$2.50 Wheel Skirts
 

I'm on the first aero mod... I made sure to make it cheap and removable so I can do testing to determine its influence on my FE when I have a dependable daily commute.
I used sheetrock corner-brace, some recycled coroplast campaign signs, sheet metal screws, washers, and duct tape. Paint will come later.

As for the poll, I'm trying to decide... paint the skirts white and put the ecomodder.com decals on them (to make the decals stand out), or green to match the car?
More details than you'd ever want to know about what I did are on my blog, along with more pictures.
Matt
http://bp2.blogger.com/_2A3Fl4I3bzo/...Skirts+009.jpg
http://bp3.blogger.com/_2A3Fl4I3bzo/...Skirts+011.jpg

nice !! love the scort wagons!

gascort, love the cheapie skirts!

Still, I think you should have sunk another $0.99 into them and spray-painted them black first. :p

Maybe I'll score some free plastic once the lawn signs come out in front of the coming election. ;)

Hey, I just looked again, why haven't you deleted the roof rack, yet? :confused:

The people have spoken... Green Skirts!
 

I can't find my ecomodder.com decal though! I should've installed it the minute it arrived here. Hopefully it turns up in the next day or two.
I also finished a bit more... pics here and on my blog! I'm still planning on taking all of this off in August when I start work (teaching) again, so I can compare FE scientifically.
Pictures: Front end factory, then modded, then the whole car. Yes, I'm planning on trimming the front block up tomorrow.
Matt
http://bp0.blogger.com/_2A3Fl4I3bzo/...Skirts+016.jpg
http://bp0.blogger.com/_2A3Fl4I3bzo/...Skirts+019.jpg
http://bp0.blogger.com/_2A3Fl4I3bzo/...Skirts+020.jpg

I'm going to have to fill in some holes and I want to get data on exactly how much the removal affects my FE. I don't want to take it off, then reinstall, then take it off again.
Have no fear, my friend. I've already removed the headliner and loosened all the bolts - she's ready to be destroyed!!!

Oh, and the black ended up not being necessary - Krylon Fusion plastic paint is incredible!

you have to camm back that thing!!, wow, looking great !!

Wow. Having the fold at the back makes it much easier then trying to make the whole thing curved. Def going to give wheel skirts a chance again.

Just not really feeling screwing into body, so I'm going to have to try some other ideas.

Friend suggested .... using that mesh fiberglass that hardens when you put whatever on it. Sorry, forgot exact names. But having that go on inside lip of wheel well and around to coroplast.

Believe me, I would never have done this to my mustang, but I bought this car for fuel economy experimentation only, so I'm not worried about damaging it.
I think you're referring to fiberglass and hardener, or bondo, to do your wheel. I might try to make a fiberglass shell based off the skirts (using them as a mold or form) later, depending on how long the coroplast and duct tape last.
I also noticed yesterday that I can take the wheels off without removing the skirts - should just have to remove the bottom two screws and lift the car up by the body, and the wheel and tire should come free. Loosening the lug nuts without having the tire on the ground will be the real trick. :)

Did I hear Coroplast Cammback? Oh yes, but I don't think I'm going to make it today. I need to figure out how it will work at the top of the hatch (my hatch top slides below the roof level when it's lifted - I need to look at Andrew's civic design again and see if he had the same issue.)
Matt

Yes, green looks better than black. I'll have to see if they have a dark blue that will closely match my blue Civic. :o

I'm thinking of mocking up something on my '06 Civic using coat hangar wire and cardboard. If it it works, I'll try the same thing using sturdier materials. ;)

Problem is, even if I paint the cardboard on both sides, one rainstorm will probably ruin them. :(

As for the roof rack, I'd use RTV to seal the holes. Will seal well, can last a long time and if you have to remove it, well, any screw or bolt can work its way through the stuff no problem. :thumbup:

1. I bet they do. I've heard WalMart has the best selection of Krylon Fusion plastic paint, so look there.
2. cardboard? No! I'm totally sold on coroplast. Made exactly like corrugated cardboard, but about 50% stronger, and WILL last through the rain! :thumbup:
3. I have some RTV and flexible Window-Weld to fill holes, but the issue with replacement is that the two beams that cross the top fit down into smooth pieces that I want to leave there (otherwise it would result in a very rough surface) and I think I'm going to cut the base of each beam to fit flush and RTV it to be smooth.

My Zero Dollar Skirts...
 

I made these from sheet metal from the roof of a S10 cab and pounded them out on a sand bag with a rubber mallet. The supports the attach to the car via brackets are 1/4" steel rod were given to me at the local steel yard. Time invested is one weekend of mostly trying to figure out how to do it. Doing it was easy.

+2 mpg with this cheap mod!!!
 

justpassintime, I wanted to use sheet metal, but I couldn't find any cheaper than $1 per square foot. I tried to find a salvage box truck that I could cut from, but never thought of cutting it from a car in the junkyard! Looks nice.
My materials were technically $0 too, but I had to buy the sheet metal screws, washers, and duct tape since I was out at home.

Preliminary results for the grill block and wheel skirts: +2 mpg on the highway: New high - 47.2 mpg today!
Grill block:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_2A3Fl4I3bzo/...Skirts+023.jpg

Low $$$ Mods
 

I have to finish them yet, I basically threw them together, wanted to make sure they were worth the time. I used regular rivets I want to replace them with flush rivets but need to order a dimpling tool for that. So by the time I get through fussing with them and get them painted. They won't be free anymore, but will pay for themselves many times over.

I want to do the grill block thing too but want to make it so it opens and closes when the fan comes on or I think it needs more air. I live in eastern Washington and it does get in the high 90s and even into the 100s at times.
This last saturday it was 102 in the shade.

Nice! That's in line with what I'd expect to see from those mods. Skirts + grille block netted me about a 5.5% gain (yours is a 4.4% increase).

I'm working on re-doing the design for my grill block; I think I can do better. My stock front end is probably worse than the blackfly's, so I should see a better gain if I do it right.:thumbup:
The skirts are something that should come with the car, for almost every car. We should to an official count of all the wheel skirts in the Ecomodder fleet that you and SVOboy have initiated - it probably accounts for a decent reduction in fuel usage overall!