Kammback yields +4 mpg

[noxman]

gascort: Good job.

Which width plexiglass do you have? I thinking about 2mm, but i'm not sure if will be enough.

[aerohead]

Love it! One thing I'd mention.People in parking lots won't expect it and little ones might walk right into it.Ya might throw some bright color at the base sides and rear and even cushion it with foam,in case someone accidentally walks into it.4-mpg,that's great!

[gascort]

Noxman, I'm unsure on the thickness; it's probably about 3mm I'd guess. Thinner would be better, I think, because it would flex easier.
Phil - I have some reflective tape I've been meaning to add. Eventually I want to put some taillights out there. Luckily most seem so distracted by it in parking lots so far that they're more likely to run into something else!
One thing I noticed the other day - it is bad in the rain; water from (I guess) under the car sprays up on the underside and makes it opaque to all but headlights. This will hopefully be improved when I clean up the bottom and the sides of the car though.

[noxman]

gascort: Thank you for reply.
I'm afraid of the thickness 2mm. I think cross wind and other forces will be very devastating at high speeds (Over 50Mph).

What type of material do you have? I thinking about polycarbonate board.
Flexible and shock-proof then plexiglass.

What experience do you have?

[Intrigued]

Hello from other parts of Missouri!!!

Thanks for the links from the other thread. I have a lot of catching up to do...

That does look really neat, and a lot more professional than coroplast. Adding 4 mpg to an already efficient car is mighty good!

Hey, a shout out to anyone wanting to do aero with something clear: use LEXAN!!! That's what I have on the front of the Intrigue, (the 1/16 inch stuff) and you can drill it (and cut it with shears) very easily. Paul is having a lot better luck with it on his open source EV controller, too!

(Oh, and you're welcome for those good looking ecomodder decals!)

[evolutionmovement]

Lexan (polycarbonate) is also weldable and more impact resistant. The problem is that it's more expensive than acrylic and harder to bend.

[Intrigued]

The piece I used on the Intrigue was an 8 inch by 4 foot piece, and it came in the mail rolled up into a 4 inch roll!!!

I therefore beg to differ. Heat lets it bend quite well, and it doesn't have the tendency to split like plexi.

Of course, I used the 1/16 stuff, which has still withstood a lot of abuse and is still blocking my grille and extending my air dam - and I hit stuff all the time with the air dam...

[orange4boy]

Sufficiently thick Lexan is used as the center laminate in bullet proof glass and unbreakable pocket combs.

Gotta love the idea of bullet proof aeromods

[evolutionmovement]

You haven't hand-formed polycarbonate, then. Unlike forgiving acrylic, poly needs to be heated up gradually and evenly, but it also tends to dissipate the heat quickly. Too much heat causes blistering and too little gets you nothing. Simple, small bends aren't terrible, but sharp bends or compound curvature can be difficult. I've worked with both and I definitely prefer polycarbonate for its much better machinability and impact resistance and that you can weld it (acrylic can only be glued as far as I know), but for complicated heat forming, like for sculpture, acrylic is the way to go. For a car application where it will see rocks thrown at it and the forming required is generally simple, polycarbonate's a definite winner.

[Frank Lee]

+4 is what basjoos says his boattail gives, which makes this sweet cuz yer not dragging that big ol trunk around!