Possible Thesis Project: Fuel Efficient Aftermarket Aero Kits: What do you think?

[mcrews]

any lowering of the profile w/ a kit (and keeping the suspension stock height) WILL (without a doubt) result in banging the front lip into curbs and driveways. PERIOD.

You just cant get around this issue. Car manufacturers are for the most part VERY aware of the requirements set aside by road builders for clearance. The chance that a 'mass appealing' product can gain any significant improvement is slim to non.

[freebeard]

What's worst isn't the road builders, it's the speed bumps on private property. I grind the tow hook pretty regularly.

Originally Posted by Sven7

I have a feeling the OP may have moved on and left the thread for dead, but here's some food for thought.

Six posts between 11-10-2014, 12:34 AM and 11-10-2014, 12:45 AM then nothing. Why do people do that?

OP got 8 thanks for starting this thread. I wanted to know more about the paper mache bumper.

[Sven7]

X2 on speed bumps. I didn't have much of an issue with my stock height Probe's air dam, but the lowered Civic scrapes exhaust on speed humps and severe driveway breakover angles.

He probably got the information he needed and moved on. I actually forgot he had some pictures of milled parts in the first post. That's the way to do it if you have access to a mill. Maybe a bumper could be made in a similar fashion to one of fiberglass.

[spray2020]

I didn't leave...

With a sponsored Mini Cooper full scale concept class, and other Art Center classes I have just been busy with things. Finally the term is coming to an end and I am wrapping up my presentation as to what I plan to do.

In terms of my paper bumper, here is a link to some photos of how that was done, I did this some years ago- but I still have the fiberglass molds:

///---\\\Bumper plug build with (P I C S!)///---\\\ - Page 20 - Club RSX Message Board

My current project build on my rsx dc5 are here- as you may see I am into that very japanese raw street circuit style- reverse stagger etc:

Spray2020: Kosei k1/Buddyclub P1's and body kit build - Club RSX Message Board

I actually have been reading every comment and thinking- also have been in contact with SEMA research to try and get some info as to what I am looking for.

I just want to pick the correct target market, from what you guys seem to be telling me (which I also believe) is that I need to target car buyers who buy cars not only for function- also for some status that they want to achieve. All of you guys seem to be more into doing things yourselves, saving money both of what is done to the car and how the car saves money for you. Here and there binge on the hobby to feel satisfied. A bit different then how some of us typical car enthusiasts do things with our projects. Personally for me I don't care much about saving fuel economy- I just like building wild parts haha.

[spray2020]

Originally Posted by Sven7

CCS Trans grad here working Alias at the big three. I think it'd be a cool design project, but not an easy business plan. As others said, you'll really have to sell it on the aesthetics side, then say, "by the way it'll increase your MPG by 10%". Almost no one's going to spend hundreds of dollars for unpainted high-MPG body panels.

Look at this- GPRauto 92-95 Civic Closed front end

Without the lip, it would be an awesome ecomodding bumper. It's even good for racing, on a popular platform for both. But for $350, they have only sold six of them (I'd buy one at $50). You need volume to get the cost down, but you need sales to get volume.

My advice would be to build an aero kit for your own car, style it really well (and tastefully), and calculate the fuel savings. If someone wants another, use your leftover plug and make one.

A fun paint scheme helps. You should have seen me rolling around the CCS campus in this...

Thanks for your comment Sven,

I actually know that over the years the Jojo Callos style front end for the red civics was very popular. He ended up not doing good business and everyone ripped off his stuff and now it is all scattered to different fake replicas, but yes could be a good base for a efficient bumper for aerodynamics w/o the lip. Quite simple. Honestly, there are different types of enthusiasts- the ones that do it right and buy the real stuff, and those who do it on the cheap and buy the replica stuff. So $350 for a ftp front bumper is cheap if it is original design- heck- dc5 owners buy Backyard Special and Mugen bumpers for $1000 + even though the rsx isn't a expensive car. Getting your product to the quality that people will respect it and pay for it is another thing- which you point out.

That is quite the crazy paint job! I am particularly fond of the Kanjo Racer 90's style paint schemes

Originally Posted by darcane

I live near Seattle, and what I see is a lot of really expensive hybrid or electric cars (Tesla, Lexus hybrids, Cadillac Escalade hybrid, etc) to show off that the owner is "green". They don't care so much about the economy of the car, as much as they do about the appearance of being an environmentalist.

While it is probably a very small niche market, you may be able to leverage your paper mache molding process and market the body panels as a "green" product for improving your hybrid or electric car. The car owner will never recoup the cost of the body modifications, but if it's just for the image of being green, they may not care.

I find your comment the most inspirational, and I think it makes the most sense for what I have going with a material and the statement the product makes, in relation with matching it with the type of car buyer who would buy into it/ appreciate it for what it can do for them. Thank you

[freebeard]

That is quite the crazy paint job! I am particularly fond of the Kanjo Racer 90's style paint schemes

That's dazzle camo. This car (and others) lead a short trend toward military paint themes. There's even a thread. Sven7 describes this as the car's peak; it being gone these few years now.



What did you think of the Arboform? It would let you pitch the material as an innovation.

I think you could have posted this here:


http://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread.php?t=939313

I like it. Edit for clarity: How about re-using the shape of the front wheelwell below the swage line to replace the rear wheelwell opening?

[busypaws]

I think the fleet and PU idea can both be combined. The utility trucks, construction forman trucks, Transit connect vans. Those guys are getting company trucks and fleet managers are paying for the gas. Clean up the underside, automatic front grill screens, front aero dams, wheel spats and fleet managers would be buying fuel savings without impacting looks. If you're successfull with the no impact to looks department then attack the rear wheel wells and other improvements that do impact looks.