how to help my matrix part 2 (front end)

[Weather Spotter]

Originally Posted by JethroBodine

You weren't kidding when you said you were busy today.

I thought the nose was the grill block. Or is the bottom open?

On mine(once it's running again) I'm going to reshape the front bumper so I don't have to leave cut outs for the ends where the blinkers are, remount the lights to the chin, fully enclose the front and duct some NACA openings underneath up to the radiator. Did that make sense?

Yes i was busy. the noses is the grill block but at this point i have no air going to the radiator. My old setup had the lower grill blocked with two 6x16 furnace forced air grates. this were operable by some door lock actuators. in the winter I kept them closed but in the summer I have to open one half way home to keep the fan from cycling every mile or so. longer trips (expressway speeds) require both to be opened (summer) and one (winter).

So I still need to figure out a way to get some air to the radiator, i just want to control when and how much

what are NACA openings?

GRU:
I have gotten use to people looking at my car from the boat tail, this just adds spice to it

[JethroBodine]

First pic in this post has one.

[Weather Spotter]

well I got to making a block able intake air opening. I decide to to reuse my old furnace vents, cut apart, and only usign one.


before I started:


hole made:




inside the duct:


with the grate installed:








At this point the project is "done" I might slowly work on smoothing spots but its fully usable

ideas for paint skims? the all silver look is boring it needs some ascent.

[Weather Spotter]

I just need a tong now

for winter I am planning on making a cover for the hole to keep snow out.

[basjoos]

In designing the nose for the aerocivic, the main thing I was trying to do was to lower the stagnation point in front of the car as low as possible to reduce the amount of air going under the car, to get rid of the flat front bumper section of the car that collected dead bugs and dirt, and to shape the nose as a continuation of the curve coming off the front of the hood. The car is wider than it is tall, so most of the air is diverted over the car rather than around the sides. There is some taper on the sides, but 80% of the taper is on the upper surface of the nose. I placed the radiator inlets below the stagnation point so when cooling air was needed, it would skim off some of the air that would otherwise go under the car. The radiator air is exhausted mostly into the front wheel wells.

Looking at the existing 06 Toyota Matrix's nose, I would block off the upper grill and build a rounded nose with integrated adjustable grill block around the lower grill area, extending the nose about a foot beyond the existing bumper with a low stagnation point, and continuing that curve that starts at the front of the hood over the upper grill area. Combine this with smooth underpanelling, air diverters on front of the wheels, side skirts, and wheel boattails to keep the airflow under the car going smoothly and straight.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Weather Spotter

Yes i was busy. the noses is the grill block but at this point i have no air going to the radiator. My old setup had the lower grill blocked with two 6x16 furnace forced air grates. this were operable by some door lock actuators. in the winter I kept them closed but in the summer I have to open one half way home to keep the fan from cycling every mile or so. longer trips (expressway speeds) require both to be opened (summer) and one (winter).

So I still need to figure out a way to get some air to the radiator, i just want to control when and how much

what are NACA openings?

GRU:
I have gotten use to people looking at my car from the boat tail, this just adds spice to it

NACA was the National Advisory Council for Aeronautics,precursor to today's NASA.
They developed the' NACA submerged inlet' which offers a way to harvest air from outside a body and bring it in with very low drag.
If you'll GOOGLE for it in the 'IMAGES' you should see a number of examples.
I found the forward portion of some AUDI engine cover laying in the street in Denton.It has three NACA submerged inlets in it.

[aerohead]

I was thinking that you may want to construct a short,sturdy gangway which will clear the new nose while allowing you to stand or kneel above it 'close' to the front of the engine bay.
Even the short nose extension on the T-100 can cause hyper extension on my back and a gangway would help save yours for the times when you need to spend any length of time working there.

[aerohead]

How about tuft-testing with blue yarn,then 'paint' the yarn onto the nose afterwards.
Later, when people ask about those 'blue' lines,tell 'em that that they're actually white lines,and that they're just experiencing a 'blue-shift' from the Doppler-effect!
You could paint red lines at the year.
They'll 'hear' the colors as you race by!

[sheepdog 44]

Originally Posted by Weather Spotter

ideas for paint skims? the all silver look is boring it needs some ascent.

Paint some shark teeth on the bottom of the nose!

I'd be proud to drive in it knowing that my two hands made it.

[Weather Spotter]

thanks for the ideas!

I had to add another opening today, one was just not giving it enough air. I will try to post a pic tomorrow.

My 14yr old sister calls it the platypus car She also wanted to make a tong for the car out of pink foam. I told her if she made it I would try it (get her started modding cars before she starts driving).

I took it on the freeway today (3 miles) just to see what it would do. I can say I go to speed faster and held it without anything coming off. I got better MPG then I was expecting. holding between 65 and 70 MPH got me 45-51 MPG So I think that the belly pan and nose cone help more at speeds higher then I tend to go. I did notice a distinct lower air nose then before.