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myth busters; golf ball dimples
Topic Started: Oct 11 2012, 12:12 AM (709 Views)
philverbowl
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[ *  * ]
I watched an episode of the show Myth Busters quite a while ago in which they were trying to compare gas mileage on clean versus dirty cars. In their test they used modeling clay smeared all over the car for dirty and the same clay in the backseat for the clean car.Then they took the test on step further with the clay on the car they scooped out large dimples to equate the dimples in a golf ball, which I've been told the dimples are for aerodynamics. The clay they scooped out again went into containers in the backseat so the weight didn't change.To their surprise they saw a small improvement in mileage.Now I have to ask you Geomfers ,has anybody beat dimples into their metros,I'm considering it since the body on mine isn't so great anyway.Also just rereading this makes me glad that Diamler didn't build the Metro because then I would have to call all my fellow forum users dmfers.(If you don't understand this reference ask a txting teen to fill you in). :popcorn
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Old Man


philverbowl
Oct 11 2012, 12:12 AM
.Also just rereading this makes me glad that Diamler didn't build the Metro because then I would have to call all my fellow forum users dmfers.(If you don't understand this reference ask a txting teen to fill you in). :popcorn
If you are considering beating dents in your metro ask any texting queen what that would be called :lol :rofl :cheers
Edited by Old Man, Oct 11 2012, 12:45 AM.
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HelterSkelter
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#1 Pizza Driver

it works. what it does is it causes more turbulence so that when the air passes over the last edge of your car, the top of the hatch, it doesn't tumble as far back, the eddy the air creates trailing your car isn't as long. really, to make the optimum design, you would need to do a lot of research, but there has been talk around here about putting something near the end of the car to disturb the air flow, but noone want to fork over the cash to test it out. it would work though, you just have to figure it out.
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redpepe


i have dimples all over the front of mine ... from a less than perfect repair of the cow encounter in baja. folks often assume a hail storm. i now have a wicked hook.
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Scoobs
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:D

I was thinking of doing this one day, but making fiberglass panels that either 3m Tape onto the car, or bolt down.
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maxmpg
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The cheapest, "easiest" way to do research on this is just to *do it!* like the mythbusters guys did. Get an accurate MPG meter (in your case for a 1993, an MPGuino) or use their MPG measuring technique and use a similar test process. However I recommend you don't dimple your Metro's metal until you're set :)
Clay is expensive and heavy, and if you think about it enough you might be able to come up with a more cost effective method for custom shapes (plastic casting? take an accurate mold of the Metro's shape and build some molds
to do tests with plastic... ideas).

Anyway, a very long process to say the least but if you're into it, have fun!

If you wanted to geek out on high tech research, I would first look around to see if there's any universities with a wind tunnel. They're rare, but they exist. If not, you can build your own (search google) and camera setup to analyze the air flow (with smoke, etc).

Alternative, if you're ultra gungho is sign up with a local college/university that offers a fluid dynamics modelling program. They'll have access to the $UPER-expensive software to do it accurately, and the professors to help teach you.
Edited by maxmpg, Oct 11 2012, 08:51 AM.
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Woodie
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We've had this discussion already, when the show was first on a couple of years ago. I'll bet those wake modifier thingys that Misubishi Evolutions have on their roof would do the same thing. I think Johnny Mullet had them on the back of his first Metro for a while.
Edited by Woodie, Oct 12 2012, 04:09 AM.
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