Now time (for modding: skirts, grille block, pizza pans)
 

for some modding. Gonna do the skirts, lower grill block and possibly the pizza covers if they get here. Already made the brackets for the skirts and picked up my plastic sheeting today.

Want to get started on my boat tail but have run into a snag with a few details so it will have to wait a little longer.

Getting alignment done tomorrow and it was April since the last one.

Are you modding the Sonota, or is this some other car? If it is the Sonata, you are braver than me. Also, why two alignments in such a short time?

Kirk

Yes, the Sonata, my only car.
Getting the tires flopped inside out to begin with, and the alignment checked and if it needs it, then so be it.

The alignment made a massive difference in how the car drives!
I had it set up in April to be as free as possible.
When the techs checked it it had developed toe out on all four wheels, but the left rear was the most at .062".

Now it has .01 toe in on all four and it is amazing.
The tires now feel as if they are lower by 10 psi, and they are at my usual settings.
The car feels much more plush, accepts bumps much better, tracks better and drives nice and straight. It does not bump steer, does not follow crowns and does not follow grooves. It used to do all those things.

Good thing is it still coasts like before but all driving characteristics are much improved.

Made the wheel covers and mounted them up but had to remove them and apply some rubber strips to keep them from 'ticking' as they were on the first short drive.

Skirts will be finished tomorrow.

The covers continued to 'tick' or 'click' even after the rubber strips.
Took them off and cut a little off the diameter to try and keep them from contacting the lip of the rim, as I had them tight for a close fit. They still made all kinds of noise.

So I took them off again and made two more screw holes and then drilled/tapped the wheels for the extra holes. Four screws now but have yet to go for a test drive since I don't like not getting the car to full operating temp.

The skirts turned out more like 3/4 skirts which should be sufficient, but it had to be this way since I attached L brackets to the existing screws and did not want to drill additional holes in the bodywork.

I don't mean to discourage anyone, but this stuff can kick your butt if you are only prepared to spend a day doing them. This is day three and more is to be done to 'finish' the job.

Have not started on the lower block yet as the other two have taken more time than I thought.

Finally! The ticking sound is gone.

Went for a drive and normally when I start up and do a trip long enough to fully warm the car, I'll loose .2-.3 mpg when the tank is around the half mark.

This time I picked up .1 mpg.

The rear covers still need to be finished since the front was a 'test' to find out what I needed to do to get them to quick ticking. But, the fronts, combined with the 3/4 skirts are worth 3 mph at the end of a coast. Pretty big gain.

Conditions were windy so I'm not sure it the coast points I tested were benefiting or not from wind.

Will finish them up tomorrow if possible and then start work on the lower block and another aero project.

Here's the new mods.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...eromobile1.jpg

Bharvey, that is looking sexy.

Maybe it's the aero-nut in me which sees it that way.

would have looked nicer i think if you had matched the body line on the car with the bottom edge of your skirt. The lines are close now and would benefit cosmetically in the future with a slight raise.

Yes indeed, it would have looked better with full skirts however I could not do it without having a serious protrusion in front of the the tire that might or might not have helped negate some of the benefit.

Can't AB until we get some dry weather.