Chris.S.Mottram@ecc.com wrote:
> Chris S. Mottram@ECCI
> 05/13/99 09:45 AM
>
> Jim Wrote:
> "Previously had an air dam that extended from the lip behind the
> bumper down to within 3" of the ground. Had rounded openings to allow air
> to get to the stock TigerII oil cooler. This dropped the temperature a
> good 15 degrees when running. However it wore out and I no longer have the
> Air dam. Was made of a sheet of 3/8" plastic. This air dam also had a
> major impact on
> stability. No more"floating" above 130 mph, solid as if I were doing 55
> Mph."
>
Chris replies:
>
> I see lots of new cars with various black plastic
> airdams underneath that I don't think would look too bad under a Sunbeam.
> Has anyone found a nice looking airdam in a junkyard that is a reasonable
> fit? I don't ever want to see 130 mph on my speedo unless I push the
> needle there with my finger :-)
>
> Chris
Tigers,
I have used an "air dam" from s small G.M. car on the custom built car. It
was about 3" high and 2 1/2 feet long, and made of black rigid ABS type
material. Seemed to have a thickness of about 1/2 inch, and may have been
backed by wood. I bolted it across the car, just in front of the radiator,
with some aluminum angle.. It was not visible unless you lay on the ground.
This was NOT the 'racing spoiler' but a utilitarian piece of hardware. It's
purpose is to cause the air stream to be forced to go through a smaller gap
than the cross member, when passing by the radiator. The effect is to speed
up the air, to maintain it's required mass flow, and to thereby reduce the
pressure immediately behind the 'dam'. This low pressure are allows the air
flow through the radiator to increase dramatically, as the resistance to air
flow is significantly reduced. In layman's terms, "the air sucked through the
radiator". Much better cooling is achieved.
A secondary benefit is that this local pressure reduction causes the pressure
on the top of the front of the car to be higher than the pressure at the
bottom. This causes a downward force to keep the front end down.
It is not as drastic, or unsightly, as the flashy frontal dams extending from
the "air dam" bumpers in the AMT versions of the Tiger, and newer flashy cars
or race cars. But it is cheap, it does work, and it can probably fit the
Tiger if placed on the front cross member, just ahead of the radiator. Some
experimentation between adequate mounting, ground clearance, and position is
probably necessary. If you knock it off at the concrete parking stops, or a
speed bump, it's a cheap replacement, and won't hurt much if you allow for it
to break away. This NOT have to be ground scrapping. I'd aim for a 50%
reduction in the distance from the road to the cross member, as a first cut.
Would like to hear back from those who try it. Haven't needed it on the
Tiger, so my experience is limited to a VERY low car, with heating problems
that disappeared.
Steve
--
Steve Laifman < Find out what is most >
B9472289 < important in your life >
< and don't let it get away!>
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