Looking to put a bug deflector on my Rabbit

[ORCoaster]

But I can't seem to find anything that sources out a 1981 VW.  I looked into a Nissan Pickup one as it seems to be about as wide and flat.  Anyone ever throw one of these on?  I think the airflow is all wrong on our cars.  Why else would the wipers shake like crazy at 60.  I want the air to go higher on the windshield and I think a deflector would do that. 

Any hits? 

[nathan_b]

my wipers don't shake at 80, maybe your wiper arm springs are worn out or missing.

And they are unaerodynamic, that's why they made the sirocco.

watercooled vw performance handbook - by greg raven states that in a mk1, lowering it 1" and putting an air dam on the front valance can increase aerodynamics by about 15%.

I think  a bug deflector will hurt you if anything, but I am no wind tunnel.

[ORCoaster]

Well, I did add an air dam to the lower part of the front end.  When I drive in the heavy fog or mist along some of the coastal rivers here it is evident to me that the wind is really pounding that windsheild.  I don't intend to lower the car because of the conditions in which I drive really dictate more ground clearance to avoid bottoming out at 60.

By increase aerodynamics by 15% you mean to make the care more aerodynamic and thus slip better through the air right.  Not increase the drag.  I am going for a lower coefficient of friction here.  I bet this VW is in the + 42.9 factor or something.  Might as well be a sail.

[rabbitman]

I bet this VW is in the + 42.9 factor or something.  Might as well be a sail.

I've heard what the coefficient is but I forgot exactly what, I think it was somewhere between 40-43 though.

[ORCoaster]

I was kidding with the 42 number as coefficient of drag Cd is normally somewhere below 1.0  So the competition had this to say.  
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?2716154-Drag-Coefficient-of-VW-Rabbit-Effect-of-spoilers

I seem to have been about a factor of 100 too high.  VW did the testing and actually made a fairly slippery car.  Not nearly as those of today but for 81 they were ahead of the curve.

Might go for a Zender kit as there is one locally for 2 hun all parts included.

[R.O.R-2.0]

you better jump on that zender, because if you dont, and i find it, its mine.. ive been looking for one for a while now..

[rabbitman]

Maybe it was .43, I don't really know what thoughs numbers mean anyways though.

[rabbitman]

I posted that last post before I read your link .

[ORCoaster]

Think of Cd as the mass of an object under the influence of gravity.  One pound pushing down on the earth will take an equal or greater amount of force to get it to move.  Now put some marbles under that one pound mass.  It takes less force to make it move right.  Hence the coefficient of friction is less than one.  Let's just say .43, or only less than half a pound of force to make it move. 

Same with drag on a car, the less drag the lower the Cd, so you don't have to push the skinny pedal as much to make the mass of the car move. 

Does that make sense to the other scientists out there? 

[ORCoaster]

Finally found a LeBra that fits VW's and installed it when the sun came out over the weekend.  I didn't like the way the upright deflectors were laying down so I stuffed some PVC pipe inside them to make sure they didn't go flat.  Haven't been up to highway speeds with it yet to be able to detect if the wind is going high or low on the windshield.  All I need to do is try washing the windows and that will tell me.  The sprayers work great at slow speeds but just hit below the wipers when I am doing 50 MPH.  Will post with more results when I know em.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Finally found a LeBra that fits VW's and installed it when the sun came out over the weekend.  I didn't like the way the upright deflectors were laying down so I stuffed some PVC pipe inside them to make sure they didn't go flat.  Haven't been up to highway speeds with it yet to be able to detect if the wind is going high or low on the windshield.  All I need to do is try washing the windows and that will tell me.  The sprayers work great at slow speeds but just hit below the wipers when I am doing 50 MPH.  Will post with more results when I know em.

man, you are f'ing nuts..

you put a BRA on a car with a brand new paint job?!?!

bras are for cars with body damage, not cars with perfect paint!

[ORCoaster]

I let it cure for a month and I want it to stay PERFECT.  So I wrapped it up nice and black.  Mostly I want to control the wind over the hood and windshield.  I put on a new set of washers and they go to a mist at 50 MPH.  Otherwise they work much better than the stock pisser that I had.  I also upgraded the water pump so don't think I didn't think of that first.

The cover is about 8 inches back.  Not a real wrap around job.  Car is getting to look seriously out of style.  If the hubcaps don't match I am going back for the RiKen alloy rims I passed on a week ago if the man still has them.  13 inches by 5 I think.  Full covers over the center.  Dots around the outside rim.  Very light. 

Oh and yes, I am nuts, crazy, deranged and all of that.  Why else would I buy a 30 year old car and pour twice the purchase price into fixing it up?  But then don't you do the same.  So peas in a pod man.  LOL. 

[R.O.R-2.0]

I let it cure for a month and I want it to stay PERFECT.  So I wrapped it up nice and black.  Mostly I want to control the wind over the hood and windshield.  I put on a new set of washers and they go to a mist at 50 MPH.  Otherwise they work much better than the stock pisser that I had.  I also upgraded the water pump so don't think I didn't think of that first.

The cover is about 8 inches back.  Not a real wrap around job.  Car is getting to look seriously out of style.  If the hubcaps don't match I am going back for the RiKen alloy rims I passed on a week ago if the man still has them.  13 inches by 5 I think.  Full covers over the center.  Dots around the outside rim.  Very light. 

Oh and yes, I am nuts, crazy, deranged and all of that.  Why else would I buy a 30 year old car and pour twice the purchase price into fixing it up?  But then don't you do the same.  So peas in a pod man.  LOL. 

hahaha, so true!

i might have some wheels for you, some 13x5s that im going to bead blast this week, and if i dont like the way they look blasted, i would sell them to you for a song.

[ORCoaster]

Are they Alloys?  The ones I passed on because I didn't have the cash with me were.  Renki's I think that was the spelling.  Designed by Enki I think.  Came on some original Cabriolets is the story the gentleman told me. 

I have not forgotten that my ride needs wheels according to the reviewers here.  I did find 4 snowflakes a week or so ago and those will go on the snow tires I best get mounted and on the car.  If I get stranded on my way home or to work I will kick myself.  Got the snows in July. 

So now I am trying to get the hubcaps working to see what that looks like and I probably will have to wait until next weekend to try and bend a few tabs and try a second time on those little clips.  Once the caps are on I will look it over and decide if another set of alloys should be in the works for the 13 inch tires.  So thanks for the offer.  Are  we that much different in our tastes that if you don't like them you think I will? 

   I  just might. 

[R.O.R-2.0]

13x5 ally's

there like 9 spoke. there on my rabbit right now. will be blasting them this week.