Project S197 (2007 Mustang GT aero mods)

[BenjaminT]

2007 Mustang GT (S197)

I average 60 Miles per day (48 highway), 365.25 days a year. After an inadvertent aero-mod (ripped off the rear bumper cover on I-95... frak'n snow) my average fuel economy went from 24.6 MPG to 26 something.
Over the past seven days, I've gotten a little frisky after work: I gutted the interior of 180 lbs., fully ducted the radiator, blocked the lower grille, and fab'ed a diffuser that reaches back to the "K" member.

Here, you can see the bottom of the duct work for the radiator:



I did this mid-tank and now my latest hand-calculated average was 27.8 mpg. I’m curious to see what the next tank is going to be.

[BenjaminT]

Alright, playtime's over. Now, with more research, here's what I've come up with for further aero mods:
Before


After


-Wheel covers front and rear (For the front: I plan on machining a custom hub bearing cap with a sealed ball bearing to support the outside of a fender that fills the wheel well, if that makes sense.)

-re-time the windshield wipers to sit below the hood-line and make a new cowl panel with doors.

-Full-length belly pan with venturi exhaust tips to extract hot air from underneath.

-Underbody and rear trim that is a blend of the Saleen and APR wide-body kit. (Rounded trailing-edge of front fender wells)

-Adjustable chin spoiler

-Rear deck-lid will be one-piece and radius into the rear window a little better. It sits well below the template line so it's just helping fill-up the gap a little.

-Tilt the radiator forward and vent through the hood.

[BenjaminT]

My attempt at a Template Overlay:




Any further thoughts or suggestions? Does my overlay look right? (The tail was an idea gleaned from the "Bonneville" thread.)

[Sven7]

A newb who's done his homework! Hah. Good stuff- your template is right.

I just have to ask though, if you're doing all this work to the Mustang why not buy a beat to crap Festiva and get 40 MPG right out of the box? It would pay for itself with the kind of driving you do.

[BenjaminT]

Originally Posted by Sven7

I just have to ask though, if you're doing all this work to the Mustang why not buy a beat to crap Festiva and get 40 MPG right out of the box? It would pay for itself with the kind of driving you do.

... But, this car goes to 11!

It's a fair question. One reason is that I'm going to build an extreme FE trike. Money spent on even a Festiva is going to take that project down a peg or two. Plus, even at 40 MPG, that's only a savings of ~$1000/year from my current driving requirements. ~$1600 @ 60 MPG. The nearest Festiva I can find on autotrader is $2500.

My budget for the trike is $4000 for stage one. Hitting a 100 MPG average would net ~$2200 in fuel savings a year. I think that's an easy target for the design I have in mind. But, back to the 'Stang.

At this point, until the trike is running DD/all-weather status, mods to the mustang are "free." Anything that requires more materials than the scrap I've got lying around is going to have to hold off.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by BenjaminT

-Wheel covers front and rear (For the front: I plan on machining a custom hub bearing cap with a sealed ball bearing to support the outside of a fender that fills the wheel well, if that makes sense.)

That sounds interesting. Don't think we've seen anyone attempt this yet.

Given that you'll have to leave clearance on top for suspension movement, I wonder if it's worth the work though, VS. just filling the gaps from the fender toward the tire, and using a smooth hubcap.

[kach22i]

Looks like a nice project.

Wheel skirt covers for the rear wells should prove to be an interesting look on this car.

[BenjaminT]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

That sounds interesting. Don't think we've seen anyone attempt this yet.

Given that you'll have to leave clearance on top for suspension movement, I wonder if it's worth the work though, VS. just filling the gaps from the fender toward the tire, and using a smooth hubcap.

Nah. It'll eat a Saturday, but it's not that difficult (for my setup.) All I have to do is:
-Pull the strut
-Remove the spring
-Reinstall the strut leaving the tie rod out
-Mount a foam block around the tire and use a brake depression rod to keep it steady.

-Using an underhoist, move the wheel up and down, side to side, and start trimming for clearance.

Once I get a rough blank made, I can just build the mold at my leisure.

[GRU]

nice car. you should be able to get 30 mpg soon

[aerohead]

I've been trying to wrap my mind around the front skirt plans.And for all the dynamics a turning wheel can undergo,I can't imagine how it won't run into interference.
On their 1984 Probe-IV,Ford used in inboard full-encapsulating inner fender which moved with the spindle,which in turn contacted the inner surface of,and deformed, a stretchable elastic urethane rubber skirt which closed off the wheel opening.
During straight line driving,nothing the wheel was doing could affect the skirt.Only in turns.
basjoos came up with an elegant solution for the front wheels of his AeroCivic.If you haven't checked it out you'll want to.
Nice project!