American Muscle Challenge!!!

[sonicsqwirl]

ok guys... you can mock my design... but leave my poor photoshops-manship out of it :*(
let me know what you guys think... i'm pretty sure cause of the engine... i'll need some sort of air damn that isn't covered in the front... currently there is 4 holes... one on top by the pony.. another at the bottom by the license... and 2 where foglights can go...

Also is a picture of the "side air duct" thing i was talking about... i can probly just fab a piece to fit right over the top of it...

Pre modding....
http://jebadiah.no-ip.com/premock.jpg

Mod Mock up...
http://jebadian.no-ip.com/mockup.jpg

Side "Air Vent"
http://jebadiah.no-ip.com/vent.jpg

[sonicsqwirl]

feel free to make fun of my design... but don't make fun of my poor photoshop skills
pre - mod
http://jebadiah.no-ip.com/premod.jpg

mock - up
http://jebadiah.no-ip.com/mockup.jpg

also here's a pic of that side air dam thing i was talking about
http://jebadiah.no-ip.com/vent.jpg

you think i'll need to leave SOME sort of vent for my engine (pretty big engine...)

[sonicsqwirl]

sorry for multi-post... browser froze

[sonicsqwirl]

here is a good shot of the hood "nostrel" i described earlier
http://jebadiah.no-ip.com/nostrel.jpg

and a better shot of the Bottom air dam / fog light holes...
http://jebadiah.no-ip.com/bottom.jpg

[DifferentPointofView]

Quote:
Originally Posted by sonicsqwirl
uh... slower acceleration (probly the hardest one)...
keeping under 70 on the highway...
using more "engine breaking" then the actual break pedal(its a 5spd stick)...
also coasting more then braking...
using nuetral to roll down hills... etc etc

i JUST started with fuel consumption today... i know its not BAD (low 20s probly)...
looked for scan gauge but i couldn't find where to purchase one...

believe it or not... this is my commuter car i drive approx 40miles highway round trip... aside from that it sits in the driveway.

You wouldn't need to do that much slower acceleration. Engines are most efficient at about 75% throttle, so just be sure to shift into the next gear before you hit 3000 rpm (preferably 2500 rpm) to get the best mileage while accelerating.

With their high power to weight ratios, musclecars tend to to have a higher most efficient speed range (typically around 60-65mph) than that of lower powered cars. This is because their engines are just loafing at the 40-45mph where lower powered cars are most efficient. But as they start going faster, the engine is getting more efficient as it starts seeing more load, so the mileage improves until it reaches the speed where the rate of increase in aero drag is greater then the rate of increase in motor efficiency with increasing load. So if you can drop your Cd, you can shift your car's most efficient speed range into a higher speed range than where it currently sits.

question, Basjoos. my vehicle has a different power band than most vehicles (the legendary powerband of the AMC 4.0L I6). It's a low rev vehicle with a red line of about 5000RPM and it's power band is much like that of a diesel. Really low red line, but torquey at low RPM. It does about 1500RPM at 55 and its peak torque is at about 3000ish. Is there a way to find out if I should accelerate slow or not, or a website that has tests done to see if accelerating slower or faster is better on gas? It's drive train consists of a 4speed slush box with overdrive.

[basjoos]

All gasoline engines are most efficient at about 70% to 80% of full throttle. Someone did some tests over at gassavers a year or so ago and found that they got better FE with a brisk acceleration rate as opposed to gradually creeping up to speed. But with an automatic, you're going have problems trying to accelerate at 75% throttle without it running the rpms well above 3000 before it shifts into the next higher gear.

[DifferentPointofView]

So basically, this info only is good for manual tranny's. It'd be really hard to coax the engine to shift when you want it to without any control over anything besides the gas pedal and steering wheel.

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by DifferentPointofView

So basically, this info only is good for manual tranny's. It'd be really hard to coax the engine to shift when you want it to without any control over anything besides the gas pedal and steering wheel.

Shifting for autos is done via modulating the pedal to get it to drop to the next gear. In either case, for acceleration w/o foreseeable braking more is better than less. Although the benefits are marginal because most of driving is not spent accelerating.

[DifferentPointofView]

I know about easing off the pedal really quick so it shifts and then returning to throttle is how to do it. but at 75% throttle it doesn't seem to want to shift. That's what I was getting at.

[roflwaffle]

Yeah, just go to 75%, then drop to shift, etc... Although the difference is very small like I said.