Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > Aerodynamics
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 10-29-2009, 01:53 PM   #41 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Bicycle Bob's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: N. Saskatchewan, CA
Posts: 1,805

Appliance White - '93 Geo Metro 4-Dr. Auto
Last 3: 42.35 mpg (US)

Stealth RV - '91 Chevy Sprint Base
Thanks: 91
Thanked 460 Times in 328 Posts
Stability

Quote:
Originally Posted by wagonman76 View Post
I remember back in 1989 when a Yugo got blown off our Mackinac Bridge. Hard to say what really happened, everybody's stories were contradicting, some say she was speeding, some say she stopped, some say she started swerving... but one thing was for sure, it was a tiny car driving in high winds. Since then they installed anemometers and close the bridge in high winds.

I can understand one might want to remove the tail. Taking a trip to the city, it can be a lot harder to maneuver in tight spots with a tail.
A tail tends to turn a vehicle into the wind, increasing stability. In town, a small car with a new big tail would take some getting used to, but big cars are not really all that hard to manage.

  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 10-29-2009, 02:43 PM   #42 (permalink)
Moderate your Moderation.
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Troy, Pa.
Posts: 8,919

Pasta - '96 Volkswagen Passat TDi
90 day: 45.22 mpg (US)
Thanks: 1,369
Thanked 430 Times in 353 Posts
I think the lever angle of the tail would seriously take some getting used to, as opposed to driving a longer car in general, unless said longer car had a short wheel base and a long trunk.

Going forward (as always) won't be nearly as much of a problem as maneuvering in reverse, I think.
__________________
"¿ʞɐǝɹɟ ɐ ǝɹ,noʎ uǝɥʍ 'ʇı ʇ,usı 'ʎlǝuol s,ʇı"

  Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2009, 06:50 PM   #43 (permalink)
PSmodder lurker
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Chino
Posts: 1,605
Thanks: 26
Thanked 908 Times in 522 Posts
Ford's inflatable car

Ecomodder's inflatable boattail concepts. Pfft. It seems that Ford went ahead a created an inflatable 'blocking' car perfect for really close drafting. Imagine your FE results!!!
Actually they are dynamic 'car' bodies used for their active crash avoidance & driver aids prototypes/programs. They are basically target practice for their sensors & monitors to create a database of optimum & safe speed/braking distances. The inflatable forms holds pretty well at speed.

  Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2009, 04:39 AM   #44 (permalink)
T-100 Road Warrior
 
BamZipPow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Posts: 1,921

BZP T-100 (2010) - '98 Toyota T-100 ext cab - 3.4L/auto SR5
Last 3: 24 mpg (US)

BZP T-100 (2011) - '98 Toyota T-100 ext cab - 3.4L/auto SR5
Last 3: 23.66 mpg (US)

BZP T-100 (2009) - '98 Toyota T-100 ext cab - 3.4L/auto SR5
Last 3: 19.01 mpg (US)

BZP T-100 (2012) - '98 Toyota T-100 ext cab - 3.4L/auto SR5
Last 3: 25.45 mpg (US)

BZP T-100 (2013) - '98 Toyota T-100 SR5
Last 3: 25.79 mpg (US)

BZP T-100 (2014) - '98 Toyota T-100 SR5
Last 3: 23.18 mpg (US)

BZP T-100 (2015) - '98 Toyota T-100 SR5
Last 3: 23.85 mpg (US)

BZP T-100 (2016) - '98 Toyota T-100 SR5
Last 3: 17.62 mpg (US)

BZP T-100 (2017) - '98 Toyota T-100 SR5
90 day: 20.78 mpg (US)

BZP T-100 (2018) - '98 Toyota T-100 SR5
90 day: 20.19 mpg (US)

BZP T-100 (2019) - '98 Toyota T-100 SR5

BZP T-100 (2020) - '98 Toyota T-100 SR5

2012 Scion iQ - '12 Scion iQ Base
Thanks: 3,502
Thanked 1,395 Times in 968 Posts
Send a message via ICQ to BamZipPow
How about this train of thought...

Something like one of those collapsible cups but in a bigger format to fit the back of the vehicle. It could be made out of coroplast quite easily fer shape and low weight. Attach it to the back of the vehicle, pull it out and lock it in place when you need the aero capabilities and unlock/collapse it back down when you don't need it.

