Boat tail - Redneck style...

[redneck]

.

"UPDATE"

I haven't driven the car hardly at all this winter.

However, it's spring and it's time for my annual spring fishing trip to NY.

In order to get the car ready for the trip I had to re-tape the passenger side of the car due to it being parked facing the sun on that side. Most of it had come unglued. Sorry, no pictures. However, it was worse than the last time.

I also replaced the passenger side front wheel bearings that sounded like a WW2 bomber.

Then for this trip, I decided to lower the front bumper to the lowest point of the under pan.



The new front bumper height is approximately 4.5 ".



Side view.



And a painted front view.



I decided to weigh the car at a local scrap yard as it felt heavy. It was loaded down with stuff extra stuff going North.





So it's off I go...


2,120 lbs. add 2 gal. of gas to fill tank = 2,134 lbs. me included. (Factory base weight of approx. 1,650 lbs.)


Everything seemed to be going well. Then the check engine light came on. It has been coming on intermittently for about a year now. But had been off for two days before the trip. Oh well, it wasn't going to stop me.

A little further down the road I heard the distinct sound of a WW2 bomber in the distance. It was the drivers side front wheel bearing starting to go bad. I should have done both sides.

As I passed into N. Carolina, along a quiet stretch of highway. I hear what sounds like a loose piece of foam under the car.

So, I pull over at the next exit and this is what I found...





I must have ran over something. It could have been debris, a dead animal or a small child... I'm just not sure...

More than likely however, I probably damaged it at the scrap yard and didn't realize it.

As luck would have it, I was nearly out of duct tape. So I straightened it out as best as I could then taped it with what I had and continued on. At the next rest area I pulled over to check how it was holding up. It had caved in again and the added air pressure was dragging down the rest of the redesigned front with it.

Nothing I could do about it as it was late Sunday night and nothing was open.

So, I said. Screw it... It will either stay on... Or it won't...


Thankfully, it stayed on.


The MPG was affected. However, not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

867.77 miles

11.89 gal.

72.98 mpg


Surprisingly, it only used about a half a gallon more gas than usual.

Unfortunately, I don't know if lowering the front bumper height will help or hurt the MPG. To many variables. (check engine, wheel bearing, bumper)

I'll get the bumper fixed. Then maybe the return trip will yield better info.



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[bikeprof]

I added three extra points of support for the front dam, stainless 1/2 inch angles, fixed at existing holes in front engine carrier.
These are necessary due to amount of air that the vehicle pushes!
(seems that is what your air dam did, fold under pressure)

Installed a 1x4 piece of wood on the backface of the air dam where the screws from the support struts go making it a "sandwich" and thus giving the unit the strength necessary for duration/mileage.

BTW, your build is and looks professional, just get a more permanent install items and NO WORRIES anymore... :-)))

KUDOS!

[2009Toyotoad]

Forgive me if this has been asked, but how do you use the hatchback area with that extension in place? Didn't you remove the utility of the vehicle? I don't want to discourage the effort, but Its a trade off I would not have been willing to make,

[freebeard]

Basjoos' Aerocivic is just the first one I found; there's another, possibly MetroMPG's, where the whole tail lifts (but not in the garage ).

[MetroMPG]

The last two tails I made were easily removable (a couple of minutes), but I couldn't open the hatch or trunk with them on.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...dan-31498.html

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...uft-25223.html

[MetroMPG]

Redneck: thanks for another fun ecomodding adventure story.

When you say you try to travel near the posted limit, what was that on the route you took?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by 2009Toyotoad

Forgive me if this has been asked, but how do you use the hatchback area with that extension in place? Didn't you remove the utility of the vehicle? I don't want to discourage the effort, but Its a trade off I would not have been willing to make,

You might want to consider these projects as aerodynamic proof-of-concept exercises.
'Utility' can require a quantum leap as far as fabrication requirements go.If the mpg benefits suggested by the original device merit additional investment,then we've at least got a known quantity to incentivize the extra effort.
'bondo' could give us an idea of what an OEM quality production tail, with full utility would set us back.He's been going down that road.
Personally,I'm willing to put up with extreme hardship just to see whether this crazy stuff works or not.

[freebeard]

Personally,I'm willing to put up with extreme hardship just to see whether this crazy stuff works or not.

That's kind of you life story, innit?

Batman Junior -- So who is it? Rear left side view. I think it was blue. The 'tail was attached to the hatch and the whole thing (not just half) lifted.

2009Toyotoad -- Here's a picture I drew when I was in college, back when the streets were full of potential dune buggies:



The shape is drawn from the early Barracuda backlight. A very similar shape here


http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1066365_want-to-buy-a-173-mpg-honda-you-have-one-day-left-to-bid

The side-hinged version will open from either side, like the hood on a 40s Buick or mid-50s International pickup.

[redneck]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Redneck: thanks for another fun ecomodding adventure story.

When you say you try to travel near the posted limit, what was that on the route you took?

60 to 70 mph.

Tom Tom says the distance is 865 miles point to point and should take 13.2 hrs drive time. I assume that is at the posted speed limit.

My odometer said 867.77 miles and 12.91 engine run hrs. less EOC time, which should be roughly the difference. (I seem to have a small odo discrepancy)

When I leave, I top off right next to the Interstate. Then when I arrive, I fill up about 3-4 miles from the Interstate. So it's all Interstate driving.



Quote:

Originally Posted by 2009Toyotoad
Forgive me if this has been asked, but how do you use the hatchback area with that extension in place? Didn't you remove the utility of the vehicle? I don't want to discourage the effort, but Its a trade off I would not have been willing to make,

aerohead

You might want to consider these projects as aerodynamic proof-of-concept exercises.
'Utility' can require a quantum leap as far as fabrication requirements go.If the mpg benefits suggested by the original device merit additional investment,then we've at least got a known quantity to incentivize the extra effort.
'bondo' could give us an idea of what an OEM quality production tail, with full utility would set us back.He's been going down that road.
Personally,I'm willing to put up with extreme hardship just to see whether this crazy stuff works or not.

Bingo...


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[MetroMPG]

Opening tailcone... was it on a Subaru wagon? Memory failing...