there and 39.5 back.

Last time before that I went into a south headwind downstate I got around 36.5 there then about 42.5 coming back in the tailwind.

The last few days it has actually warmed up, 70F in the sun for part of the day. I got 35.5 one day home from work, never topped 35 before except maybe once. Got 34.5 this morning after sitting all weekend and it was about 40F. Coming home today should do well. I am likely getting a small improvement here too, not much but better than nothing. The wind changes so much it varies but it seems like I am doing a little better overall. In woodsy spots with no wind I am getting about 5 instant mpg better. I think the cold weather has trumped most aero gains, but now it is warmer hopefully I will see more.

The shower liner has stretched a little in the middle, it did almost right away then no more. It has a tad bit of flop at anything below 20 mph, then above that it stays solidly pulled out. So either there is vacuum back there, or it is like the bernoulli effect where the fast moving air across it keeps the pressure low and keeps it taut.

Going downstate last time I got a LOT of looks on the freeway, like probably 3 out of 4 passengers turned around and stared after passing me. Maybe I need a little advertising like an ecomodder.com logo on the back and average mpg.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by wagonman76

Well so far it is tough to measure, but it appears to have given me about a 5% improvement in FE.

Going downstate last time I had a headwind both ways (entire way south, then the wind shifted north for most of the ride home). I got 38.3 there and 39.5 back.

Last time before that I went into a south headwind downstate I got around 36.5 there then about 42.5 coming back in the tailwind.

The last few days it has actually warmed up, 70F in the sun for part of the day. I got 35.5 one day home from work, never topped 35 before except maybe once. Got 34.5 this morning after sitting all weekend and it was about 40F. Coming home today should do well. I am likely getting a small improvement here too, not much but better than nothing. The wind changes so much it varies but it seems like I am doing a little better overall. In woodsy spots with no wind I am getting about 5 instant mpg better. I think the cold weather has trumped most aero gains, but now it is warmer hopefully I will see more.

The shower liner has stretched a little in the middle, it did almost right away then no more. It has a tad bit of flop at anything below 20 mph, then above that it stays solidly pulled out. So either there is vacuum back there, or it is like the bernoulli effect where the fast moving air across it keeps the pressure low and keeps it taut.

Going downstate last time I got a LOT of looks on the freeway, like probably 3 out of 4 passengers turned around and stared after passing me. Maybe I need a little advertising like an ecomodder.com logo on the back and average mpg.

Wagonman,I struggled through an entire winter with the bellypan on the T-100.Nothing I could do would produce results until the spring,when temps finally eased.I like to think you'll have the same experience with the Celebrity.------------- I'm so impressed with what you've done,I've had two photos of your car printed in landscape,one for my permanent home reference and one copy to keep in the cab of the truck to show people who ask about what I'm doing.You'll be traveling with me in September when I do the trailer test.I think folks will get a big kick out of what you've done.Congratulations in advance for your expected higher mpg,I look forward to your updates,Phil.

[skyl4rk]

Its pretty funny the amount of attention that 'tails get. I keep seeing other people acting strange when they see my car.

Is there any way to bring the tail end of the vehicle to a point like the trailing edge of a teardrop?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by skyl4rk

Its pretty funny the amount of attention that 'tails get. I keep seeing other people acting strange when they see my car.

Is there any way to bring the tail end of the vehicle to a point like the trailing edge of a teardrop?

If you've seen the template from Darin's Project: making a permanent Metro Kammback,you'll see the length necessary to completely eliminate profile ( pressure) drag.Not very practical for daily driving.--------- The trailer project I'm targeting for September will be a way for me to investigate a "full" tail.Since we expect "length" with a trailer it's not a "hardship." By making the trailer a "boattail",it provides a safe way to investigate the inherent gains possible by a full tail.---------------- Since I like to camp anyway,by extending the length,I get a full boattail and a place to "live" out on the open road.The moveable gap-fillers between the truck and trailer face provide a complete flow support surface,from the T-100's nose,to a point 12-feet behind the truck.------------ The wake will be reduced from 29 square feet,to about 1.5 square-feet,to accomodate the rear license plate and taillight pods.Profile drag will be virtually eliminated.They'll be a little skin-friction penalty and increased rolling-resistance from the trailer and its axle/wheels/tires.I got 50-mpg pulling a trailer behind the CRX and it was nowhere as streamlined as what I'll achieve with the "Viking" hull-based unit.From the equations,the rig might see 40-mpg HWY,and 36-mpg Interstate.No telling 'til it's over,hence the premise of the project.