Front fenders with louvers

[Norm]

I am going to attempt to design some new front fenders from CAD utilizing the scan clouds merely to get the geometry from the brackets. There are two lengths of fenders, I have the short. I will need what the long fenders need to be, will at least to be more of a match. My tires are Hoosier A6's 205/15's and the scanner measures them as 22.9" in diameter. The stock fenders curve in two directions both transverse and longitudinally. Longitudinal diameter is 26.9" and I never cared enough to measure the transverse radius. The base dimensions that I got from the scan are as follows for the left front fender:



I see no reason not to use the greater radius of 13.45" and go from there. I decided to make the transverse radius equal the greater radius, so, a little survey math gave me the changing radius moving 0.5" away from fender CL.



Honestly, I am much more excited about side pods, but, this is such easy math it isn't going to take long. If Bolus perfects his inset examples this will be moot.

[Sagen]

Did someone say "side pods"?

I was hoping to make a winter project of trying to come up with a design to mount side pods on mine. I was figuring those along with a couple of small (like Fiat Punto) heat exchangers might be a good path to go to solving the inlet temperature problems. If there is something that I might be able to assist with, let me know.

Sadly, I have apparently constructed identical twins which will be arriving late this summer throwing all sorts of projects on to the top of the "To Do" list so I haven't been charging forward on my own.

[Norm]

Yes, side pods are the next venture. These will serve for the exact purpose that you stated and a little more. I have no time line right now, unfortunately.

Dan, congratulations to you and your wife on the additions to your family!

[Steve]

Oooh - count me in on any of these customized awesomeness projects.

[Norm]

These are ugly, I know that. I will smooth stuff out as it gets closer. I spent a few minutes and cranked a basic shape. I want it curvy and flowing not like a Cadillac modern design, but, it starts this way (for me at least) I want the lower curve consistent from front to back, upper curve to match shape. I don't like the basic shape by the drivers elbow at all.

[attachment=2:2t4qsyz1]side1.jpg[/attachment:2t4qsyz1]

[attachment=1:2t4qsyz1]Side2.jpg[/attachment:2t4qsyz1]

[attachment=0:2t4qsyz1]Side3.jpg[/attachment:2t4qsyz1]

This IS the area of coverage that I had in mind.

I am going to go sit on the Oregon coast for a few days, butcher away!

[Norm]

You need a side pic too

[attachment=1:1dgq9r7n]side4.jpg[/attachment:1dgq9r7n]

With transparency turned off

[attachment=0:1dgq9r7n]side5.jpg[/attachment:1dgq9r7n]

[Norm]

Changed the opening, left the ugliness by the elbow, made the forward strakes a little more curvy then mirrored to the other side

[Norm]

Spent longer than I thought it would take, but, I got the basic fender shape. I decreased the point spacing dramatically to a 0.1"x0.1" grid yielding 30,700 points.





And meshed into a solid

[Norm]

I want do an inset style of louver. I.E. one going into the fender instead of away. You can do nice looking work by doing an inset, I just don't think it is a good idea to go towards a rotating tire ...

I did split the radius at the top of the fender to create a gap for inset louvers. It makes my job twenty times worse, but, the end effect is going to be worth it. It is the multiple molds required to get it done that has me concerned.

What I mean is something like this sandwiched between two fender curves. One a simple curve and a continuation of the front of the fender and then the outer curve being a larger radius curve.



I started over from scratch last night and re-created the mathematical model in a #D package that will create the sandwich for the louvers.

The inner fender is the continuous radius with the front of the fender and the radius increases for the exterior fender in the back. This will allow for a louver sandwich like the Vette has above. The louvers will arc along with the fender for a more complex look. I need to create and fillet in the barrels for the metal mounting tabs, fairly easy. I did what you see in a few hours in Inventor, MUCH easier than Cyclone.

I need to:
Mirror the edges to the back side of the fender
fillet the main edges
blend the top of the fender where the two transverse radius's meet
create the cutout area in the top fender
Layer in the louvers in the sandwich and blend them into the inner fender
create a width for the outer fender and intersect the inner fender to cut the inner fender to the correct size

I am thinking this will be subtle and louvered and not detract from the look of the cars.

A snap shot of the sketches used to create the shapes


The pattern making people will not tell me without an example how hard this will be or what I need to change. In my mind the louvers are attached to the inner fender and the outer fender is just a hole cut

My guess is the pattern maker is going to tell me something that makes me redo the whole thing anyway ... OK, that was a little pessimistic

[Kim]

Norm:

Great stuff! Yours is very similar to the approach we were taking and planning to tackle in the next couple of months. (Don't the louvers on that Vette look great?)

Instead of multiple moulds, however, Alan determined that a CF louvered insert, using a single-sized component that would fit both front and rear fenders, would be the easiest solution. Making a cutout in the fender, the louver would be attached from underneath, being either pop-riveted or glassed in place. At first we figured four or five louvers - which would also look best - but then calculated that two larger louvers would probably suffice and be easier to produce.

We can't wait to see what you come up with!