(Project) Boat tail-4 Door Sedan VW Mk2 (1990 Jetta GL)

[Tango Charlie]

It does appear to straighten out a bit, at the very end. Also, would it be better to shave down/round off the "shoulders"?



This is only meant in the humblest of constructive criticism. The tail is looking awesome and I am looking forward to what kind of numbers you achieve!

[JethroBodine]

Neil- You could very well be right. I've run out of time/money for the rally this weekend and am going to live with it like it is for a while. I do know that the original foam has shrunk and I haven't done an overlay yet, so I'm not sure where I stand at all. Oooooooh yes I have seen those strakes, and they are on the "to do" list.

TC- Any and all advice is accepted and appreciated. Those very corners have nagging at me for a while, but I was leaning toward the thought that if I did round them like you suggest, that the path way that the air travels from the front corners of the car would exceed the max angle of 21/22 degrees. Does this make any sense or am I over thinking it?

Thanks very much guys. I'm kinda crashing my way through here and can use all the guidance I can get.

[JethroBodine]

Latest, latest pics. This should be it for a while. I have got other issues that are demanding my attention, but don't worry, I ain't done yet.







The color is rattle-can Rustoleum Blue. Close enough for now. The blue that I eventually paint it will be a bit darker and metallic.

[Cd]

I was just watching Blue Planet last night and was admiring the streamlining of the Blue Whales.
Looking very similar, and now even more so.

[Cd]

Time for another tuft test !




BTW, do you plan to add any rounding to the front end ?

[Tango Charlie]

Originally Posted by JethroBodine

Those very corners have nagging at me for a while, but I was leaning toward the thought that if I did round them like you suggest, that the path way that the air travels from the front corners of the car would exceed the max angle of 21/22 degrees.

Only a tuft test will tell for sure (well, that and a day in a million-dollar-an-hour wind tunnel...but you know what I mean). You may be thinking somewhat two-dimensionally about the 21 degrees. I have heard that you can go progressively a bit steeper, if you're getting air "filling in" from an adjacent side via a rounded corner. Which makes sense to me.

Tuft testing is time and labor-intensive, fiddly, and complicated to pull off successfully. But oh, so worthwhile.

[JethroBodine]

Cd- Might get around to rounding the front eventually, but I think there is a lot left to do to the rest first. If there is some down time during the weekend, maybe I can organize an impromptu tuft session. I bet there will be enough hands there to get it done fairly quickly.

[Weather Spotter]

quick question, how did you seal the tail to the car, or did you fiberglass right to the car?

[JethroBodine]

Went right out overlapping the original body. Sanded the metal clean first. I'll be spending some time on the tail before Bonneville, but not as much as I'd like.

[deejaaa]

inspiring thread.