Window trim hurting aerodynamics? And a solution for my rear doors.

[Sean T.]

I don't really NEED to roll down the back windows...

[cfg83]

Sean T -

Originally Posted by Sean T.

and why a rare earth magnet? do they come in flexible pieces?

Nope, but they could be major "anchor points". If the door handles were metal, then the magnets could be anchored to the handle.

When I look at your door handles, I keep thinking of the "sign magnet" sheets (not rare-earth).

I see your point about the whole handle coming up (duh, I shoulda been thinking of that when I replied).

Because my car is plastic-clad, I have been forced to think in different ways :

1 - I know I can remove the elliptical-shaped cover on my door handle. I think it's a metal hinge underneath (now I have to test that too!). That would remove the "bump" of the handle and leave a flush rectangular door handle in it's place.

2 - I could build a replacement cover that only has the hole. It would be a new ellipse that is bigger than the hole so that it covers it like so :



2A - I could build a cover that is the size of the door handle hole so that it is flush :



I'm not to keen on this because of my "reversibility rule". My handle is just heat-melted on (like a toy!!!!), so it would be a PITA to put back on (though I guess a good epoxy would do the trick).

Back to your window molding issue. Maybe you can do some tuft tests to see what's happening. That's cheap, and you can see through the window, so you don't need a second car to see if there are problems.

CarloSW2

[cfg83]

Tango Charlie -

Originally Posted by Tango Charlie

They're extra strong. They ain't your grandma's refrigerator magnets. Think magnet on steroids.

Oh yeah, the magnets of the gods :

MAGCRAFT Neodymium Magnets
Amazing Magnets
Rare Earth Magnets - Master Magnetics, Inc.

CarloSW2

[Sean T.]

hmmm... that would be a good idea to use them as anchors... but how would I do that?

And yeah, I would just pick up a couple of the heater vent magnet covers.

and that would be a cool idea for your door handles, but maybe not considering not being able to reverse it.

[cfg83]

Sean T. -

Originally Posted by Sean T.

hmmm... that would be a good idea to use them as anchors... but how would I do that?

And yeah, I would just pick up a couple of the heater vent magnet covers.

and that would be a cool idea for your door handles, but maybe not considering not being able to reverse it.

Ok. Here's an idea. Lets say for the point of argument that you found a clear (or opaque) lexan vacuform shape that matched the "shape of the lump" of your door handle :

(ebay door handle)

And let's also say that the lexan shape then just extended out flat around the edge of the door handle. In this situation, the "flat part" of the lexan shape could have mostly "flat magnet tape" as a sealing trim. But, it could also have strategic neodymium magnets (1 front, 1 back, 1 top, 1 bottom) as insurance.

Hrmmmm. I just realized that you might have a source of "pseudo-lexan" lying around. You may be able to find a plastic soda bottle or similar that may do the trick. Ha ha, the quest for the perfect soda bottle.

Idea #2 : Getting away from magnets, the "cavity" in the door handle could be a place for a plastic soda bottle too. Just cut it so that it fits under the handle, add the finger hole, and glue it to the back of the handle. I would call that a "reversble" mod as long as you pick the right glue (maybe a sticky-caulk-that-doesn't-melt-plastic kind of thing would work). If you don't want it to be clear and stealthy, just paint the underside before gluing it on. You might not even need glue if the "under part" of the door handle is a magnetic metal (gonna test mine tonight).

PS - Here's an example of using magnets, but it was *much* easier because I had flat surfaces to work with :

http://ecomodder.com/forum/45200-post8.html

CarloSW2

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Sean T.

I guess I'm just really bored and pretty disappointed that I am only getting 20 mpg out of Ford's most aerodynamic sedan.

Just out of curiousity, do you have fuel economy instrumentation? Your garage entry doesn't list any.

[Sean T.]

No, I don't

[MetroMPG]

Ah! Well, there's your easiest route to beating 20 mpg!

[TEiN]

Originally Posted by Sean T.

I am wondering if the uneven windows and rubber seals on my car reduce my aerodynamics?
...
put clear tape over the door handles
...
remove the ventvisors on the rear doors
...
piece of plexi over the window to make it flush?


I am only getting 20 mpg out of Ford's most aerodynamic sedan.

I don't want to be a wet blanket here, as I think that all mods and ideas for improvements are worth trying, if for nothing else but the sake of learning what doesn't work, but if the best you can get out of a Taurus is 20mpg, there's either something seriously wrong with it (mechanically) or you need to work on modifying your driving style first.

The types of modifications you're considering may give you an aerodynamic gain, but at your current "efficiency" level, you'd never know. Those sorts of mods will give you low single-digit percentage point improvements (at best), which would most likely be lost within the clutter of your margin of error. You don't want a 1% or 2% improvement in your mileage. You want a 50% improvement. You're not going to get there with tiny aero mods, you're going to get there with big driving style mods.

[TEiN]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Ah! Well, there's your easiest route to beating 20 mpg!

Absolutely!