Belly pan soon - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

White118 · 01-26-2010, 02:26 PM

I was able to pull the back off a shelve at work today that they where getting rid of because they say its junk I say It has potential. So what i found was a 6'x8' 20 ga sheet of stainless steel. It has some small holes in it where it was bolted the shelve but I could cover them with duck tape or caulked them close. I will try they bell pan this weekend due to the honey do list is long.
I'm also thinking about making a small scoop under the car so to pull air in to the radiator because I have the front damed off. If I open the front the air will have know where to leave the engine bay due to the belly pan. So a small scoop maybe sticking down an inch buy 3 inhes wide like a small wedge would push air right on the radiator. Any thoughts?

-Matt

Daox · 01-26-2010, 02:44 PM

The wheel wells leave plenty of room for air to escape.

BamZipPow · 01-26-2010, 02:48 PM

As a suggestion...do all of yer fab work in something else before you think about cutting up that stainless panel. I did all my belly pan fab work in luan...much easier to cut and holds up better than cardboard, too. I've gone through various iterations and still plan to change a few more things before (if) I go to metal...

Otto · 01-26-2010, 04:13 PM

Don't use the SS sheet: Too heavy, expensive, and noisy. It will vibrate like a big base drum or worse, and you'll have to listen to it. If it gets loose and detaches, it could slice up a tire or two at highway speed, so there's a safety issue, too.

Better to use coroplast. You could easily cut a NACA air intake with a carpet knife, and finish it with duct tape.

White118 · 01-26-2010, 05:40 PM

The sheet was free and the weight will be less than 20lb. 20ga steel is 0.020 of an inch. I plan on using self tapping screws to hold it on and there will be a lot of them to hold it tight so it will not fall off, that I'm sure of. Sounding like a base drum, well that might be I was thinking if I can get it nice and tight to the under-body it would not make much noise.

BamZipPow · 01-26-2010, 06:31 PM

Keep in mind that you can build supports fer it so you don't have to put that many screws into yer under body but more into the support frame work. You can also use some roll on truck bed liner to dampen the vibration of the panel.

vtec-e · 01-26-2010, 06:35 PM

Should be quiet enough if it is stiff enough. Any looseness and it will sound like thunder, if its anything like the alloy belly pan on on my old civic when i hit some bumpy sections.

Maybe some pre-stressing it into a slight curve before bolting on might help there?
And if you are trying to make an intake, make a naca type duct. Less drag and less like a weapon too!
Looking forward to pics and mpg gains.

ollie

Christ · 01-26-2010, 08:58 PM

Maybe you should determine what the monetary value of that stainless panel actually is? I got paid about $300 for a half a cut up milk tank, and that was low value. I wouldn't cut up stainless to put under a car, I'd turn it in, buy scrap materials from the place that I turned it in, and use those, and still walk away with money.

Unless you actually put dimples or stiffening ridges in the panel, it will vibrate. You'll never pull it tight enough to stop that.

White118 · 01-26-2010, 09:13 PM

Good Idea, maybe run a english wheel down it to make groves to stiffen it. I was also thinking about some velcro spots. I was thinking also about putting one grove starting at the down pipe fallowing the exhaust, the front would be bolted flush with the bumper.

-Matt

ECONORAM · 01-27-2010, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vtec-e

Should be quiet enough if it is stiff enough. Any looseness and it will sound like thunder, if its anything like the alloy belly pan on on my old civic when i hit some bumpy sections.

Maybe some pre-stressing it into a slight curve before bolting on might help there?
And if you are trying to make an intake, make a naca type duct. Less drag and less like a weapon too!
Looking forward to pics and mpg gains.

ollie

That is about what I would suggest. If you have access to a sheet metal brake, you can bend a slight angle cati-corner and make an X in the sheet. This will help stiffen it a bit. If no brake, maybe find you a couple 2x4s, clamp them together, and bend it a bit that way...