Side skirts in Coroplast. Prius modding continues...

[orange4boy]

Pics!!!

Just a temporary install for now. I have to figure out some mounting issues. The black tape is some pipe wrapping tape I picked up at the surplus section of Princess Auto. 2 inches wide and very sticky. They only had black.

I also have been using a new aeromodding find which is a white plastic that bends beautifully and holds its shape after bending. It's some kind of screen fascia from home depot. Exact match to the Prius white. It is now in use as the front airdam but I have not installed it on the side skirts yet.

The idea here is to reduce the turbulent airflow behind the front wheels and to shield the rears. It should also help straighten out the under car flow. The wheels add .1 to the CD of a typical passenger car. That's a lot of meat to carve.

Ground clearance is about 4 inches.

[k.civic.f4i]

oh my. that's a real good idea. the way you constructed your skirts makes it so you might not even need rear tire spats. can you please give more details on the plastic material that you used in the front and how you mounted it?

[Jyden]

Can't wait to hear what results you get from that on your FE..

[orange4boy]

The front air dam is mounted with about 8 steel 90˚ brackets screwed into the bottom edge of the bumper. The plastic trim is drlled and attached with one 8-32 pan head stainless machine screw and nut/lock washer per bracket.

I will take a look at Home Despot next time I'm here to find the product name.

The coroplast side skirts are cut and assembled just like a cardboard box. To bend cleanly, across the grain, you just have to crease the inside of the bend with the end of a stiff steel ruler. Press it down in stages, overlapping each indent by half, then bend up.

To bend with the grain I used the end of my Olfa knife to crease the inside of the bend line with the coro on the floor, straddling the crease line. Push the rounded end into the line and pull towards you, following the "grain". That way the plastic will bend inwards towards the crushed part of the coro.

Instead of taping the coro together you could use pop rivets with tight fitting washers on both sides.

[k.civic.f4i]

innovative man

[moonmonkey]

i know basjoos has this double wall skirt system, but i have also heard that the skirt should not extend below the bottom pan of the car,. does the fact that its double wall counter act that? looking forward to your results as skirts or tire boattails is my next mod,, and your skirts would be easier for me to do than boattails.

[k.civic.f4i]

its probably just a suggestion to compensate for the springs bouncing. you wouldn't want your skirts scraping the ground

[cfg83]

orange4boy -

Great Job! If I were you, I would put holes in the bottom in order to let rain water drain out. I noticed that my Saturn's plastic running board is hollow like yours and has "unused holes", so I figured drainage was the reason.

For holding it together, you could also use plastic fasteners like these :

PDQ Automotive Plastic Fasteners Online Store


You can even get some in white :



CarloSW2

[travelingaaron]

The matching paint colors makes it look so clean. Very nice find, good work!

[orange4boy]

OP: moonmonkey: i know basjoos has this double wall skirt system, but i have also heard that the skirt should not extend below the bottom pan of the car,. does the fact that its double wall counter act that?

I think Phil mentioned that skirts should not extend below the lowest point on the car but I think he was mainly talking about front skirts (dams) and rear skirts. The clearance issues may be the biggest issues but the front and rear are more sensitive to low body extensions. Low skirts not be acceptable to some people but mine seem fine at 4". I may even add rubber edges to make it even more extreme.

I do think that the front air dam should be matched to the aero mods to the rear of it. If there is a lot of air coming in the front and you add side skirts suddenly you have blocked off an exit for all that air, increasing pressure drag, but if you have reduced the amount being forced under by the right proportion, then drag should be reduced.

Along with Aero Civic, this is my inspiration. I bet if obstacle clearance were not an issue this would have full side skirts.