Nice work! Thanks for posting all the pics and adding your lessons-learned construction tips in the first post. I especially like the screen mesh covers over exhaust bits. Keep us informed if you notice any problems or discoloration of the coroplast. You have avoided the catalytic converters, where the real heat is, so I don't anticipate any trouble.
The power needed to push an object through a fluid increases as the cube of the velocity. Mechanical friction increases as the square, so increasing speed requires progressively more power.
Why couldn't an ecomodder use sheet metal or aluminum instead of flammable coroplast? On my Maxima the exhaust system is insulated (but not the cats) so covering the entire exhaust system and cooling just the cat should in theory be acceptable. I'm also considering installing ground effects on the sides and fronts then putting the underpan at that level which would keep the metal away from the heat, and assuming I leave enough air flow into the engine compartment it should be kept cool if I make it airtight.
__________________ RIP Maxima 1997-2012
Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
I think you missed the point I was trying to make, which is that it's not rational to do either speed or fuel economy mods for economic reasons. You do it as a form of recreation, for the fun and for the challenge.
Read some of the older posts on underbellys.
Everybody starts with something different and ends up with .......COROPLAST!!!! lol
1. lightest weight for all possible products
2. cheapest cost for all possible products
3. easiest to work with for all possible products
4. causes least amount of damage WHEN something jumps up under your car at 65mph.
(6 feet of semi-truck tire tread cam flying uot of nowhere and went right under the car!!!!)
Alum will vibrate if too thin......if too thick not to vibrate is too expensive and too heavy.
CP is actually pretty ridgid and doesnt take alot of mounting points.
I have had ZERO problems since I installed back in Nov.
__________________ MetroMPG: "Get the MPG gauge - it turns driving into a fuel & money saving game."
re-did the front underbelly pan.
removed the 'rubbery' panel material and went with the "solid" scrap of coroplast-like material that I had left over from the rear section.
here is a close-up of the edge of the material.
also a close-up of the factory deflectors for the front tires that were on the origianal factory underbelly pan..
__________________ MetroMPG: "Get the MPG gauge - it turns driving into a fuel & money saving game."
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RIP Maxima 1997-2012
