Modding "The Party" (aeromods on 2011 Ford Fiesta S sedan)

[Cd]

Correction : The grille pictured is that of a Focus, but the same thing applies to the Fiesta grille. The upper half is completely blocked off.

[RiderofBikes]

Thank you for clarifying this with me. I'm a NEWB with this unless it comes to acoustics haha but pointless here right...

Yes a full belly pan is planned! just gotta get materials. i was thinking about that half blocker stock, and personally i like contoured, clean lines, and i can feel the full blocker helping.

HA, I cant sit still and before i know it, i whined up doing more than needed! I'm just a doer, with little thought process before, and get too technical too fast. I will learn too with aero like i was with speaker building, there are set properties, and trial and error stuff. Just need to find those boundaries. <Cant deny fact, but im good at "experimenting" (evil laugh)

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by RiderofBikes

haha, yeah my resale is a bit off at the moment.
Well, the thing with the front end is, the way the panels are covering the front, its like hitting a ...wall. around 10" high of it at least if not more...

Now my Edited pic is more like the contoured shape of the template. While perfect aero may require a blunt edge/surface, it contours from the lowest point, not 10" higher than the bottom right?
A tapered edge or surface allows for better airflow around an object correct?
^That is what im trying to accomplish. Making a wedge/contoured front end may solve the "wall" issue that i see. See pics for better explination

Anyone else have ideas

You might want to take a look at the above mentioned thread.You will see that the air is displacing around the nose far out ahead of the car.

[basjoos]

Originally Posted by Sven7

You're forgetting that the car's front is very well rounded in plan view.


Constructing a whole new front to move it out a couple inches will be a lot of work for very little gain. Seriously, start working on the rear end. That wake off the sedan body is causing you more drag than the front end ever will.

But yes, does anyone else have input? Agree/disagree?

Two reasons to build an extended new front. It gives you the space to install a fully adjustable grill block (either automatically or driver controlled) rather than the "one size fits all" grill block most commonly installed.

Second, if you drive in deer country, a low sloped nose is ideal for sending deer up and over the top of the vehicle with minimal damage to the front of your car (and give any tailgaters a surprise). The typical flat front of a car adsorbs the energy of collision, resulting in lots of damage to your car. A low sloped nose simply redirects that energy upwards instead of absorbing it, resulting in little to no damage to the car.

[RiderofBikes]

Originally Posted by basjoos

Two reasons to build an extended new front. It gives you the space to install a fully adjustable grill block (either automatically or driver controlled) rather than the "one size fits all" grill block most commonly installed.

Yes Yes,
?Manually operated flaps, like the flaps of air vents in your car/household for Heat and A/c? ...Eventually wired to the inside, for ease of use.
(open for traffic/low speeds, closed for highway stretches, or anywhere in between)

Glad to have Everyone/Experts getting interest in my car, you guys are helping build one sweet ride!

I'm spending some time reading through other threads Cramming everything i can so be patient with me about the really technical stuff. I'll get the hang of it eventually.

Cheers

[RiderofBikes]

Originally Posted by Cd

However,I was absolutely shocked at just how terrible that the underside of the Fiesta and Focus are.



Add a full belly pan, and i predict very good results.


Unless you plan to fully cover your front wheels, you may actually be causing more drag.


From the factory, Ford tweaked the area around the wheels and gave your car little spoilers in front of the wheels. A lot of time was spent perfecting these, as some studies have shown that these simple plastic 'tabs' actually contribute a significant amount to drag reduction.
Again, if you add to this area, it would be a good idea to tuft test the area to see what the airflow is doing.



I think the wheel skirt is great though !

Im partial to not actually having a visual grill... i like a clean smooth look(astetically).

An underbelly is planned partial/full ...front and real areas for sure, the mid section looks alright as-is. But, we'll see. I have some ideas tossed around for exhuast exit, and/or possible exhaust change for the rear.

I've wondered about the extra amount of tire surface sticking out the side at the front like it is, even with the wheel spats... Would it be better to change that and cover that area as well? Contour the body with the wheel to further smooth out the transition
And YES, front wheel skirts are also planned.

