Chin Spoiler and Lower Grille block combo questions

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by svt98t

I'm really looking into improving the aero on the front of the car.

Everyone in the forum is going to tell you that the vast majority of drag reduction will happen on the latter half of the vehicle.

And they will be right.

Gotta start somewhere, I usually start at the front myself but it's a bad habit.

[svt98t]

Thanks for the heads up.
Wait until you see what I have in store for the back end....


-ryan s.

[freebeard]

You're not wrong. OTOH, the back half is dependent on the front half, witness the 911 with a spoiler [but] without an airdam.

Cross-post. Standing by.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by svt98t

Hey folks,
I want to pick your brains a little.
First, I recently hit my best mileage ever, at 567.1 miles on one tank of gas in 97 Crown Vic (On a trip to Indy from NY).
I was so excited about it, that I thought about it a ton, and that I couldn't wait to get home and get the next mods done.
I had a lower grille block made from sheet aluminum from my last car (93 Grand Marquis) that fits decently on the front.
I also had a Mach1 chin spoiler I really wanted to add.
So I installed both of these and now returned back to Indy again for work.

On my record setting trip, my low fuel light came on at 485.3 miles.
On this trip, it came on at 488.7 miles.
I know there's always a ton of variables, like the fact it was over 20 degrees warmer out on the second trip.

I expected these two mods to make a bit more of a difference.
However, I'm starting to think that the forward angle of the chin spoiler is actually killing my mileage and not helping as much as it should.

What say you EcoModders?
It's self-tapped in, and if needed, I will remove it for the trip back home to see if it makes a difference.

Thank you for the input.

-ryan s.

I think you need to not push towards the low fuel light. Plan your fuel stops at an estimated 75-80% of fuel tank capacity (maximum) at a conservative MPG number.

It will provide “better” results in that the decision about where to stop is made the night before. No last minute decisions (bad for highway attentiveness). Ingress & egress are mapped into and off property from your study of sat pics. . “Best” refuel is in the same direction of travel, and beyond an intersection leading to highway ramp.

To extend the game, do the same at the beginning. 45-miles or more from departure. Get warm-up out of the way (though tires take 1.5-hrs), and do the refuel again at the edge of a metro area (at destination).

Isolate the steady-state highway miles.

And count off the lane-changes, the acceleration & deceleration events. All of them.

I recommend you use cruise control for the most consistent results. Unless the area is roller coaster hills, it’s far more steady than we are. (It’s also how we counsel new truck drivers, “Let the computer run the drivetrain, you are there for steering & braking”).

Get yourself out of the way. In every aspect.

.