noob w/ hyundai and a dream - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

scotter · 09-22-2010, 01:23 PM

I have been reading your site for a couple weeks now and must say that I am impressed

I have driven with many of the hypermiler and never knew that it had a name much less that I was a wannabee groupee without a group. I have an 02 hyundai accent with no mods, no aerodynamics (unless you count the nonfunctional spoiler and the empty ports where fog lights could go). Driving on a all to reapeatable commute and unpredicable traffic, I have gotten as high as 40mpg on a tank. Based on an EPA avg of 28, not too shabby. Strange that my highway doesn't keep up with the 40mpg but that is another story. Basjoos was referenced from another guy who is my hero of jimmy rigging. I searched his name and it brought me here. Since then, I have made cardboard cutouts for front and rear, duct taped off my front end (left half open for now to make sure don't overheat), and have found a coroplast source. Also appreciate knowing computer 'mods' are not going to help me and neither will a fancy K&N air filter. Couple questions.

1. like the Kammback idea and boat seems a bit too much for first step. has anyone done this on a 4 dr sedan? did it help much like it does on the hunchbacks (yes, know is hatchback)? Might make a cardboard one to see but if someone has done this, how did you attach the kammback? would like to damage the car as little as possible as I am in a salt the road and eat your car state.

2. have seen versions of front wheel aeromods (liked the rubber membrane idea) but only one I saw that kind of worked was Basjoos. Any other success?

3. rear wheel mods and bellytray- aluminum bar seems a bit spendy with little real function, any other type of support material tried that was good but cheap?

4. bending coroplast and potentially a clear material like acrylic sheet, does anyone know a good link to a tutorial on how to bend.

Thanks in advance from the new guy

,
Scott

scotter · 09-26-2010, 11:20 PM

Tried gray duct tape last week for temp mods and it lasted about 3 days on front ports and rim. Between rain and wind, the middle section of the front ports (about 2/3 of total covered area) disintegrated.

Went the rest of the week that way. still, filled up today to see if difference and got a hair over 40mpg. not too bad.

Tonight, I completed my batwing (cardboard kammback

) complete with V notched rear. not so much for look but for vortex effect, pics tomorrow. Have to say as I put this on with gorilla tape that it kicks regular duct tapes butt

. I wondered how you drove down the road with things duct taped on and had confidence. I now know. Also patched the front opening shut with this tape so will have to see how it holds up. Took her out for a spin and it is solid upon return. No real sound diff that I noticed.
My coroplast supplier didn't call me back so no developments there. Having trouble finding 14.25" pizza pans to cover my wheel covers. The walmart ones are 16" and that goes a ways over the tire. Not sure it matters...anyone try that?

RobertSmalls · 09-26-2010, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotter

1. like the Kammback idea and boat seems a bit too much for first step. has anyone done this on a 4 dr sedan? did it help much like it does on the hunchbacks (yes, know is hatchback)? Might make a cardboard one to see but if someone has done this, how did you attach the kammback? would like to damage the car as little as possible as I am in a salt the road and eat your car state.

2. have seen versions of front wheel aeromods (liked the rubber membrane idea) but only one I saw that kind of worked was Basjoos. Any other success?

3. rear wheel mods and bellytray- aluminum bar seems a bit spendy with little real function, any other type of support material tried that was good but cheap?

4. bending coroplast and potentially a clear material like acrylic sheet, does anyone know a good link to a tutorial on how to bend.

Thanks in advance from the new guy

,
Scott

1. Have you seen Groar's uglyback?

2. I've also seen methods of reducing the fender-to-tire gap, generally with soft materials like coroplast that a tire can displace or chew through if need be. But yes, front wheel skirts are tricky.

3. For the rear wheel skirts, you don't need much Al bar, so it doesn't have to be too awful expensive. Steel would work, if you could give it adequate corrosion resistance. I'd just go with Al.

Welcome to EcoModder, and I hope you find some useful information here. It sounds like you're eager to jump in with both feet. That's good, but you should also start with the low hanging fruit, including instrumentation, a grille block, wheel covers, and rear wheel skirts.

cfg83 · 09-27-2010, 12:33 AM

scotter -

Welcome to EM! Patiently waiting for pix.

CarloSW2

Weather Spotter · 09-27-2010, 09:12 AM

For pizza pans, they come in whole inch sizes. I have 16" rims but would need 17" pans to reach all the way to the rubber. I went with 16" as that is what I could find. I would recommend looking for 14" pans. Try a local GFS. Buy one and see how it fits.

scotter · 09-30-2010, 07:08 PM

thanks for the replies. Yes, after I asked, finally found some threads with them. Uglyback is what I am struggling with as I want trunk to function too. Here is the batwing. Now that have coroplast, it can suit the name with color, have idea on how to get trunk back in action but need some parts.

that's what I saw on front too, nothing seems to hold up. might be too much engineering for first round, go for low hanging fruit first.

Got coroplast and YEAH like the look but was dumb and did front first before underbelly and now either undo or pain to get to. oil might be pain too. But think the one guy's idea for NFS (need for speed) crossed with FE (NFFE)could work and even with a bonus feature for cheapness.

Saw that you can get pizza diff size but not sure what GFS is wheather spotter. thought on the 16's but am concerned that with a bump and that much overlap w/ tire, might puncture. think you are right, hold out for 14's. might look for something like a clear pizza pan if I am goign to get any NFFE points for style.

I still don't see how people are getting long term use of tape as mine has trouble with the 60mph wind even w/o rain and snow.

Weather Spotter · 09-30-2010, 08:01 PM

GFS is Gordan Food Service (restaurant supply store).

Tape has never held up well for me, I used it to test my mods and figure out the design then I had to find a better attachment method.

Looking good!

scotter · 09-30-2010, 08:44 PM

spotter, how did you mount the final kammback then? drill?

Weather Spotter · 09-30-2010, 08:51 PM

For the top I used the bolt holes left when I removed the OEM rear spoiler (more of a cap). The bottom is attached with a backed held on by the shocks for the glass part of the hatch.

See my thread for lots of pictures and a better description:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ack-14159.html

Posts # 22 & 33 have the most details.

scotter · 10-01-2010, 12:07 AM

oh yeah spotter, forgot that, read your whole thread and you even helped the other guy.

here is what I played with tonight since my boss borrowed me her pinking shears. I was going to do this with gorilla tape but the pinking shears wouldn't cut it (who would have thunk

). So went with the reflective heat tape. my daughter will be proud when she see's my sparkly accessories. votrex generators, let's see if my endless commute is any quieter tomorrow

Wish I had resource and time to do the golf ball effect (check myth busters, it works) but alas, I dont' think a ball peen hammer would do it. would kill my NFFE on style but make it up in gas mileage.

have to get better with the coroplast to pull that off.