[basjoos]

Originally Posted by RiderofBikes

Yes Yes,
?Manually operated flaps, like the flaps of air vents in your car/household for Heat and A/c? ...Eventually wired to the inside, for ease of use.
(open for traffic/low speeds, closed for highway stretches, or anywhere in between)

I used a lever controlled cable (McMaster part# 2461K21) mounted on the side of the center tunnel to adjust my grill block, but a gear selector control cable from an old 10 speed bike would work just as well.

Closed for the first 10 or so miles following a cold start, closed for most winter driving, open for most summer driving after the engine has warmed up, amount of opening depending on outside air temps, engine load, and airspeed.

[Cd]

Originally Posted by RiderofBikes

Thank you for clarifying this with me. I'm a NEWB with this unless it comes to acoustics haha but pointless here right...

Yes a full belly pan is planned! just gotta get materials. i was thinking about that half blocker stock, and personally i like contoured, clean lines, and i can feel the full blocker helping.

HA, I cant sit still and before i know it, i whined up doing more than needed! I'm just a doer, with little thought process before, and get too technical too fast. I will learn too with aero like i was with speaker building, there are set properties, and trial and error stuff. Just need to find those boundaries. <Cant deny fact, but im good at "experimenting" (evil laugh)

I didn't mean to criticize all your hard work. I realize now that is just what I did.

I just assumed everyone likes a car which does not stand out as odd.
There are a few guys here that have ecomodded their cars and the mods look very professionally done .

One other thing I might add regarding factory looking mods is that the Ford Focus has an optional grille that has temperature regulated openings.

The grille block is an option offered on their "eco" version of the car which of course adds a bunch of other stuff $$$.

For those with the car already, I just thought I would mention that it is a factory part.

[Cd]

Originally Posted by basjoos

Two reasons to build an extended new front. It gives you the space to install a fully adjustable grill block (either automatically or driver controlled) rather than the "one size fits all" grill block most commonly installed.

Second, if you drive in deer country, a low sloped nose is ideal for sending deer up and over the top of the vehicle with minimal damage to the front of your car (and give any tailgaters a surprise). The typical flat front of a car adsorbs the energy of collision, resulting in lots of damage to your car. A low sloped nose simply redirects that energy upwards instead of absorbing it, resulting in little to no damage to the car.

Why is it that the new bumper height laws state that a car must have a blunt front end versus a sloped nose ?

I get what you are saying and it seems like hitting a pedestrian with a blunt front would transfer all the force to the persons torso.
A sloped , low slung nose would break the persons legs and cause the person to fall onto the hood of the car and spiral over the A pillar area.

Not to divert the thread, but just curious as to why the new bumper height laws are supposedly for safety.

EDIT : Now that I think about it, you would probably get more cranial damage being hit down low versus at hip level because you would hit the hood of the car with more force due to the increased distance your body travels after being hit.

On the topic again of "scooping" critters up versus hitting them, years ago when the Lamborghini Diablo first came out, I remember a journalist making the observation that despite driving on a warm summer night, the car did not have the usual splatterings of bugs on the windshield due to the cars sloped front end. The bugs just flew over the car.

[RiderofBikes]

Originally Posted by Cd

I didn't mean to criticize all your hard work. I realize now that is just what I did.

I just assumed everyone likes a car which does not stand out as odd.
There are a few guys here that have ecomodded their cars and the mods look very professionally done .

For those with the car already, I just thought I would mention(half grill blocked) that it is a factory part.

It's all good, i look at it as valid input whether its right/misleading/criticizism... it still brings another idea to the table, like comparing bad/good materials, or the overall finished products function and/or look.

I've drawn all over my car with dry erase markers, put designs on it with the help of my friends who've drawn stick figures all over it(at times). Along with a car full blaring "I'm too sexy" while everyones hanging out the window singing it...
Standing out as "odd" is the least of worries, as long as I/WE are able to achieve something beneficial to the car!

I noticed the half blocker on mine when i did the full blocker, but until i actually knew what i know now about them, i just said what the hell and covered it all flush. then after a day or so, i removed the small middle piece to have open for times of load for A/c/Heat, and better cooling since its getting warmer now also.