Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > Aerodynamics
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 12-12-2007, 10:54 PM   This thread is in the EcoModder Project Library | #1 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
basjoos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,088

Aerocivic - '92 Honda Civic CX
Last 3: 70.54 mpg (US)

AerocivicLB - '92 Honda Civic CX
Team Honda
90 day: 55.14 mpg (US)

Camryglide - '20 Toyota Camry hybrid LE
90 day: 65.83 mpg (US)
Thanks: 16
Thanked 677 Times in 302 Posts
Aerocivic - how to drop your Cd from 0.31 to 0.17

New... Aerocivic has a web site: www.aerocivic.com

Quote:
NOTE: if you arrived here from another site, you may be viewing this topic as a single post.
I started this project after the Katrina-insired gas price runup since I have a long commute. I first learned to drive during the 1970's oil embargo and have been perfecting my hypermiling tenchniques ever since. My car is a 92 Civic CX, which I bought new, and was giving me low 60's to low 50's before I started aero modding it.
Side view

Side view with open hatch

Rear view of boattail

Cargo area inside boatail, extending the interior of the car into the boattail added 20cu ft to the interior space. Also there is a hidden compartment under the new load floor in the boattail.

Radiator inlet slot (coroplast has since been replaced with aluminum sheet)




The end result is a car with such low drag that the results of coastdown testing is linear out to 90mph (it coasts almost as well at 80mph as it does at 50mph). I have to get it over 90mph before I start to feel the wind load from high-speed driving. OEM max speed was 95mph. I have had it up to 100mph with plenty of power remaining at that speed (estimated top speed of about 140mph). Wind noise is much reduced from stock. Approximate mileage on a flat road at 85F, 95mpg at 30 to 65mph, 85mpg at 70mph, 65mpg at 80mph, 50mpg at 90mph.

Additional mods planned, include replacing the current one-size-fits-all radiator inlet slot with a driver-adjustible radiator door. Eventually I plan to automate the door by using a Basic Stamp or similar process controller to monitor the coolant temps and adjust the opening to the actual cooling needs.

Most of my driving is at night, especially in the winter, and night driving is costing me 2 to 3 mpg in additional electrical load from the lights. About half of this loss is from the parking lights, the remainder is from the headlights. I want to replace the parking and dome lights with LED's. Since retrofit LED headlight kits are still several years off, I want to investigate installing a switch to kill one of my headlights and/or a dimmer control to reduce the headlight's intensity and power drain for situations where I don't need the full intensity of the headlights for visibility.

Quote:
NOTE: if you arrived here from another site, you may be viewing this topic as a single post.

__________________
aerocivic.com
  Reply With Quote
The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to basjoos For This Useful Post:
101Volts (09-14-2014), cherniydiavel (04-17-2016), Cobb (06-21-2012), Joggernot (11-12-2015), noxman (03-02-2013), razordave (08-13-2023), ThePrudentNinja (07-05-2015), VeXed1992 (01-16-2020), Xist (12-22-2015)
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 12-12-2007, 11:02 PM   #2 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
basjoos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,088

Aerocivic - '92 Honda Civic CX
Last 3: 70.54 mpg (US)

AerocivicLB - '92 Honda Civic CX
Team Honda
90 day: 55.14 mpg (US)

Camryglide - '20 Toyota Camry hybrid LE
90 day: 65.83 mpg (US)
Thanks: 16
Thanked 677 Times in 302 Posts
More pics:
Side view of nose, front wheel spoiler, and front wheel well skirt (nose and skirt are now aluminum sheet, spoiler is still coroplast)

Front view of front wheel spoiler

Side skirts made of coroplast (there are 2 side skirts on each side, one even with the inner edge of the tires, the other even with the outer edge of the tires).

Rear wheel spoiler (coroplast)

Underbody panelling (coroplast and aluminum flashing, I plan to replace it with alumunum sheet whenever I next need to remove the panelling for service).
__________________
aerocivic.com
  Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to basjoos For This Useful Post:
101Volts (09-14-2014), pazosgd (06-11-2012)
Old 12-12-2007, 11:08 PM   #3 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
basjoos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,088

Aerocivic - '92 Honda Civic CX
Last 3: 70.54 mpg (US)

AerocivicLB - '92 Honda Civic CX
Team Honda
90 day: 55.14 mpg (US)

Camryglide - '20 Toyota Camry hybrid LE
90 day: 65.83 mpg (US)
Thanks: 16
Thanked 677 Times in 302 Posts
More pics:
Conveyer roller inside of front skirt

Front skirt slightly open with wheels cuts all of the way to the left.

Windshield wiper windscreen

Fairing behind muffler

Interior side rear view mirror (replaces deleted exterior side rear view mirrors)

Low-tech hand throttle

SuperMID

Another view of the car




--------------------------------------------


More aeromodded vehicles featured at Ecomodder...



