Mythbuster: continuing project thread of my 1303 '75

[Wally]

Originally Posted by 70Turbobug

I think a spoiler above the rear window would be more effective.Due to the bug's shape at the rear,there is much less airflow to the spoiler at its current position.Imho that's the reason your flat spoiler felt better because it was higher and getting more flow.

I agree Mark.

[Wally]

Originally Posted by Birdman69

No building just part collecting and repairing. I grabbed a couple of 4 tab bonnets which are expensive and hard to find down under.
Oh and i got a new car. another 69 semi auto but this one is amazingly straight and rust free. Already stripped it and sold the parts for more than i paid for the car.

Regarding the wing, go for it mate. Join me and Steve c in the big arse wing club!!!!

I will Ron, no worries
Good score, I may need to take one of those 4-tabs of your hands as I just bought a '59 body without hood (or anything else for that matter)...

[volkdent]

What about the carbon fiber wings often sold by import tuners? Any chance they actually work?

Jason

[Steve C]

Originally Posted by Birdman69

No building just part collecting and repairing. I grabbed a couple of 4 tab bonnets which are expensive and hard to find down under.
Oh and i got a new car. another 69 semi auto but this one is amazingly straight and rust free. Already stripped it and sold the parts for more than i paid for the car.

Regarding the wing, go for it mate. Join me and Steve c in the big arse wing club!!!!

my big arse wing, yet to test it

[judgie]

You know i run a big wing at the back and dont reach the same speeds as you, mines geared for 116mph@7000rpm.
i would not not race mine with out as it makes thats much difference. I ran it at north wheld drag strip and ran 14.00 [no quicker than it was running with the wing] the run was fine but when i lifted off at the top end [only 86mph] it tryed to swap ends on me. I drove straight back to the pits and bolted it back on.
It may look ugly and out of place but it works and works well, the front spolier/splitter along with the rear wing made a 4 second improvement at Prescott hill climb which is under a mile long.

[Wally]

Originally Posted by volkdent

What about the carbon fiber wings often sold by import tuners? Any chance they actually work?

Jason

Probably some, but I think I would need to modify a lot on them to be and fit how I would like it on my car with the intercooler and all.
Still, as a base they could be usefull.

This is more like what I think will work well: big side end plates and higher placed horizontal plane:
(tnx to CSP for the pic)

[Birdman69]

Originally Posted by Wally

I will Ron, no worries
Good score, I may need to take one of those 4-tabs of your hands as I just bought a '59 body without hood (or anything else for that matter)...

I'll put one in my suitcase

[Wally]

Yeah, shipping would kill the deal probably.

I'll dig out my old wing then after next saturday (dynoday) and try to at least get some decent stands made for it, out of strong alu of course.
Maybe just remake it entirely...hmmm.

[spannermanager]

Leave em off, wings have done enough damage to motorsport, and anyway, they make it look like you are trying , I pull 120 mph at brands hatches paddock hill bend and feel very relaxed even without my b/d workmate bolted to the back,, a 911 in front had one on and looked very on the limit, so i breezed past , he looked angry, nice.

[Wally]

Unfortunately, I go faster then that. With 400+ hp unleashed, things get different I know now. I am also not focussing on stock 911's, they are toast anyways, the modified 964's and up are more of a match.
Besides, I'am not trying, I'am doing.

[Gerrelt]

Maybe you could create a spoiler like doc Gerold (no that's not me, I am Gerrelt.. ) :



But then with some slots in the spoiler near the top of the rear window to let some air through for the intercooler. I think such a spoiler is aesthetically pleasing too.

I can also send you one of my spoilers, then you can try if it makes any difference. If it doesn't work you can send it back.
But I think at such speeds you need a bigger spoiler then mine.

[volkdent]

Originally Posted by spannermanager

Leave em off, wings have done enough damage to motorsport, and anyway, they make it look like you are trying , I pull 120 mph at brands hatches paddock hill bend and feel very relaxed even without my b/d workmate bolted to the back,, a 911 in front had one on and looked very on the limit, so i breezed past , he looked angry, nice.

Do you have the roof lip or just a naked body? I have the same very uncomfortable feeling as Wally, just wondering if you've got big kahunas and drive through it or just don't run into that problem.

Jason

[Humble]

I guess I'll chime in since I've got the largest rear wing around

I've found that even at 60-70mph when the bug was at the limits, those limits were lower without the rear wing on my car. Over 100mph got sketchy very quickly going into braking zones because the rear was already sooo light. With the wing the car stays planted and the faster you go the more you notice the stability. Since your intercooler relies on airflow over the back window I'd suggest running a single or dual element wing, even with the top of the back window and over the vents vertically. That's how I've got mine setup and I can speak for it's effectiveness.

[70Turbobug]

I think a rear spoiler such as the one Thomas Wöhr has ( the pic above that Gerrelt posted) would be a good solution and can be relatively easily done.

[Wally]

I think it has become more and more obvious from the input of many who drive their bugs on tracks, be it dragrace - or circuit tracks, that some sort of rear spoiler, be it to just only reduce or eliminate lift, is paramount. If only for safety reasons.

Of course, I rather not use one as well. I sooo much prefer the understatement of a stock (ish) beetle. You could even bring that back to the german-look - and I deliberately use the term G-Look here as you may notice. Stealth-style, understatement or 'mehr sein als scheinen' in my best german, is very much part of the german-style or '-look' so you like, imo. So, just for that, I would prefer NOT to use a wing. I have tried on and off in the past, but to be honest, and I think the testimony of Humble describes it best, its just not safe if you go up to the speeds mentioned.

What solution for this everybody uses depends on their cars, suspension set-ups and lots of other things.
I already have made some sort of contraption out of the 'street-wing' that I got from aircooled.net some years ago and I think I will develop that a little further as I like the position it now has (higher and not too wide) on my car, also considering the intercooler placement.
I'll sure keep you guys informed here ;-)