Aero My Accord??
 

Hey guys,

Hello! New here and eager to get started!

I'd like to do some aero mods on my 1994 Accord. So far I have some grill blocks. I used to have a partial undertray but i removed it to do some work. I'd be interested in mods that would give the best improvement in gas mileage. (So far 30 mpg is my record, and that's with trying to hypermile.)

Thanks,

Road Cyclist

Howdy,

Go ahead and introduce yourself on the Introductions page.

Start a Garage page for your Accord. Being able to track your results is huge.

My recommendation just for starters: put that belly pan back.

I'm having trouble getting pictures up...

Here's a link...

Mobile Uploads by Fake62 | Photobucket

You should be able to include pix now that you have >5 posts.

Grille block looks pretty sharp. Any air damming going on, or did you skip that in favor of the belly pan? I can't tell because the picture is small, I'm old and my eyes have been crap since second grade.

Sorry for the pic... No air dam yet. I have pipe insulation on the bottom and cardboard on the top grill.

Seems like an air dam and an undertray can't be used at the same time... am i wrong?

They can, but they both address the same problem. A dam diverts are from a problem area, whereas a pan makes the area less problematic.

I recommend you start here: 65+ Vehicle modifications for better fuel economy - EcoModder.com

I've read that... which do you recommend, a dam or tray?

The tray is a lot more work but will offer greater returns. I have one on my car.

You can install an airdam in a few minutes for a few bucks that will make a positive difference on your fuel economy.

You can install a belly pan in a few hours for a lot more bucks that will make a bigger difference.

I read from someone else that you could get about 80% of a full belly pan's benefit with a well-executed air dam, for a fraction of the pan's cost. Seeing how I have neither, I have no actual experience to speak from, I'm only repeating the wisdom of others.

One thing I have wondered is whether there is a benefit to be had by doing both. In the case of a fully panned car, I strongly doubt you would need as much dam.

I'd bet there's good reason to put a small dam in front of the tires at least, even with a pan in place.

The hardest-core guys have done it.

airdam/undertray
 

Ford used an 'active' airdam,in conjunction with an 'active' suspension for their full-belly-panned Ford Probe-IV concept of 1983,which registered Cd 0.154.
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...ead2/scan2.jpg

I've added a 4 inch air dam to the bumper... I'll try putting up some pics later.

Here we are. One photo is without the dam, one is with.

Mobile Uploads by Fake62 | Photobucket

I'm thinking about fiberglassed cardboard as a material for wheel skirts and undertrays. Anyone used this combo before?

I haven't seen the pix because NoScript says there are 6 advertisers lined up behind Photobucket itself. I could enable Photobucket only, but I don't want to see it that bad. Consider uploading pictures to an album you create on your Profile page.

https://www.google.com/search?q=fiberglass+over+cardboard+car

Looks like. :)

Be aware that as soon as water penetrates the skin it all turns to mush inside. The forums fave is Coroplast. Personally I like Polymetal

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...1-100-0866.jpg

Hmm, sorry bout the pics. I'll see what I can do.

Yeah, i knew cardboard was the weakness, but i have a lot at the moment.

It's an election year; prime Coroplast hunting season. Party offices before Nov 8th and front yards after.

cardboard/fiberglass
 

I made the nose,wheel skirts,and boat tail for my CRX with fiberglass'd cardboard.
Soaked all three in a cattle stock tank to turn the cardboard to mush afterwards,leaving only the glass shell.
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...itled310-1.jpg

I can't seem to get the rear wheels skirts down... Too many curves at once. I am starting to envy people with flat sided cars!

curves
 

Papier mache would allow you to layup extremely compound surfaces,which after drying,could be glassed over.A wire armature and hardware cloth or chicken wire could support the paper until glassing,then removed after.
Also,pie pieces can be cut from cardboard to allow complex bends,taping back together at the seams.
There's more than one way to skin a car!

Here is a body that is all bubble.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...belly-tank.png

What it shows is that your pie cuts can be as triangles, diamonds or hexagons. Diamonds are good, you can score or brake a flat sheet at two different angles. That will kill the flatness right there, then make your pie cuts along the creases as required. Then trim to the outline you need.

Instead of following the body, impose your own shape onto it.

I've sidestepped the problem for a while by making covers for the upper 2/3 of the wheel where it is basically flat. If i can wrestle your website's stringent photo posting protocols i may be able to post a picture.

Can you add pictures to an album on your profile page?

For a full size skirt you could brake horizontal creases to roll it under and then diagonal creases at the front and rear lower corners. But you don't have to, of course. :)

I'll add them, but I'm out at the moment.

I may wait to upgrade the skirts-I've spent a lot of time tangling with them.

YESS! I got a picture up! More coming...

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...pshy6sem7m.jpg

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...pszx0eqk9d.jpg

I can't seem to get the right curve on the cardboard. I may line the edge with electical tape to seal the crack.

Progress!
 

I took another shot at the wheel skirts, and i think i may have come up with somethinv workeable:

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psrlsorbxg.jpg

I actually did use trangles to help with curves!

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...pswgb7nflb.jpg

I made a cloroplast version, but it was unacceptably ugly. So that's still on hold.

Meanwhile i made a windshield wiper cover, as i did not want to use duct tape! It may or may not help with airflow as it has some sharp angles; please tell me your thoughts.

On previous cars I tried coroplast skits and I could never get them to look good. In retrospect, they probably shouldn't have been exactly the same of the well, but perhaps just square, or only rounded on the front side.

It seems like if you had a curved, color-matched piece to connect the black body moldings on the rocker and under the back bumper; then a slot cut in the top could accept a piece made from your template. That would strengthen the lower edge, too.

Yeah. I agree. My first wheel well blanks fit the well itself. My current third gen extends behind the well. And I now think it is maybe too small. On this design I would definitely recommend a longer trailing edge to smooth the transition from the skirt to the rear bumper cover. Also, use the rolled plastic I used. Keeps its color and looks much better than coroplast.

I see what you are saying. How do yall attach such things at the top of the wheel well?

Traditionally, Dzus fasteners. I bought a scrap of plastic just to get a sample of this fastener:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-fr...3-100-0860.jpg

It's spring loaded, quarter-turn to lock finger (on the back side) that would grip the edge of the wheelwell's lip. Dzus fasteners require a second part riveted or welded to the lip.

If you like running with scrap parts exclusively, or as close to exclusively as possible (as I do), then you might consider how I mounted mine: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post464528

I should warn that I expected this method to scratch the paint around the wheel well, but this was my third attachment method. All the others worked too, but I thought this was optimal in terms of durability, wheel clearance, and coverage--I I took the plunge and thought of it as a permanent mod. It has scratched the paint under the cover, not really badly, but yes... scratches in some places.

Hey guys!

Haven't posted in a while, but i got some progress! I made a heat formed pvc frame across the wheel well to secure a newly designed wheel skirt, shwn below. I couldn't find enough Cloroplast so for now it's fiberglassed cardboard.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psbbed6e5f.jpg

Another pic:

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psukyg0d5l.jpg

Please reply with criticism/feedback!

Is the bottom edge rigid or flexible?

I think it would look good to have a ~2" black bar along the bottom with body color above, convert the crease in the lower front into a little air scoop and bring the top of the 'tail' up to the bumper cutline.

IMO it doesn't look half bad.