What angle for an air dam/deflector...?
 

I'm looking at making a single piece bolt-on air dam/deflector.

I want it to serve three purposes...

1. Aid airflow underneath the car

2. Block airflow to the massive gapping hole in the bumper

3. Push air out and passed the wheels

(4. Retain some aesthetic appeal...)

Frontal view...

http://i519.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/IMAG0696.jpg

Side view...

http://i519.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/IMAG0701.jpg

So, question is, which angle will best assist with airflow in relation to economy?

http://i519.photobucket.com/albums/u...te/airdam3.jpg

You can also look at a splitter...kinda like what NASCAR uses on the Sprint Cup series... :D
http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images...play_image.jpg

The air dam reduces the amount of air going underneath the car, at the expense of more frontal area, pushing it over or to the sides of the car.

In order to do so, it must sort-of retain the air, rather than allowing it to spill underneath the air dam. That's why you'll often see the lower lip of a front spoiler being angled forward, or a horizontal splitter plate on race cars.

So, don't angle it rearward.

Follow the curve of the front bumper so it guides the air to the sides.


You can do so by blocking it from the inside.
Test with something that can easily be removed, see what works as it'll still need some air, then make it more permanent / stealthy on the inside.

If still possible, as the car already seems to ride low, you can lower the air dam further in front of the wheels - if the air dam is close to the wheels at this point.
The further it is from the wheel, the less effect it'll have.

http://http://ecomodder.com/forum/sh...o-15673-4.html

Check out my post on the last page of this thread, you could probably do something like that for the "massive gapping hole in the bumper".

Sprint Cup series air dam/splitter setup fer 2011...
http://1trueroadwarrior.files.wordpr...hevy-nose1.jpg

I think I could adapt that to my air dam a whole lot easier than the older version... :D

Cheers for that answer, its given me some food for thought.
I didn't think about blocking the hole from the inside?

I might see if I can find a beaten up Miata bumper and aesthetically cut the ends off and mount them to give a few extra inches width? Sort of like overriders?