Escort Aero

[cfg83]

jmedia -

Originally Posted by jmedia

Oh wow CarloSW thanks for all that. I wonder if that is why they have those whale tails. I wonder if there is a way to test that. Or even somewhere to buy one.

And gascort ya I think I'm gonna start there, rear wheel skirts, not sure about belly pan, just not sure how to do it. As for the grill blocks I'm a bit nervous cause I live in sunny ca and I don't wanna over heat.
Lastly is the vehicle hard to steer without ps?

Thaks for everything everyone

That's why I hope aerohead gives his advice. He can tell us if I put the curve in the right place, and should know if the whale tale is aero or bling.

In terms of grill blocks, you can use cardboard or even painter's tape to test overheating. Get's hot, pull off tape in sections or cut holes in cardboard until it's "comfy". However, I am lucky because I have OBD-II in order to observe the exact coolant temp. I think only have a gauge, .

In terms of steering, you look to be in decent shape :

1989 Ford Escort Reviews by Cars.com Experts and Consumers

Basic dimensions include a wheelbase of 94.2 inches, overall length of 169.2 inches, width of 65.9 inches, height of 53.7 inches and curb weight of 2,258 pounds. With an EPA index of 102.4 cubic feet, the Escort is rated a compact (100-109 cubic feet). Cargo area measures a generous 16.4 cubic feet with the rear seat in place and an impressive 37.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded.

You could buy a manual-steering Saturn S-Series weighing in at 2300+ lbs, so 2258 lbs should be manageable.

CarloSW2

[cfg83]

jmedia -

I did some studying of the whale tail that originated on the Cosworth :



When I apply the curve so that it meets the whale tail, I can see that the "center of roof camber" is farther forward than I chose for your Escort :



However, your Escort is a 4-door, and this is a 2-door, so it's not *that* far off. What's nice is that the Cosworth was definitely aero-inspired, so that gives us hope for the whale tail :

Ford Sierra Cosworth RS and Ford Sierra | Cars - Pictures & Wallpapers, Automotive News, High-Quality Images, Sport, Exotic, Luxury, Expensive Cars

The first Ford vehicle to have the bold new “aero” look styling was the 1981 Probe III concept car. The good reception this received encouraged Ford management to go ahead with a production car with styling almost as challenging. This “aero” look influenced Fords worldwide; 1983’s new Ford Thunderbird in North America introduced similar rounded, flowing lines, and some other new Fords of the time adopted the look. The aerodynamic features of the Sierra were developed from those first seen in the Escort Mk III — the “Aeroback” bootlid stump was proved to reduce the drag coefficient of the bodyshell significantly, which was a class leading 0.34 at its launch.
The aerodynamic styling of the Sierra would later be seen in North America’s equally revolutionary Ford Taurus.

Pictures of the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth - Motorbase


CarloSW2

[jmedia]

oh Awesome! thanks for all that research. I wonder *IF* i was able to find a whale tail spoiler if it would fit on my 89....

[cfg83]

jmedia -

Originally Posted by jmedia

oh Awesome! thanks for all that research. I wonder *IF* i was able to find a whale tail spoiler if it would fit on my 89....

Yeah, I was thinking about that too. At this location is lots of pictures of a restoration :

Steve's 1987 XR4Ti Project Car


My *guess* is that because the car looks a little bigger than your Escort, it will be wider, which would imply the need to cut out some of the middle. Also, I did a very rough analysis of the rear window slope, and they seem to be within 2 degrees of each other.

CarloSW2

[MetroMPG]

I have a feeling the angle of your rear hatch glass may be in the "BAD" zone.

If I hadn't lent my Hucho book to Ben, I could verify the numbers!

But the idea is that as the rear angle descends from horizontal, drag decreases to a certain point, then increases dramatically at a certain angle (where strong C-pillar vortex formation begins to occur), and continues dropping again as the rear glass angle approaches vertical.

[jmedia]

I think this would be ideal


if only someone sold it somewhere, i dont care how ridiculous it looks

[jmedia]

actually probably more ideal if it tapered down at the end instead of up

[cfg83]

jmedia -

I like it, but I don't think it will help for MPG.

CarloSW2

[jmedia]

Originally Posted by cfg83

jmedia -

I like it, but I don't think it will help for MPG.

CarloSW2

Oh really? too long? Ya i guess, no point then since my only goal is mpg. I've been looking for an excuse to try making something out of fiberglass, maybe this will be my chance

[MetroMPG]

It's not too long, it's the wrong angle. It needs to taper down.

Originally Posted by jmedia

I've been looking for an excuse to try making something out of fiberglass, maybe this will be my chance

Do it!

See here for example: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...sion-3518.html