AM's '96 Ford Aspire mod thread

[Christopher Jordan]

[QUOTE=AeroModder;330008
Christopher: The main thing holding yours back is that 3 speed auto. See if you can trade it for a 5 speed and you'll see a HUGE difference.[/QUOTE]

CA DMV restriction violation- "must have- automatic clutch, corrective lenses, and steering knob" on back of license. Those heavy glasses sure must affect my mileage too. . . . . . . . . .

[AeroModder]

Ah, I see.

[Sven7]

What? You can't do a trans swap?? I would look into that more if I were you because tons of classic car guys do swaps, and not all of them are 50's cars. You see people doing manual swaps on 80's Celicas and the like all the time.

Maybe it's possible to re-title it or something to reflect the changes. Or just not give a crap. My Probe's title probably says it's red but it's actually OD green. Are they going to impound your car for having stock equipment?

Sorry for the thread hijack.

[AeroModder]

His license restricts him to the use of an auto trans and a knob on the steering wheel. Some people need those for medical conditions, most often disabled drivers. I've got the "corrective lenses" restriction on my license as well, meaning I can't drive without either my glasses or contact lenses.

[Christopher Jordan]

Actually - it is a good excuse for the best parking spaces, and a free pass to the wharf/parks. (Seriously; medical (1 bum arm) and poor balance). I use a manual wheelchair and made the best of it by making a hobby from 5 "hot rod" power wheelchairs and a Handy 3-wheel scooter I had found on Craigslist. I have DP (disabled person) license plates on my Aspire. It became my trustworthy workhorse!

[IVTenvy]

Have you tested the intake on your Aspire? I am going to do a little experiment with hot vs cold to see which will provide the most efficiency. I suspect that using the radiator as a heat exchanger will help the little guy mix and burn but I may need to open a hole in my full grill block for cooling air. I will also try ducting off of the exhaust and a cold route. If teh cold route is effective I will also try insulating my entire intake to prevent engine heat from warming the air in transition.
Please direct me to conclusive studies that have already been performed if you know of any.

I have tried a variety of vortex generators. I used Cessna Citation VG dimensions instead of the overkill just-for-looks Evo style. My best results have been from little round magnets purchased at Harbor Freight arranged in a bias pattern at the aft center of the roof. 0.5" angled metal makes too big of a vortex, creating lift and parasitic drag. The big VGs make a tunnel of laminar flow, so if you have one you have to line the whole roof with them. That's just my observation and I have not had any mpg benefit from any of it.

[AeroModder]

Sorry for the extremely late reply! I haven't checked on this thread in a while.

I tried both warm and cold air intakes, and I've found the engine runs better using the cold air setup, so I stick with that.

On Vortex Generators, I have mine positioned at the upper edge of the hatch glass, right about on of the point of separation. The curve of the hatch works well for vortex generators, since the tips of the VGs meet up with the "template" curve. Testing has shown that VGs actually do work in this case, which I documented in another thread. Some have suggested having them further upstream, but with the size, they're better suited more aft.

As for mods, the latest change I've made is installing a set of lowering springs from a Miata. The front is as low as I'm willing to go, and the rear is still an inch or so higher than I'd like.

Here's before:


And after:


No testing yet, but I'll see how it does this Sunday.

[IVTenvy]

Looks good. Are those springs from a stock model of Miata or aftermarket? I have cut a loop off of my front springs and now I can corner very well but it rides like a Morgan. It still isn't as low as I want so I will have to try something else. Thanks for the pictures.

[AeroModder]

They're 1" lowering springs from ST Suspensions. It doesn't seem like there's any significant gains, but they do seem to help a little bit on the freeway. The handling boost was desperately needed with how soft the stock springs were. I'm also doing a battery relocation for better weight distribution so I can better help "conserve momentum" around corners.

[Sven7]

Just admit it- performance driving is fun!