Aerodynamics of a bug

[Humble]

That special projects page is what i'm following to make my front splitter. Having talked to a few ustcc teams and fabricators that splitter design is almost a standard.

I've considered a rear diffuser and using naca ducts to pull air from the engine bay but I'm not sure how well it would flow.

[SilverBullet]

This was what I did. Have to do cleaning if the roads were wet n muddy!

[SilverBullet]

How would the top cover help Wally?

[Wally]

Originally Posted by SilverBullet

How would the top cover help Wally?

Imo, when the air hits the nose, the part that goes over the front bumper splits in a part that goes over the bumper and bonnet and part goes downwards and under the car.
I think you want as much air over the car and not go under it.
My undertray may just help draw air from behind the bumper and downwards through the underside of the car.
Sealing the top should prevent this and as such give a little less uplift or more downforce, whatever effect prevails. At least thats my idea

[beetle1303]

Wally, after u posted the Bernd Rummenholl's 1303 Gelb-schwarzem Renner's pic i remembered that i had found something similar a long time ago. cant remember if it was through a forum or randomly over the net...
If any one knows more then please comment.IIRC its from one of the scandinavian countries from the 80's
If u look closely the fender cover extends high between the front bonnet and the headlights.and the bonnet is different maybe a hoffman product?
Also note the front splitter with rubber lower end that extends to the front wing's leading edge...
Chris

[Gerrelt]

Google image search resulted in this norwegian thread: vwnorge thread

The third picture shows the same front spoiler, but now from an angle.
I thought it looked pretty good from the front, but I don't like it from an angle.
Or is the yellow-brown color?

edit: the yellow-brown beetle has a different spoiler.
This is a better view on the gray one: LINK

[aartjan]

Originally Posted by Wally

Imo, when the air hits the nose, the part that goes over the front bumper splits in a part that goes over the bumper and bonnet and part goes downwards and under the car.
I think you want as much air over the car and not go under it.
My undertray may just help draw air from behind the bumper and downwards through the underside of the car.

I think part of the effect of the bumper cover might be attributed to another phenomena. The high pressure of the stagnation at the front of the car (where the flow splits, velocity=0) is used to press on top of the cover and thus forcing the car down. That's just another way of saying that the bumper is a large splitter. However, the bumper itself does also have stagnation in front of it. Maybe slightly lowering the bumper might give some additional benefit of stagnation at the front bonnet when using a cover?

[Humble]

Originally Posted by SilverBullet

This was what I did. Have to do cleaning if the roads were wet n muddy!

Make sure you get some protection on the rear fenders because they'll get chewed up by rocks and sand

[owdlvr]

Slightly off topic...but, whats the story on these headlight rings? Anyone know?



-Dave

[al_kaholik]

owdlvr -they look like pretty standard headlight rims - 3 screw adjustment ones, 68-73, single screw from 74 on

[owdlvr]

interesting...I've never seen anything but the single-screw units in Canada, regardless of year.

[Steve C]

Hi

Regarding the headlight rims. In some countries they didn't get sealed beam headlights, the had a separate reflector and a plastic base to secure the reflector.

The bottom screw is to secure the headlight, the other screws are for adjustment.

Steve

[Wally]

Better use an aircooled 911 for rear diffusor examples me thinks...
even then, exhaust routing and cooling in general might make that extremely difficult and/or outright dangerous for the engine's life expectancy.
Just stating the obvious probably ;-)

[Wally]

Thanks Chris!
I am thinking about/working on the missing side parts to cover the now still exposed 'lower front tire face'. Think I know what you mean therefore, will post up when I have come up with something. I know what I want it to look like, but actually making it with simple materials and attaching it to the existing parts is tricky to figure out.

[beetle1303]

if you want post a pic before u go and materialize...just in order to give you food for thought..
I will be going away for 4 days to my summer house...partly renovating, getting papers done in order to make a separate garage for my self))))))))

Wally, PM sent