Green Grand Prix modding thread

[freebeard]

That's a good candidate for the military theme thread. They look like campaign stripes.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

The conductive tape is a new twist. Interesting. Did you see any testing data? Online, I found copper and carbon (black) conductive tape too. But all those are more expensive than aluminium, unspurprisingly.
https://www.tedpella.com/SEMmisc_html/SEMadhes.htm

No data that I've found; just a lot of subjective reviews (by Japanese auto writers) with the usual hyperbole (like this one and this one). However, I've seen multiple sources claim Toyota is actually using this tape method on the inside of underbody panels on production cars; if that's the case, it must do something. I'm going to make a point of checking at the next auto show I attend.

It's also worth noting that Toyota actually sells conductive tape as a Toyota Genuine Part.

Originally Posted by freebeard

That's a good candidate for the military theme thread. They look like campaign stripes.

I already downloaded the decal images from that thread.

[svt98t]

Good thread!
I'm bummed I couldn't make it out this year and bring home some more hardware.
How about Turn1? No joke there. I knew it was a 90, but I didn't know, if that makes any sense.
I tried to carry as much speed as I could down through the corkscrew in Turn6. At least you can generally coast down towards Turn7 and the front straight.

I'll be trimming interior weight for the GGP next year, for sure.


-ryan s.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by svt98t

Good thread!
I'm bummed I couldn't make it out this year and bring home some more hardware.
How about Turn1? No joke there. I knew it was a 90, but I didn't know, if that makes any sense.
I tried to carry as much speed as I could down through the corkscrew in Turn6. At least you can generally coast down towards Turn7 and the front straight.

I'll be trimming interior weight for the GGP next year, for sure.


-ryan s.

Yeah, I hadn't even looked at a course map before this year's event. Next year, I think the best approach will be to coast through 6, 7 and the front straight, maybe even in neutral where the Prius' transmission will freewheel, and then get on the throttle and hold speed through 3, 4 and up the back. Basically make it one long pulse and glide.

Updated weight list:

Added sound insulation: 48.6 lbs
Trailer hitch receiver: 28.8 lbs
Rear right seatback: 26.4 lbs
Spare tire: 25.8 lbs
Tail: 21.8 lbs
Cargo carrier: 19.6 lbs
Hatch insulation: 16.4 lbs
Rear left seatback: 13.2 lbs
Rear seat bottom: 12.2 lbs
Rear seat belts, seat brackets, hardware: 10.7 lbs
Front speakers and baffles: 10.6 lbs
Front door insulation: 9.8 lbs
Rear door insulation: 9.4 lbs
Wheel covers with pans: 9.4 lbs (2.5 lbs wheel covers alone)
Front swaybar and endlinks: 8.4 lbs
Jack and tools: 8.2 lbs
Trunk mat: 5.4 lbs
Hatch door panels: 5.4 lbs
Rear speakers, miscellaneous hardware: 5.3 lbs
Headunit: 5.2 lbs
Hatch panels, upper and lower: 5.2 lbs
Hatch door insulation: 5.0 lbs
Lower door trim and kick panels: 4.9 lbs
B-pillar trim: 4.7 lbs
Floor mats: 4.5 lbs
External mirrors: 4.2 lbs
Cargo cover: 4.2 lbs
Front speaker crossovers and wiring: 3.2 lbs
Passenger side wiper: 2.8 lbs
Rear wiper and motor: 2.4 lbs
Intake resonator: 2.0 lbs
A-pillar trim, speaker grills and ducts: 2.0 lbs
Sound system wiring: 1.5 lbs
Vehicle Proximity Notification System: 1.5 lbs
A-pillar insulation: 1.2 lbs
Hood insulation: 1.2 lbs
Engine cover: 1.0 lb
Horns: 0.5 lb


Total: 352.6 lbs/180.4 lbs from OEM
OEM curb weight: 3042 lbs
New estimated curb weight: 2862 lbs

The windshield washer system comes out tomorrow. With only one wiper it's kind of useless anyway, and I hardly used it before.

[jcp123]

As far as mods go, they don't seem to have a hard and fast definition of where a stick car ends and where it enters the modified class? If I end up moving there, this would be fun. I imagine I'd push the definition of stock.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by jcp123

As far as mods go, they don't seem to have a hard and fast definition of where a stick car ends and where it enters the modified class? If I end up moving there, this would be fun. I imagine I'd push the definition of stock.