__________________
aerocivic.com
  Reply With Quote
The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to basjoos For This Useful Post:
101Volts (09-14-2014), Cobb (06-21-2012), VeXed1992 (01-16-2020), wadesworld20 (01-13-2020)
Old 12-12-2007, 11:23 PM   #4 (permalink)
ECO-Evolution
 
Lazarus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,482

Iron Horse (retired) - '97 Iron horse Intrepid

Ninja - '08 Kawasaki 250R
90 day: 76.23 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 45 Times in 34 Posts
Very Nice.
Basjoos how many hours do you think you have in it to get it to this point?
__________________
"Judge a person by their questions rather than their answers."

  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Lazarus For This Useful Post:
101Volts (09-14-2014)
Old 12-13-2007, 08:51 PM   #5 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
basjoos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,088

Aerocivic - '92 Honda Civic CX
Last 3: 70.54 mpg (US)

AerocivicLB - '92 Honda Civic CX
Team Honda
90 day: 55.14 mpg (US)

Camryglide - '20 Toyota Camry hybrid LE
90 day: 65.83 mpg (US)
Thanks: 16
Thanked 677 Times in 302 Posts
Probably about 250 hours and a materials cost of about $400 spread out over the past 2 years. It has paid for itself in fuel savings several times over.
__________________
aerocivic.com
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to basjoos For This Useful Post:
101Volts (09-14-2014)
Old 12-13-2007, 09:44 PM   #6 (permalink)
igo
Master EcoModder
 
igo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Wheeling, WV
Posts: 410

Mini Box Truck - '05 Scion Xb
90 day: 32.87 mpg (US)

It FITs - '09 Honda Fit Sport
90 day: 36.2 mpg (US)

Impreza - '13 Subaru Impreza Sport
90 day: 30.92 mpg (US)
Thanks: 12
Thanked 14 Times in 10 Posts
Basjoos. I haven't seen pictures of your car for a while. I see the boat tail has been improved in looks and function.

What did you use for the rear window?

I have to give credit to you. Areo moding a civic to the max is not an easy undertaking.
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to igo For This Useful Post:
101Volts (09-14-2014)
Old 12-13-2007, 10:37 PM   #7 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
basjoos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,088

Aerocivic - '92 Honda Civic CX
Last 3: 70.54 mpg (US)

AerocivicLB - '92 Honda Civic CX
Team Honda
90 day: 55.14 mpg (US)

Camryglide - '20 Toyota Camry hybrid LE
90 day: 65.83 mpg (US)
Thanks: 16
Thanked 677 Times in 302 Posts
The rear glazing is Lexan. Once I conclusively proved the FE benefits of the boattail on my car, I rebuilt it with more durable materials (aluminum sheet and Lexan) than the original prototype was built of (coroplast and clear vinyl) as well as utilizing the additional space enclosed by the boattail..
__________________
aerocivic.com
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2007, 11:46 PM   #8 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 152

The Mighty Mira - '92 Daihatsu Mira
90 day: 61.32 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by basjoos View Post
The rear glazing is Lexan. Once I conclusively proved the FE benefits of the boattail on my car, I rebuilt it with more durable materials (aluminum sheet and Lexan) than the original prototype was built of (coroplast and clear vinyl) as well as utilizing the additional space enclosed by the boattail..
Is there anything to note when working with Lexan? I have clear vinyl on mine, but maybe I'd replace it.
__________________
"Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force impressed." - Isaac Newton
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2007, 12:28 AM   #9 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,532

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 62.14 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,082
Thanked 6,978 Times in 3,613 Posts
Hey basjoos -

LOTS of visitors coming in from other sites right now - check the hitcount on this thread relative to some others.

If your car draws anywhere near this much attention in real traffic, you must have to be VERY careful around the rubberneckers!
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2007, 03:57 PM   #10 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
basjoos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,088

Aerocivic - '92 Honda Civic CX
Last 3: 70.54 mpg (US)

AerocivicLB - '92 Honda Civic CX
Team Honda
90 day: 55.14 mpg (US)

Camryglide - '20 Toyota Camry hybrid LE
90 day: 65.83 mpg (US)
Thanks: 16
Thanked 677 Times in 302 Posts
I used 1/8" Lexan, which can be drilled, sawed, and bent into a curve as needed.

I sometimes have a problem with rubberneckers piling up and backing up traffic alongside my car. But the worst are the few who can't drive in a straight line while they are staring at something alongside them and start curving into my lane.

__________________
aerocivic.com
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to basjoos For This Useful Post:
101Volts (02-19-2017)
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
aero mods-data-% change or Cd change ( installment # 7-Wheels/Tires/Wheelcovers/etc. aerohead Aerodynamics 5 06-04-2014 01:14 PM
[aero-mods(aft-body streamlining/boat-tails)Part-3 History/Timeline cont'd aerohead Aerodynamics 10 08-13-2010 01:50 AM
mods-data-% change or Cd change( installment#5-roofline data) aerohead Aerodynamics 3 09-26-2009 03:01 PM
Build Thread Key Postings Index Experiment. TestDrive Forum News & Feedback 7 02-15-2009 09:53 PM
Drafting and Cd reduction basjoos Aerodynamics 5 12-06-2008 11:45 PM



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com