Partial wheel skirts - what effects to expect?

[arcosine]

Full front skirts make more of a difference than full rear skirts.

[seifrob]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

... Did it attract a lot of attention from other drivers? ...

Well, to my surprise it went almost unnoticed. At least i didn´t get any unpredictable behaviour on the roads. Could it be that more than skirts it's your cammback what draws attention?

Some explanation can be given by my mother-in-law's reaction: "Oh, look, someone damaged your car - did Robert fix it with the tape??" So I assume - due the tape method - the car looks like i am merley "fixing a damage", not "upgrading" . The truth is that one can see cars with sellotape instead of windows etc in area where I live quite often.

Have you tried any kind of camouflage or just let it be?

Originally Posted by arcosine

Full front skirts make more of a difference than full rear skirts.

I definitely agree. But I was able to make this in 30 minutes, which I doubt it's possible for front skirts.

[arcosine]

You need whiter tape, the yellow stands out.

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by seifrob

Could it be that more than skirts it's your cammback what draws attention?

On a few occasions I've driven with the skirts removed, only the Kammy (example - long trip to Slovenia, through Austria which has very strict police), and I got almost no attention. Once or twice I had skirts with no Kammback and got more attention. At first glance the Kammback looks like a natural extension of the roof.
I think the difference is that with your partial skirts most of the wheel is still visible, while mine cover most of it.


BTW I saw a white Logan like yours yesterday and thought that it looks funny, like it's missing something. Then I realized that I've been staring at you partial skirts too long. They really make the car look better! If only you could remove the roof rails...

[seifrob]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

... BTW I saw a white Logan like yours yesterday and thought that it looks funny, like it's missing something. Then I realized that I've been staring at you partial skirts too long....

Thanks!

The roof rails removal is definitely on the to-do list, I am looking for flat headed bolts to fill the holes (which is standard for Logans, my rails are "de luxe" optional equipment). I wish I found some crashed Logan without rails. I have my screwdriver ready!

[seifrob]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

That looks great! Did it attract a lot of attention from other drivers?
That's the reason Mrs. P refuses to drive our car - Too much attention causing other drivers' behaviour to become unpredictable. Though I have no problem predicting that they'll suddenly stop, or pass me three times, or yell something through the window, etc.

Seems that I should chew my words. Today it was first time i drove on two-lane road with my half-skirts on, leaving the city at 3'o clock PM in stop-and-go traffic.
Nobody of passers-by was looking at my car. They were staring. All of them.

On the other hand: observation of dust patterns I found on my half-skirts says I am doing at least a little good. No turbulence trails visible. What do you think?

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by seifrob

Nobody of passers-by was looking at my car. They were staring. All of them.

Welcome to the club

[Phantom]

Originally Posted by seifrob

On the other hand: observation of dust patterns I found on my half-skirts says I am doing at least a little good. No turbulence trails visible. What do you think?

What do I think? I think I need to get arround to making my own #^&#@%$ skirts.

[seifrob]

not to hurry, not to hurry.

Through looking to my trip log and fuel log it seems that my skirts are actually adding drag, though I still hope that's because being now in constant time pressure i am more gas-pedal happy and my tire pressure is not as high as usual etc etc.
so far it seems 0.1 l/100 km increase, which corresponds to 2 mpg drop.

so, back to drawing board. First I want to devise poor man's testing method (no cruise control, no GPS, on-board odometer counts 400 meters minimum, 100 meters resolution.). I think of some downhill coastdown test with on-road markers, but that's just observation based testing - "at fifth run i travelled a bit further..." .

[Piwoslaw]

Could the slight drop in milage be the effect of the weather getting colder?