Aeromodding my 2003 "Classic" NHW11 Prius.

[orange4boy]

I picked up a brochure but then forgot about it. I'll try again to remember.

[orange4boy]

Windshield wiper cover prototype. Tried this out past couple of days. It sure make it quieter and it looks cleaner. The A pillar now seems a bit louder b/c now the wiper noise is stifled. I may do this in stainless.




One thing extra this covers, besides the wiper, is where the cowl and the A pillar meet low down. I noticed that the flow streaks from my long road trip crossed the A pillar right where there was a big step between the window and the A pillar. It's now flush.



I have been reading the R.H. Bernard book: Road Vehicle Aerodynamic Design.

A couple of things have stuck with me. One is that surface friction drag is up to 30% of modern car's total drag. More than I thought. The second thing is that a turbulent boundary layer has three times the drag of a laminar boundary layer so keeping that laminar flow really pays off. I've been inspired to do a bunch of what I thought previously to be seemingly insignificant tweaks. I sealed most of my door gaps. Usually you see the front gaps done but the Prius door gaps were simple to seal with weather stripping foam tape. I still have some more to do but I need to pick up some thicker foam for some areas. It's pretty darn weather proof.

Until I do the belly pan though, I don't expect these mods to really show up on the MPG numbers. Even then they are probably not measureable.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by orange4boy

I may do this in stainless.

Of course you will...

[Mira]

No posts in 3 years?! I think there's loads of great info here. I sure learned a bunch. As well as the side kilts, classic

[aerohead]

It's virtually impossible to have a laminar boundary layer with a production vehicle driving on the road.
Do to the phenomena of Prandtl's lines of discontinuity and the viscous shearing of air strata,as they are positioned further and further away from the road surface boundary guarantees that the air is fully turbulent before the car ever reaches it.
Only a sole race car,alone on a track with zero wind would ever have a shot at a small amount of laminar boundary layer and that would only last until the windshield area due to the mandatory transition to TBL @ 1st minimum pressure.

[KrautBurner]

bumping this one up so I can read more into it later


are there any updates?

[KrautBurner]

Originally Posted by orange4boy

If you didn't get the memo, I recently revived a 2003 Toyota Prius NHW11 with 168000Km and a toast transaxle. Link in my signature.


Now it's time to start the Aeromods. The season is all wrong but when spring rolls around, I'll be ready to go! I'm happier working in the shop in the winter anyway.

My wish list of mods (I've been a good ecomodder, Santa) is as follows:
1) Grille block. Done
2) Basjoos headlights and hood. Done
3) Smooth wheel covers. Done
4) Front undertray. Done
5) Full undertray.
5) Plexiglas "double rear window".
6) Wheel boattails.
7) A-pillar tape VGs. Done
8) Rear wheel skirts.
9) Front chin air dam. Done
10) "Side Kilts" Done
11) Side trailing edge lips.

I think that about covers it.

Obviously this will be a while in the making but I'm pretty motivated.

I have already started on the first three so I will copy some posts to save time...

Uber-moonie sneak preview...





They are just Ikea candle platters. Heh. Ikea hack. They are 18" and heavier gauge than the $60 stainless pop on's that I have on the van. I will post mount them with 3 or 4 flat head socket screws tapped into the alloys through thick wall tube. They will need a bit of standoff so they don't rub on the rubber during cornering.

I like that they look like I'm running wide 45's on 18" rims but I'm really on 175-65-14s. they also have a smoother transition than moonies because they cover the part of the tire that curves back into the rim.

Originally Posted by orange4boy

Here is a shot of the car while we were shopping.

I see you are not too far from me

would you be willing to recreate some of this work for me?

[Jyden]

Originally Posted by orange4boy

I've been inspired to do a bunch of what I thought previously to be seemingly insignificant tweaks. I sealed most of my door gaps. Usually you see the front gaps done but the Prius door gaps were simple to seal with weather stripping foam tape. I still have some more to do but I need to pick up some thicker foam for some areas. It's pretty darn weather proof.

Until I do the belly pan though, I don't expect these mods to really show up on the MPG numbers. Even then they are probably not measureable.

Pls report back on any effects from this, noise, mpg, etc. I've been thinking about doing the same sealing along the front doors.