Areo Brick
 

Well Started areo modding my little red Brick
Attachment 2931

As these should only produce minimal changes provided I dont increase the
surface area of the vehicle or the total weight too much then it should be a net gain!

First job
Trash can wing mirrors

Original Mirrors
Attachment 2927
Attachment 2928

Have added fairings to these, might have an effect, will see over the next few tanks of fuel!!
Attachment 2929
Attachment 2930

Redirect air flow from radiator

Seems to warm engine up abit quicker!, will try a rad block over the next few weeks

Hoping this will all add up to between 5 to 10% improvement in MPG



:turtle:

It doesn't seem to be a brick based on the picture. It looks very much like the US Pontiac TransPort minivan of 15 years ago.
Ray Mac

Hello,

Can you post an overall picture, as well as some of the front, please? The overhead shot shows a "bulge" at about the back doors -- what's up with that?

Odd shapes
 

As Soon as can get out will get side and other views

The bulge is where the "serena" variant ends and the "vannette" begins

This vehicle is a merge between a MPV and a van, thus the bulge it is
factory standard!

Hi, I have a diesel Toyota Townace and am watching your thread with interest :)

Mine model Towny is the Noah with the small nose, rather than the flat fronted earlier models. Heres some picks I found online of someone elses. Mine has the double side doors and high roof, and the 2C diesel donkey and auto trans. I'm finding that a degree of drafting really helps with the aero brick :cool:Attachment 2975

Attachment 2976

Update pics
 

Hi all

here is front and side images

Sort of brick shape

to tight to go out and do A-B-A testing, will have to use data
from next few fuel tanks, or until the gaffer tape give out and
they fall off!!

Front
Attachment 2982

Drivers Side
Attachment 2983

only problems seem to be there is no widely available data
from the manufacturer for MPG figure and cd

Cheers

Hi,

Gaffer's tape never fails! :-) You could do with an upper grill block, I think.

Rad block
 

That the next thing to go 4 neil

tough want to see what if any noticable difference the mirror modes make

may do rad block at weekend if I can find some more cardboard!!!

:turtle:

Careful you don't overheat! Also, we distinguish between a rad block and a grille block. One helps with aerodynamics & warm-up times, the other really only helps with warm-up times.

After that, I'd be focusing on the underbody and the rear of the vehicle. The rear is where the biggest gains lie (though harder to fabricate stuff there).

Confussion
 

Hi MetroMPG,

will be doing a Grille block, to aid with areo & heating, as you can see
from photo front of Berther is a bit abrupt, so above bumper will be
an areo Grille block, and below will be a straight rad block!

As for the rear, need to fit new doors as someone arse ended me a few
months back, and replace the rear bumper!!

Thinking of ding underside and side skirts!!! also some work on air flow
in the engine bay area as this has the potential for total enclosure
giving quicler warm up times etc!!!

:turtle:

These vans rear wheel arches look easy to mod...

I think if loading and cruise speed are kept low, a larger diameter tyre should not overload the engine and (especially if aero drag is reduced) will give an improved FE.

Aero Brick
 

Well the tape has given way at last!!!!!

Have tried two rad blocks, one a pure tape ove the hole. the other a bit of aero
re flowing.,

Well fuel figures are in, and not sure what it means think there is a major improvment!! last tank got 33-36 mpg US, as opposed to 27 to 31 mpg US

That seems to lead me to think I should splash out and make these more perminant changes, will be posting last load of fuel figures asap!!!

Looks like Bertha takes to areo mods better than I thought!!

so I can second guess Nissan!!!:turtle:

At least you have a sloping front windshield.
Can you get more brick than a VW Vanagon? :eek: Seen the profile on them?
I have a couple of these that I was considering might work for EV only because they have lots of room for batteries and such (rear engine). I'm new here and hadn't considered any aero mods 'till I found this site. I'm encouraged and I will be watching your progress.

Binky,

Just a random question (and maybe a suggestion). Why do you fill your tank every 2-4 days with anywhere from 2-6 gallons? Are you just testing mods with quick tanks over a few days or is your vehicle tank very small?

Your fuel log is pretty up and down since you started keeping track which is probably a result of weather/road conditions for you over the brief 2-7 day window before you refuel. If you are able to stretch your tank beyond a week or maybe closer to 300+ miles you might get a better idea of how your vehicle is operating in relation to mpg. With just a small tank sample each time before you fill up you're really depending alot on weather and road conditions to provide info. for you on each tank.

Unless you are doing alot of A-B-A testing with mods you might want to stretch your tanks further (without ending up dry on the side of the road) so you get a more accurate example of an average tank. Just a suggestion!

Fuel an stuff
 

Hi Matt

reason I only put a small amount of fuel, at most half a tank is financial, cant afford more, as I drive about 35 miles a day everyday I kinda get a feel for the difference a mod makes, sorta driving by the seat of me pants!!!!

I know it is not very scientific, but having no way of monitoring the performance via scan guage or other means, engine is a mech injection deisel, I have to try and take what feed back I can from where I can.......

I would love to have the money to get a 300+ mile load of fuel, but that is near on 60 GBP and budgets dont get that far

Hence the gaffer tape and cardboard

Enjoy :turtle:

Binky,

Sounds like you are in the same boat as I was last summer.

Prior to joining Ecomodder I used to fill up a little at a time when I had the money too (and since US fuel was $3-4 a gallon I was only grabbing a couple gallons at a time). After joining Ecomodder I saved enough money over a week or two to put a full tank in (so I could accurately track my tanks) and then instead of filling up a few times with a few gallons I put a 5, 10, 15 bucks in an envelope in my car every few days and by the end of the tank I had enough to buy another full tank. I figured if I had enough money to put a couple gallons in every few days I'd have enough money saved up by the end of the tank to fill it completely. It took a little patience not to spend the money in the envelope but it gave me a full tanks worth of info. and paid off in the long run. Sometimes I even had a few bucks left over in the envelope after filling up to treat myself to a beer on Friday! :thumbup: