Building a 100mpg consumer vehicle

[drmiller100]

I think it must be 20 square feet, and in another thread the experts seem to think it will be Cd of .40

Who am I to argue with all the experts.

Hope to drive around the block tomorrow.

Thanks for the positive comments from the newcomers. The first motor is an older throttle body d15 with an auto trans.

It was "free" complete with the rest of the car.

Based on the reception I've gotten here, I really think the market is for the performance folks.

Folks in the performance arena see more advantages, like the 1000 pounds total curb weight. Throw a 300 horse mild turboed engine on it, and it should compete with a 1000 horsepower corvette in performance.

It will never compete with Neil's car however in mpg.

What kind of MPG are you getting with your car Neil?

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi Doug,

No need to argue; I'm offering help. If you take a photo and send it to me, my offer still stands.

I'll discuss CarBEN EV5 on that thread; I hope to be starting the actual construction soon.

[some_other_dave]

Originally Posted by drmiller100

I think it must be 20 square feet, and in another thread the experts seem to think it will be Cd of .40

Nah, that's just us pessimists. Estimates on the other end are in the sub-0.20 range, which is quite killer! I may be over-estimating the effects of the details of the design--and it sounds like you are already going to be improving some of those anyway.

With the narrow greenhouse, I wouldn't be surprised if the frontal area were close to 10 square feet. After all, the front of the car is not a 5-foot-wide rectangle.

I'm looking forward to hearing about when it runs!!

-soD

[pete c]

Looks good Doug.

I think you did a great job on the tappered body other than that silly scoop. I really do believe your best option is to lose it completely.

Not sure what I think about the front clip. It's nice enough and I think would look great on the right vehicle that continues its lines to the rear, such as an older vette. But, I think a simpler cleaner look closer to an actual civic front clip would work better and save you a few bucks. Of course, getting it to transition to the narrowed portion is a very challenging problem.

Good luck with it. And yes, I do think this has great potential with the go fast tuner crowd. 1000 lbs and 800 horse worth of ridiculously boosted turbo motor should get that thing well into the single digits in the quarter.

[drmiller100]

Originally Posted by pete c

Looks good Doug.

I think you did a great job on the tappered body other than that silly scoop. I really do believe your best option is to lose it completely.

Not sure what I think about the front clip. It's nice enough and I think would look great on the right vehicle that continues its lines to the rear, such as an older vette. But, I think a simpler cleaner look closer to an actual civic front clip would work better and save you a few bucks. Of course, getting it to transition to the narrowed portion is a very challenging problem.

Good luck with it. And yes, I do think this has great potential with the go fast tuner crowd. 1000 lbs and 800 horse worth of ridiculously boosted turbo motor should get that thing well into the single digits in the quarter.

Posts like this are why I quit sharing how to build the car.

So, if there were anyone else out there who ever wanted to do something like it, thank Pete for killing my help on this site.

[Frank Lee]

Yeah, that Pete's been such a meanie.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by drmiller100

60 inches wide front fenders, 2 feet tall.

cockpit is 42 inches tall by 35 inches wide.

The windshield is behind the fenders. Does that mean my frontal area is 10 square feet, or 10 plus 5?

If those are still good numbers, I'd reckon it's probably between 13 and 14 square feet.

But the Cd is likely .40+.

[Grant-53]

In college I studied mechanical engineering because I wanted to build racecars. It was a mistake. A Bachelors of Science gives you certain tools but at the risk of giving a big head as well. At the very least I learned to research a topic before attempting a project. In the end it comes down to sound thinking, and the right tools
I do agree that spending the time on safety considerations is very important and most of us don't have access to sophisticated mathematical modeling software. Using recommendations from sanctioning bodies such NHRA and SCCA can be helpful. A trianglated frame is good but using stressed panels with a tube frame can be effective if done properly.
When I owned a 2 door car, I would move the front seat forward after I got out if the rear seat passenger needed the room.

[pete c]

Don't let the door hit you in the arse, doug.

What a tempermental doosh. I've been pretty damn complimentary overall of his work, as have many others and we continue to get the same treatment.

And yes, that scoop isn't just silly. It looks like arse. It screws up what is otherwise a very nice looking rear half of the car.

My apologies to all those out there that I may have deprived of doug's car design brilliance.

[skyking]

Rise above, folks. It is not just the OP that gets driven away by acrimony.