Ford Festiva aero (or lack thereof)

[Daox]

Welcome to the site.

A belly pan will help every car out there. How dirty the car's underside is will determine how useful that belly pan really is though.

Mirrors are mirrors. As long as they stick out of a car, they're hurting drag.

[chuckm]

Originally Posted by Daox

Mirrors are mirrors. As long as they stick out of a car, they're hurting drag.

You might be able to shave 0.0005 off your Cd by moving them around, but figuring out where (while maintaining their usefulness) is going to be near impossible without some very good CFD analysis. You'll burn more gas trying to figure it out than you'll ever save. It would be loads easier to a)buy smaller mirrors and mount them in the same places, b)eliminate a passenger side mirror, or c)move both mirrors inside the car.

[bnmorgan]

Well, the car is in hand. Lots of little thigns to fix. cig lighter socket first, cause w/o it no GPS for accurate distance measurements. ANyone know if a shop/repair/haynes manual is available online anywhere, for little or no cost?
Thanks.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by bnmorgan

Well, the car is in hand. Lots of little thigns to fix. cig lighter socket first, cause w/o it no GPS for accurate distance measurements. ANyone know if a shop/repair/haynes manual is available online anywhere, for little or no cost?
Thanks.

Wow... that must be an insanely SMALL car. In hand. LOL

You can get AllData DIY repair information from AutoZone.com.

[thirdman]

Someone requested the bmps that I used for my festiva fun. They are in a zip file attached to this post.

Enjoy!

[bnmorgan]

So what suggestions are there for filling up that big wake bubble behind this car? Need something reasonably easy and not monstrously hideous, preferably cheap too. I am really interested in the zigzag VG's, but i don't think that's gonna help me? Thanks!

[MetroMPG]

Problem is: easy, hideous & cheap are all relative!

VG's aren't going to make a measurable dent in the drag behind your Festiva, unfortunately. EG, on a similarly shaped vehicle: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...fect-6381.html

The most effective way to minimize rear wake is to physically taper it. Kammback or boat tail.

[thirdman]

I always thought that you could utilize a partially opened hatch in the formation of the kammback.

And, as always, I think that a flat, detached spoiler in the plane of the roof is a good way to go, too.

[bnmorgan]

but how big and how far behind? Where can i see more about this kammback? I've seen pictures (IE GoldenEgg) but don't reall understand it.

[Bicycle Bob]

A kamm back is designed by drawing a long, tapering tail, usually about 15 degrees from straight on the top and sides, and 4 degrees underneath. Then, the shape is chopped off abruptly at the point where more length does not seem worth it to reduce the flat area.