Video of a couple runs from sunday!
Love the build man. Big inspiration to build a vette-kart of my own!
In reply to Rushcanuck :
Thanks much. its been a fun project!
Some great pics from the last autocross. Photo credit to Kyle Srague and Brandon Kilgour. You will surely note the addition of a local sponsor. Local IT company TechAmelia, coincidentally specializing in speedy IT support!!!
My co-driver and i, on our less quick runs...
Event 5 was Saturday at Amelia Island. After a rather damp drive up, the weather mostly cleared up. I had a co-driver for the event, arguable the clubs best. He put 7 runs in and so did I. His best time was 37.78 and he was consistently in the mid-37s dirty. I had a best of 39.32, but most of my runs were low 40.
Our better early and late runs compared side-by-side:
Nice driving! Looks like major fun...
In reply to Gimp :
LOL. none.
believe i may be over lubricating the underside of the car... this area was clean when i finished the front end build...
looks to me like the front main seal. i cleaned it up again and hope to spot where its coming from...
Since you'v gotten some miles on it, how do you feel the poor mans lizard skin has been doing?
In reply to Dusterbd13 :
very happy with it. would do it again. i does seem to soak stuff up and become somewhat dirty looking, but other than that, no complaints.
How are the Heat and noise reduction properties?
Just a thought - I'm no aerodynamicist, but I'd think that running the rear wing at such a high angle of attack would stall the wing, creating a ton of drag to go with some downforce, as well as acting as a great air brake. Would it generate more downforce with less drag at a lower angle of attack? Might be worth the experiment to drop it to maybe a 30 degree angle from horizontal (or so, I'm just guessing, 45 might work better with your end plates) and see what happens.
Dusterbd13 said:How are the Heat and noise reduction properties?
certainly better, only heat is somewhat measureable.
Jim Pettengill said:Just a thought - I'm no aerodynamicist, but I'd think that running the rear wing at such a high angle of attack would stall the wing, creating a ton of drag to go with some downforce, as well as acting as a great air brake. Would it generate more downforce with less drag at a lower angle of attack? Might be worth the experiment to drop it to maybe a 30 degree angle from horizontal (or so, I'm just guessing, 45 might work better with your end plates) and see what happens.
yea, i dont know. at some point i will surely try less angle. i started with 20 deg based on looking at other mod-classed solo cars. they all have very steep wings. experimentation will be required to maximize its efficeincy, but no doubt, it helps as it is. can tell you that!!
I'll bet! You can see the difference in rear camber in corners, so it's a definite improvement. Just wondering if it can be better. This is a really, really cool project!
In reply to Jim Pettengill :
always! thanks much!
In reply to Go_Gators :
I was a bit snarky a few pages ago, sorry for that. But just a few comments:
You don't actually have wings. You have spoilers. They are flat pieces of aluminum, that are not shaped like the profile of a wing. Set in their maximum attack mode, you have quite possibly the largest spoiler I've ever seen. Generating thousands of pounds of drag, to create hundreds of pounds of downforce.
If the elements were shaped like wings, you would want that upper element to be dramatically flattened out, i.e. much less angle of attack, like how most wings are on the back of race cars. With an actual wing that size (of the upper element), you would generate more downforce (significantly more), but way less drag (significantly less.)
I don't think anyone is questioning the amount of downforce it creates. It surely does. But it has a massive penalty in the amount of drag it is also creating.
It looks awesome, is very unique, and is creating some downforce for you. But the entire assembly could be replaced with a single generic APR shaped wing, and you would have the same or more downforce with 10% the drag.
Creating an actual wing profile using the same basic construction methods you used for those spoilers, is entirely doable too. You could make some wooden ribs, and sheath the entire thing in aluminum. Mount some big ass end plates on it, and you would have an equally awesome home-built solution, that is much more aerodynamically sound. IMO.
Lots of fun reading on pages like this:
http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2010/11/building-carbon-fiber-wing-with.html
In reply to subrew :
I absolutely agree the wing could be more efficient. Its a compromise between time, money, fabrication limitations and performance.
i really havent had time to run any sort of comparison tests at all. but, any increase in rear grip is advantageous, even if drag is induced. i cant use anywhere near the 500hp the car makes on an autocross circuit because the rear grip is so poor throughout. Looking at Mod car pictures online is how i came about the crude the design for the wing, most are very aggressive with thier angle. so, i dont think i am the only one who sacrifices drag.
Someday, i will get around to replacing (at least) the main element with something more elegant. with more time a wing with a profile similar to the link you posted could certainly be done and hung in place of the flat element.
Thanks!
no real progress in the past couple months. in the process of moving, remodeling a kitchen... then re-establishing a functional garage.. doubt i get anything actually accomplished on the kart this summer.
i did.... enter it in one of the largest, more prestigious 'corvette-only' car shows last weekend. It Vettes at the Villages, world golf village. They did let me in.... Had several very interested, impressed and generally positive people initiate conversations about it. And... several people who would look at the car next to me, quickly walk past the kart and look at the car on the other side of me!! it was fun people watching.
I must say she shows quite well .....exposed rib cage and all. I do hope they were polite enough to offer you an invite next time
I kinda love making purists squirm. Nice job at the car show!
Hmm, something funny going on with your rear tires...
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