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Old 04-24-2011, 12:45 PM   #21 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Tele man View Post
...on a pink car they're skirts!

...but, on a blue car they be kilts!
Blue and white cars, certainly

Great job on this project, mcrews, very clean and inconspicuous.

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Old 04-25-2011, 12:12 AM   #22 (permalink)
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Ok.....
I got to Abilene at 3 am in the morning. Drove more that 1000 miles...........

My buddy lives on the outskirts so internet w/ my sprint card is to weak to downloasd pics.
I will be in dallas tomorrow and will get them up by tuesday.
Also, Had to get to Abilene in one day.
Had to drive 75mph most of the day.


GREAT NEWS!
I still beat 30mpg over the 1100 miles that have been recorded w/ fillups. Even though the scangaiuge is pretty close, I want to report actual fillups. I've got a fill up scheduled for tomorrow. With 93 octane.
I will also say that new mexico had 86,88 & 90 octane. I got hte 90 but the car runs best on 91. THe car can tell the difference. My last 3 hours were torture because the scangauge was showing the ign at 29 instead of 31-35. And the mpg was barely 29 at 55mph. Also the drive was all 'downhill' from the high plains.
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MetroMPG: "Get the MPG gauge - it turns driving into a fuel & money saving game."

ECO MODS PERFORMED:
First: ScangaugeII
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...eii-23306.html

Second: Grille Block
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...e-10912-2.html

Third: Full underbelly pan
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...q45-11402.html

Fourth: rear skirts and 30.4mpg on trip!
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post247938
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Old 04-25-2011, 11:15 PM   #23 (permalink)
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How to make Polycarbanite Clear Wheel Skirts/Kilts:
I used 1/16 thick polycarb.
It tended to vibrate when trucks whent by so on the second set I added a small aluminuum flat bar the distance of the bottom edge and achored at the fender wells.

1. The biggest concern I had was connecting the skirt to the fender wheel arce. I was not going to tape it, nor drill it, nor alter or damage the paint. THe key was the connecting part.
I had just installed a 9 inch and a 7 inch aftermarket cooling fans. The fans come with a "L shaped" part that I didn't use. on examining the part, I saw it had a 'catch' that could hook on to the lip of the fender well:

if you look close you can see the notch.
here is the part hooked into the lip. no screws, no drilling.

2. Now that I found a satisfactory meth to attch to the car, I bought nylon nuts and bolts to attch the skirt to the L part:


I epoxied the nut onto the L part so I don't have to stick my hand up under the sskirt tio trighten or lossen. One of my smarter moves in the last 3 months!!!

2. Next step is to get a templet of the opening. depending on the space, you may not have to remove the tire. you want to trace the lip of the wheel well from the inside, onto a sturdy surface.


3. Polycarbonite is flexible and strong. I don't think that the matreial at the home depot is polycarb. PC is not brittle so it wont crack.

4. I cut the skirt/kilt a little oversize so it would press against the car fender. The 3 L parts don't come out flush so the nylon bolt is pulling the l part to hang on to the fender lip AND pressing the skirt against the fender.

5. I had some other clips the I used at the bottoms.


THe trick at the to bottom corners is to create a curve in the PC that keeps the PC curved away from the tire and still sealed along the body.


The metal L brackets a at about 110 degrees. Not at 90 dregrees. this forces the PC to curve.





RTHe hole is a little father uot than if the PC was laying flat. This forces the curve. You don't want TOO much arch or curve. You are just barely trying to clear the tire.

IF you don't have an arch, then the PC will 'flap' in the center when a large truck goes by, becaUSE of the air turbulance.
(TRUST ME ON THIS!!!!) That is the reason you see the second hole in the picture.
this is the driverside rear of skirt:



here is the front of the driver's side skirt:


To keep the PC from scratching the paint, I got this product at the auto parts store:



I am going to cover the nylon bolt heads w/ licence plate bolt covers:

Initially, I thought I needed a rigid bottom piece to frame the PC and cover the distance. I had made a bottom usung a channel piece of acrilyc. Didn't need it. It wasn't flexible eough.


This was the first version (no curve):


there was too much 'finish work' needed to close the skirt to the fender.



Polycarbonite comes with a protective film on both sides. i used a power jig saw to cut the shape. leaving the protective film on eleminated schratches.
you can see the protective film on the inside of the skirt/kilt in this picture.


