Accord aero mods, 4.25% increase, more to come

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Have you never considered a rearview camera instead?

[Istas]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Have you never considered a rearview camera instead?

I have and subsequently decided it is not for me, due to cost, electricity use, durability, visibility, and it still gives blind spots. I'll stick with turning my head and looking.

[whatmaycome14]

Very clean looking! I'd love to see some more photos of what it looks like up close.

[Istas]

Originally Posted by whatmaycome14

Very clean looking! I'd love to see some more photos of what it looks like up close.

Thank you very much! And can do, I'll be testing the radiator fan light today, I'll get some more pics of it while it's outside. The galvanized sheet metal I'm using is unfortunately blemished. I've had the roll for over four years now. But at US$0.60 a square foot I'm going to keep using it anyway, since it's galvanized it should be cosmetic only.

[j12piprius]

Please elaborate about the sheet metal flashing. HD has a 14"x25' roll, and I wonder if it would be suitable for a nose on the bumper.

[Istas]

Originally Posted by johnlvs2run

Please elaborate about the sheet metal flashing. HD has a 14"x25' roll, and I wonder if it would be suitable for a nose on the bumper.

I don't recall the gauge, and the sticker on it is long gone. The one I got was a 50-foot roll 20" wide and cost $50 (I would have gotten the ten-foot roll, but that was $40 at the time, go figure). Probably more now as it was over four years ago.

It's galvanized steel flashing, and (at the gauge I have, anyway) it can be pretty sturdy with relatively simple construction. For instance, there's no reinforcement behind the airdam, it's just a skirt of the flashing, with the bottom edge folded under and another, flat sheet cut to shape and pop-riveted to it. I can push on the bottom edge of the airdam and rock the car back and forth while it's in park (on a level concrete garage floor, anyway) without any noteworthy deflection. Then again, I do have 35 sheet metal screws securing the airdam to the bumper...

You might get away with just using the sheet metal and pop rivets for creating an extended nose on the car, as long as any flat areas weren't big. For reinforcement I recommend aluminum, 1/4" x 3/4" seems to work well for flat bars (that you can bend to the desired shape). The sheet metal screws I have work well in this size bar. Aluminum L-bar is good for supporting flat sheets, like the undertray under the engine bay (though I wish I'd used one size larger than what I did, it flexes a bit more than I'd like).

I hope that answers your question, please ask again for any specifics you were looking for that I missed.

[j12piprius]

Thanks for those details. The 12"x25' was aluminum, quite light compared to the steel, that I could hardly pick up. I'm going to try a plastic nose, and will keep the flashing in mind for next time.

[Istas]

Originally Posted by johnlvs2run

Thanks for those details. The 12"x25' was aluminum, quite light compared to the steel, that I could hardly pick up. I'm going to try a plastic nose, and will keep the flashing in mind for next time.

Cool! Glad I could help. Aluminum would definitely have some added corrosion protection. If you use plastic you might think about getting a heat gun, to aid bending into shape. (one of the reasons I use metal)

[Istas]

Originally Posted by whatmaycome14

Very clean looking! I'd love to see some more photos of what it looks like up close.

Here you go! Shot showing the clearance of the car (the only one embedded in this post, to not clutter with images), and shots of the front from higher up, side profile (including wide-open rims I plan on covering), the support bar for the upper grill block, close-up of gap sealing, close-up of the 54 square inches of intake, and a shot showing scangauge and installed radiator fan indicator light.
Honda Photos by IstasPuma | Photobucket

[Flakbadger]

It's funny, with the upper grille blocked off like that, the headlights make it look a lot like a Nissan 350z..

Nice work, looks really good.