LocostUSA.com

The wheelbase is 76 inches and thanks to another member I have a better understanding of what it's general shape will be.
As far as aero, I don't plan to use it to fix my problems of the massive front weight just to help at speeds of 40 and above. I know aero alone can't solve my problems! I'm hoping the beefy cage and cockpit add some rear weight to balance it out. The only benefit is the subaru motor really is light at 200lbs loaded and it's the only part in front of the front axle. The tranny is much heavier and center mounted in the frame, so my butt will be ballast.
I'm just trying to get you experts ideas in how to streamline this hunk of metal as much as possible. The goal is probably full body full cockpit like the photo shows. I plan to use side-vents/top-vents to bring in air for the rear radiator.
I'm aware it's not perfect, I only strive for fun!
Thanks again guys, please comment on my build too to keep this purely aero talk and not about my ridiculous Frankenstein car.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=16857

You'll save quite a bit of drag by going with more of a "shooting brake" roof line, rather than the overly rounded profile.

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-Justin

"Orville Wright did not have a pilots license." - Gordon MacKenzie

A "shooting brake" is just another term for station wagon or kamm back. It needs enough runway to work after the separation at the windscreen from a flat roof. It may net an improvement, but it starts at zero degrees to the airflow. I tried it that way and it looked real bad, imho. A more vertical windscreen, higher mounted for adequate head clearance and the potential net benefit is reduced with an overall increase in drag.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Sure the concept needs a bit of refinement still, and yes I drew it more for a front mount radiator, but I don't think making it more aerodynamic would look bad at all.

_________________
-Justin

"Orville Wright did not have a pilots license." - Gordon MacKenzie

Sure, that is more aero without flattening the forward section of roof. It isn't hard to improve aero. Just depends on how far you are willing to go.

EDIT: left "out" off of "with" for "without". I've been doing that a lot lately. I'd like to think it is the keyboard.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

My point exactly. Aero doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition. I believe that there are many perfectly reasonable and attainable middle-ground 'improved' aero solutions available for most locost type builds, be they traditional or not, without going to extremes.

_________________
-Justin

"Orville Wright did not have a pilots license." - Gordon MacKenzie

It can't be your point, it's my point!?!?!
I thought you were talking about flattened right after the windscreen.

Anyway, I like round. I think it's primal.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

That's literally just your colored-in sketch from his other thread with additions to the lower portion of the nose, the roof line aft of the highest point, the rear fender line aft of the highest point, and the tail. All that was removed was a small portion of the spare tire where the tail cuts in, and a bit of roof where the window trailing edge was reprofiled. I wasn't trying to reinvent the wheel, just make it roll easier.

_________________
-Justin

"Orville Wright did not have a pilots license." - Gordon MacKenzie

Not going to lie, I'm really liking the lines you guys are coming up with! I'd love to go full aero and have a full long tail and enclosed tires for drag but my garage can only fit 18 ft. I really like the lines of the hatch back and TVR you guys have shown me. It's looking 100000times better than I can come up with. I'm an engineer not an artsy/drawing man.
Now that I kinda know what it will look like I can get my cad friend to model it and throw it in fluent to get my 3d drag numbers and where I'm creating drag.

If anyone has or knows of a quick and dirty tool to analyze air flow over the shape let me know cause I know my friend will take hours to get this into fluent to model 3d flow. All I know of is javafoil.
Thanks

if you stretch the tail out to give a smoother line, then you could put a big battery in there to counter the nose weight, plus it won't look so dumpy

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this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

some thing like the TVR Griffith 200 / 400 would be some thing to take some styling Q's from .