Because the PC is more flexible than I first thought it woud be, I was able to eleminate the need for the bottom chanel.
I will probably make another set that sactually go down lower.
I will get the thickness of the polycarbonite. It comes in acouple of thicknesses that would be suitable.
Again, the issue is the flapping or popping back and forth of the center when there is excessive wind or turbulance.
a thin piece of flat steel or alluminuum could be mounted between the two bottom attaching points to dramaticly reduce the popping.
THe popping has not happened below 50 mph
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MetroMPG: "Get the MPG gauge - it turns driving into a fuel & money saving game."

ECO MODS PERFORMED:
First: ScangaugeII
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...eii-23306.html

Second: Grille Block
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...e-10912-2.html

Third: Full underbelly pan
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...q45-11402.html

Fourth: rear skirts and 30.4mpg on trip!
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post247938

Last edited by mcrews; 02-24-2012 at 12:25 AM..
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Old 04-27-2011, 01:17 PM   #24 (permalink)
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Just spoke to Tod at phone number: 585-216-1210
www.nthcoast.com.
(this is an aftermarket company for the Ford Mustang)
This is where I bought the electric cooling fans that came with the brakets I didn't use on the fans.
todd said that the FAN MOUNTING BRACKETS come in a pack of 4 and cost $4.99. He has 10-11 packets sitting around.
the packets are not listed seperately on the web site so he said you can call.
For the international crowd, I would think they have a "contact" link on their web site and reach thenm that way.
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MetroMPG: "Get the MPG gauge - it turns driving into a fuel & money saving game."

ECO MODS PERFORMED:
First: ScangaugeII
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...eii-23306.html

Second: Grille Block
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...e-10912-2.html

Third: Full underbelly pan
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...q45-11402.html

Fourth: rear skirts and 30.4mpg on trip!
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post247938
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Old 04-27-2011, 02:35 PM   #25 (permalink)
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I like the clips that you are using that is one of the reasons I have not tried making skirts is that I do not want to drill or scratch the paint.
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Old 04-27-2011, 10:45 PM   #26 (permalink)
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I had sent todd a link to this post.
He is going to list the brackets seperately so you can order from the web site!
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MetroMPG: "Get the MPG gauge - it turns driving into a fuel & money saving game."

ECO MODS PERFORMED:
First: ScangaugeII
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...eii-23306.html

Second: Grille Block
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...e-10912-2.html

Third: Full underbelly pan
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...q45-11402.html

Fourth: rear skirts and 30.4mpg on trip!
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post247938
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Old 04-28-2011, 01:16 PM   #27 (permalink)
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How are the clips holding up. Have any started to loosen? Did you use any adhesive to keep them attached to the car?
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Old 04-28-2011, 08:55 PM   #28 (permalink)
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Definatly one of the best mounting systems I've seen for fender skirts! Great Job!!! I've been looking and looking for some plastic clips like you found. I gave up and just drilled into my fenders
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Old 04-28-2011, 11:49 PM   #29 (permalink)
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The clips are all still intact because there is presure pulling them toward the skirt. The trick is to tighten the nylon bolts just enough to put presure on the top lip on the skirt so it is pressed against the fender.

I will tell you that there were a couple of times when the popping forced me to slow down and take a look. Everthing was still intact.
I am VERY pleased at how well this has all come together.
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MetroMPG: "Get the MPG gauge - it turns driving into a fuel & money saving game."

ECO MODS PERFORMED:
First: ScangaugeII
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...eii-23306.html

Second: Grille Block
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...e-10912-2.html

Third: Full underbelly pan
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...q45-11402.html

Fourth: rear skirts and 30.4mpg on trip!
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post247938
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Old 05-02-2011, 03:49 PM   #30 (permalink)
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The Q Sold - '02 Infiniti Q45 Sport
90 day: 23.08 mpg (US)

blackie - '14 nissan altima sv
Thanks: 2,203
Thanked 663 Times in 478 Posts

Here is a spreadsheet of the 1700 mile trip to dallas from sacramento

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MetroMPG: "Get the MPG gauge - it turns driving into a fuel & money saving game."

ECO MODS PERFORMED:
First: ScangaugeII
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...eii-23306.html

Second: Grille Block
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...e-10912-2.html

Third: Full underbelly pan
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...q45-11402.html

Fourth: rear skirts and 30.4mpg on trip!
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post247938

Last edited by mcrews; 05-03-2011 at 11:21 PM..
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