Do you really need to go to the very edge to git all of the aero effects? Can't you just kinda step it down from the edges to git some effect? Sort of a step/chop of the extension...a compromise? Just a thought...
  Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to BamZipPow For This Useful Post:
Christ (10-30-2009), Frank Lee (10-30-2009)
Old 10-30-2009, 01:22 PM   #45 (permalink)
Moderate your Moderation.
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Troy, Pa.
Posts: 8,919

Pasta - '96 Volkswagen Passat TDi
90 day: 45.22 mpg (US)
Thanks: 1,369
Thanked 430 Times in 353 Posts
"I do sometimes wonder if any automakers... Ford included... are putting in too much technology, to make bad drivers think that they're better than they are..."

I couldn't agree with this statement more.
__________________
"¿ʞɐǝɹɟ ɐ ǝɹ,noʎ uǝɥʍ 'ʇı ʇ,usı 'ʎlǝuol s,ʇı"

  Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2009, 01:28 PM   #46 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
wagonman76's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northwest Lower Michigan
Posts: 1,006

Red Car - '89 Chevrolet Celebrity CL 4 door
Team Chevy
90 day: 36.47 mpg (US)

Winter Wagon - '89 Pontiac 6000 LE Wagon
90 day: 28.26 mpg (US)
Thanks: 8
Thanked 17 Times in 16 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob View Post
A tail tends to turn a vehicle into the wind, increasing stability. In town, a small car with a new big tail would take some getting used to, but big cars are not really all that hard to manage.
I was thinking more along the lines of strong crosswinds. Bassjoos said his tail does make for getting pushed around a little more in crosswinds, but not terrible.

And for city, I was thinking if you had to parallel park or even park in a really tight spot. I know around here there are a lot of places that are a pain to get out of even with one of my mid size cars with no tail. Many parking lots have screwy angles and are cramped, and people tend to just park wherever they feel like. The local gas station is a real pain, I've gotten to where I always just park in back, even before the tail. Also like say trying to back out when a larger vehicle is parked next to you, you'd have the tail all the way out before you can even see if anyone iis coming to smash into you. I get this a lot, and so even when going to McDonalds or something, I park at the back of the lot.
__________________

Winter daily driver, parked most days right now


Summer daily driver
  Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2009, 05:18 PM   #47 (permalink)
aero guerrilla
 
Piwoslaw's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Posts: 3,747

Svietlana II - '13 Peugeot 308SW e-HDI 6sp
90 day: 58.1 mpg (US)
Thanks: 1,327
Thanked 749 Times in 476 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by wagonman76 View Post
Also like say trying to back out when a larger vehicle is parked next to you, you'd have the tail all the way out before you can even see if anyone iis coming to smash into you.
How about a pivoting rearview camera? You stick out the tip of the tail, look left and right, like with a periscope.
__________________
e·co·mod·ding: the art of turning vehicles into what they should be

What matters is where you're going, not how fast.

"... we humans tend to screw up everything that's good enough as it is...or everything that we're attracted to, we love to go and defile it." - Chris Cornell


[Old] Piwoslaw's Peugeot 307sw modding thread
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2009, 05:42 PM   #48 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,528

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 62.14 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,078
Thanked 6,977 Times in 3,613 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by wagonman76 View Post
Also like say trying to back out when a larger vehicle is parked next to you, you'd have the tail all the way out before you can even see if anyone iis coming to smash into you.
All the more reason to reverse into parking spaces. It's safer and probably more efficient vs. driving in.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2009, 05:44 PM   #49 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,528

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 62.14 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,078
Thanked 6,977 Times in 3,613 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by BamZipPow View Post
Something like one of those collapsible cups but in a bigger format to fit the back of the vehicle. It could be made out of coroplast quite easily fer shape and low weight. Attach it to the back of the vehicle, pull it out and lock it in place when you need the aero capabilities and unlock/collapse it back down when you don't need it.
Neat idea. Someone looking at the car yesterday mentioned the same concept: "you need something like those Russian dolls that go inside one another."



(Matryoshka doll - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2009, 05:46 PM   #50 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,528

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 62.14 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,078
Thanked 6,977 Times in 3,613 Posts
raw materials

Picked up some lightweight aluminum tubing to reuse in this project. They're frames from old boat tops. $20 for three from a boat canvas shop, and the other two were being thrown away by someone in the neighbourhood.


Things are progressing at my usual pace...

Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	aluminum-pipe.jpg
Views:	920
Size:	100.0 KB
ID:	4674  
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Tags
boat tail, testing



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Project: Rebuilding an '01 Honda Insight as a nonhybrid Fabio Hybrids 158 01-12-2013 12:59 PM
How to get instant fuel consumption from Megasquirt TELVM Instrumentation 11 08-29-2011 03:47 PM



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com