The way I (and others, like goofy1) read the rules, replacements for stock parts (air filters, tires, other wear items) are fine, but as soon you do something like change tire sizes, add a different intake, grill block, alter bodywork, etc. you're in a modified class. Goofy1 had a K&N canister intake on his Mini, and that put him in Modified with no other changes to the vehicle.

This event was a blast, and will be again next year I'm sure. You should totally do it!

[jcp123]

Originally Posted by Vman455

The way I (and others, like goofy1) read the rules, replacements for stock parts (air filters, tires, other wear items) are fine, but as soon you do something like change tire sizes, add a different intake, grill block, alter bodywork, etc. you're in a modified class. Goofy1 had a K&N canister intake on his Mini, and that put him in Modified with no other changes to the vehicle.

This event was a blast, and will be again next year I'm sure. You should totally do it!

Hmm yeah, I'll be borderline. Depends if I stick to simply upgrading stuff as it needs replacement anyway, or if I start picking up cheap parts as I find them (body bracing, etc.), and what I end up doing for winter tires. My thought had been to run winters on the stock steelies and run something else during the summer.

[Vman455]

I added an explanatory decal to my rear windows, to educate passers by:



Maybe this will pique someone's curiosity.

Also, I tested hood pressures yesterday with my Magnahelic.



The results are not what I expected. I'll put up a graphic with the numbers, but what surprised me is that--there is a negative pressure gradient (top relative to underside) across the entire hood! Although, if I had looked at this pressure map I already had stored on my computer, it wouldn't have been so surprising:



Now to hunt down some vents with the proper curvature and decide on siting.

Updated weight list: The interior panels are back in; I may remove them for the competition next year, but it's significantly louder inside with them gone. Windshield washer reservoir and sprayers are now gone, for a savings of nearly 13 lbs!

Added sound insulation: 48.6 lbs
Trailer hitch receiver: 28.8 lbs
Rear right seatback: 26.4 lbs
Spare tire: 25.8 lbs
Tail: 21.8 lbs
Cargo carrier: 19.6 lbs
Hatch insulation: 16.4 lbs
Rear left seatback: 13.2 lbs
Windshield washer reservoir, pumps, nozzles, and fluid: 12.7 lbs
Rear seat bottom: 12.2 lbs
Rear seat belts, seat brackets, hardware: 10.7 lbs
Front speakers and baffles: 10.6 lbs
Front door insulation: 9.8 lbs
Rear door insulation: 9.4 lbs
Wheel covers with pans: 9.4 lbs (2.5 lbs wheel covers alone)
Front swaybar and endlinks: 8.4 lbs
Jack and tools: 8.2 lbs
Trunk mat: 5.4 lbs
Rear speakers, miscellaneous hardware: 5.3 lbs
Headunit: 5.2 lbs
Hatch door insulation: 5.0 lbs
Floor mats: 4.5 lbs
External mirrors: 4.2 lbs
Cargo cover: 4.2 lbs
Front speaker crossovers and wiring: 3.2 lbs
Passenger side wiper: 2.8 lbs
Rear wiper and motor: 2.4 lbs
Intake resonator: 2.0 lbs
Sound system wiring: 1.5 lbs
Vehicle Proximity Notification System: 1.5 lbs
A-pillar insulation: 1.2 lbs
Hood insulation: 1.2 lbs
Engine cover: 1.0 lb
Horns: 0.5 lb


Total: 338.9 lbs/170.9 lbs from OEM
OEM curb weight: 3042 lbs
New estimated curb weight: 2871 lbs

[Vman455]

Here's a graphic showing the pressure measurements across the top of the hood relative to under:



Measurements were taken at 42 mph and averaged between one N run and one S run at each location; wind was 10 mph NW.

For vent location, the passenger side presents no difficulty; however, the driver side has the inverter at the front of the engine bay and the fuse box along the side behind the headlight, two things I would rather not get wet. A vent in the middle of each side right over that -1.3 reading would miss both of those, perhaps with an additional vent across the front just behind the radiator.

[California98Civic]

Are you running grill blocking? Because that seems like it would be relevant to these pressure readings and would be really interesting if you still had such pressure differences when grill blocks and an undertray are installed, no?