Piwoslaw's Peugeot 307sw modding thread

[Piwoslaw]

I once thought about a fire blanket, but saw the prices for new ones. On the other hand, if it will work better than anything I can DIY, then maybe it is worth a second thought.

Can a glass fire blanket be cut in half, or would it be better to fold it to fit into the engine bay?

[Daox]

Nice work with the foam. I really like that idea. I might have to give it a go with the Prius. Despite the full grill block plus block heater it still takes its time heating up. I realized this because I'm currently driving my aunt's volvo S70 which is horribly inefficient and heats up crazy fast.

Does the foam you used have adhesive backing, or did you use some type of other adhesive?

[Piwoslaw]

The foam was peel and stick.

[Piwoslaw]

Today I permanently removed the Kammback.

The immediate reason I removed it is that this week Svieta is due for the annual technical exam, which cannot be passed with homemade additions like this. The reason it will not go back on is that it is old. It was built in mid-2009 and I did not expect it to survive the winter, max 1 whole year. It stood up quite well for over 6 full years, but the sun and the cold have taken their tolls: it now sags:

it is very brittle, flaking away at a mere touch:

or even breaking without touching:

This makes the FE gains smaller, and its safety (for example during strong winds) questionable.

Svieta's butt looks so naked now. I'll miss the fact that it kept both sun and snow off the rear glass. She looks more or less stock, except for the lack of roof rails. Over the winter I'll see how noticeable the FE impact will be, then maybe I'll find enough time to concoct a new Kamm.

I'm open to ideas for improvements: materials, technique, dimensions. I'd like to round it (compound curve?) instead of the straight fold, hopefully reducing some vortexes. I'd love to put the window on the end, even make it a permanent part of the rear hatch, but let's not get carried away: unless I can get the hatch legalized, I'll need to be able to remove it on the roadside. I still have the original piece of PP coroplast in the garage, hopefully it is still worth using. If I could find someone with the know-how and willing to assist, it could be fiberglass or whatever other material. Maybe I'll make two at the same time - the second for Theodor?

[Weather Spotter]

The plastic will break down over time in the sun, I am surprised you got 6 years from that! Its a sad day when you have to remove mods that have defined our cars for so long if you liked the rough shape, put it back on the car after putting was paper on the car first and you could use the old one as a template/ mold to fiberglass a new one. That is what I did to get a good seal between my Matrix and its tail.

[Piwoslaw]

The last week saw 2 new updates:
New low RR summer tires: Hankook Kinergy Eco 195/65R15.

When these were mounted, I asked the mechanic to reduce the toe of the wheels, closer to zero than standard. I don't know whether it is the new tires or the new toe setting, but Svietlana now rolls noticeably better when in neutral. Not to mention that it is much quieter

The second addition is a 12V coolant heater. More info here.