Spoon style hatch spoiler build

[Beastlick]

If any of you have been following my work, you'd know its hard for me to settle for ordinary. I enjoy being different. I was searching around my local Craigslist and stumbled on a take off hatch spoiler. Talked the guy down to $30 for it and scooped it up last night.

I've been thinking all night about what to do, how to make it different. I want it to be noticed but not be gaudy. If at all possible reduce the negative pressure in the back end. I hate how dirty the booty gets.

So 3D-Carbon already make a nice edgy hatch spoiler. I think it looks great, but don't want to replicate it when I could just buy it.

My thoughts were to either retrofit or build off this doner spoiler more of a spoon style shape. I think combining this and accenting the edgy lines would look pretty slick. Here is an example of a spoon spoiler on a Civic hatch.

What does the SOF community think?

 

[Natesriv]

I'd like to see it to determine if it can help eliminate/reduce the amazing amount of backpressure generated by the hatch...
mine's like a vacuum cleaner for dirt!

Judging from the rise of the lip I would suspect maybe not though.... it would make a great downforce generator though!

 

[hammrdwn510]

YES PREASE!!!!

 

[Dholzman]

Yessssss please!!!

 

[RauBurger]

Any spoiler that generates down force will not reduce the low pressure in the rear, in fact it will most likely increase it along with adding more drag as you make the car even less streamlined. If you're trying to reduce that drag and gain better pressure recovery in the rear, you need a spoiler that helps slope the air downward. Or look at something like whats on the focus st. The issue with the hatchback sonic, is that it has horrible aerodynamics due to the way the back is just cut off. This causes separation of the airflow and thus a low pressure region in the rear, cause a large amount of pressure drag. Look at other hatchbacks like the focus or mazda 3 and see how they taper much more gently in the back to try and prevent this separation.

 

[Natesriv]

I totally agree, but it looks so good!

 

[RauBurger]

And that's fine in it's own right, there was mention about reducing low pressure in the rear so I thought i'd add my 2cents. I'm an aerospace engineer so I tend to look at cars from a slightly different perspective. Part of the reason I went with the sedan, lol. At some point I'd really like to do an aerodynamic analysis on the two body styles and see how they really compare.

 

[Beastlick]

Thanks RauBurger! I appreciate the input. I have noticed the spoilers on the ST split away from the body. The area under the Sonic hatch spoiler is pretty ugly. It's going to take some creative thinking to solve that problem.

 

[Natesriv]

And that's fine in it's own right, there was mention about reducing low pressure in the rear so I thought i'd add my 2cents. I'm an aerospace engineer so I tend to look at cars from a slightly different perspective. Part of the reason I went with the sedan, lol. At some point I'd really like to do an aerodynamic analysis on the two body styles and see how they really compare.

I've seen a Fiesta in my neighborhood with some hyper-miling tricks added to it (some additions to the rear to create a boattail, all done in white fiberboard I believe...I wonder what they achieved)

The front headlights are probably a drag contributor as well, but they sure look cool!

 

[RauBurger]

Interesting, I've never seen things like that on a car before, but I've seen them on semi's many times.

The front head lights are definitely not aerodynamic, but I agree, they make the look of this car, I love them.

 

[DarkDazer]

Would there be any benefit to having some open reliefs between the body and the wing? Might decrease downforce at higher speeds than we usually go but could help keep the rear clean.

Might be the difference you're looking for too.

 

[Beastlick]

Initial prep work:

Going with an all new design out of foam seemed like a good thought, but the expanding foam I used didn't handle the way I wanted it to. Scrapped that route and pushed forward with the original plan. Had to cut the corners to flex to the larger spoiler.

I'm actually very surprised how well it flows with other lines of the car. There is a nice flat section in the back, I can match up with the .5" wide flat on the stock spoiler. The curve underneath the spoon lines up very well with the top edge of the rear window.

I'm planning on filling the voids with an actual modeling foam, blending out the contours, sealing it, glassing it, paint it.

 

[Breezybro]

A little late now but you could always replicate the zspec wing everybody and their grandmother wants too. Definitely interested in this if it works out!

 

[MaD]

Will having this type of spoiler have any actual bonus/advantages?? Or is this just for looks?? I would love to see some type of small windows in the middle to said spoiler to help with the negative pressure and maybe keep the back window a lil cleaner and still have function other than looks.... but that's just my 2cents.... [emoji41]

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[hammrdwn510]

I wondered how good you'd be able to "shave" the great stuff... that stuff seems to not dry for a loooong time.. like years, its still retains a bit of sticky that will clog up the sanding block/paper.

Have you thought about staring with a hunk of styrofoam? Perhaps the pink/blue stuff you'd buy in a 4'x 8' sheet from menards/home depot? I think you can get in 2"-3" thick (twss) . That stuff is way easier to shave/manipulate... but just don't spill any gas on it as it'll melt ala wicked witch of the east style.

just a thought

 

[Beastlick]

Yeah, the "great stuff" is great for expanding foam, not so much carving forms. It says its cure in 8 hrs. Yeah OK! I let mine sit for at least 24 and then it doesn't do so bad with cutting.

I've done some pretty cool form studies with regular pink foam. I was planning on using this but had very little to "form" and had an extra can of great stuff so I used it to fill the void between the civic spoon and the sonic hatch spoiler.

Last pic was before it really expanded. I currently have it carved down, sealed the foam with resin /gelcoat and added a layer of body filler to work out any inconsistancies. I'll be sanding it up this weekend.

 

[$ub$onic]

I have a spare spoiler laying around... Hmmmmm.

 

[cndctrdj]

Looks great. Your doing a good job. Keep it up. Can't wait to see the final product. If you like this type of work you should so a bunch of them to order and make some cash as well as make the community more custom

 

[Natesriv]

Miller Lite box, you now have my total respect.

God will watch over you, women will want to be with you, men will want to be you...

Nectar of the Gods

 

[Beastlick]

Looks great. Your doing a good job. Keep it up. Can't wait to see the final product. If you like this type of work you should so a bunch of them to order and make some cash as well as make the community more custom

Way too much work to keep fabing them. If there is enough interest, I'll make a mold, and produce fiber or carbon parts.

Miller Lite box, you now have my total respect.

God will watch over you, women will want to be with you, men will want to be you...

Nectar of the Gods

I'm from brew city, we like our beer. This post made me smile.