19bonestock88's 2004 Saturn "Ion Green Line" build...

[19bonestock88]

The resale on a 2004 Saturn is basically zero so I’m not worried at all. The plan for now is to do a few more autocross events this season and then over winter test it down to add a supercharger. I guess the goal would be to do 40mpg highway with a blower on it, and be able to make ~230whp. I figure that if I can combine that with keeping the weight down to 2300lb it’ll be devastatingly quick in my class…

[Ecky]

Any chance of continued fuel logs?

[19bonestock88]

Originally Posted by Ecky

Any chance of continued fuel logs?

They’ll probably be few and far between and probably look like crap

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by 19bonestock88

They’ll probably be few and far between and probably look like crap

Up to you, but I don't cherry pick mine. Every drop of fuel used goes into the logs, even if I was towing a trailer full of concrete.

[19bonestock88]

I guess since we're back, I will continue with this car. No longer does it have any real pretense of hypermiling (i have in fact updated some of the aero to favor downforce which created a little drag), but I figure that a lot of the goals are shared with some ecomodders still, so the car is still relevant. I will update with photos of the new aero setup shortly, and we can discuss improving its performance.

[19bonestock88]

So, here are the photos of the new aero developments. i decided to go more aggressive here, partly because it looks cool, and partly because i wanted more grip. I'll explain...

On the front, I've extended the front undertray into a "mini splitter" and added some strakes at the tops of the fenders... The splitter is meant to generate a tiny bit of downforce, given that it only sticks out past the bumper about 40mm. I was concerned withs coroplast being strong enough for the task, but I've seen minimal deflection at 100+mph, so I call it good enough. The strakes were something I've always been curious about, having seen them on group 5 race cars, such as the Nissan R30 Skyline. Some explanation from a friend who has been in SCCA longer than I've been alive indicated they were used in Can-Am to help the cars generate more side force as they turned in. What's not to like?

In the rear, I switched to the bumper cover from an Ion Redline (giving my car the complete set of bodywork) mostly because I liked the look, and partly to steepen the diffuser angle for some downforce. I also added strakes to the top of the rear quarter panels, because it's used in land speed racers (and Can-Am racers alike) to help with stability. I also added strakes to the diffuser itself, switching up from a smooth diffuser design. It also stiffens the diffuser a ton which is always good...

[19bonestock88]

i wanted to give some insight on how crazy id gone in the search for a lighter car, or maybe outside the box, if you will...

near the end of my time with the car in 2023 i had built a custom "little big brake kit" using what was basically a kit made for the ND Miata and adapting it to fit my Saturn. not for the faint of heart (13 hours fabrication time) or the light of wallet (1300USD spent), but it shaved 7lb of unsprung and rotational mass off each front corner, i estimated... besides, who else has four piston Wilwood calipers and two piece rotors on a Saturn? it stops great too...

and earlier this year i had a starter battery failure so i replaced it with this even lighter 3Ah setup with a cupercap bank to make sure itll actually crank the high compression engine over. im guessing it weighs under 3lb?

and late in the summer i made these lightened (ventilated rear drums). scored a new pair from Marketplace and attacked them with my cordless drill and step bit and then had the ring machined off the outside with a lathe. we measured a 2lb reduction from each drum which i think is pretty good for them still being made of cast iron. so far, no issues braking...