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Posted

Did anyone make a final ruling about the headlight covers? I know there was a lot of disscussion, but I never heard the final word? I would like to know if we need to change them before the next race? Team Hillbilly #44 Thanks

Posted

Ask Adam...I think he knows the rule best.

 

Headlight covers are allowed but must retain factory appearance (contour)...can't have angled covers on a 4 eyed car or early Camaro. They must be vertical, just like the factory contoured light.

Posted

I'm with Matt - what exactly is pending???

Posted
Pending...

 

Pending whether Brad wants keep his chebby or trade-up and get a mustang

  • 9 months later...
Posted
Headlight covers are allowed but must retain factory appearance (contour)...can't have angled covers on a 4 eyed car or early Camaro. They must be vertical, just like the factory contoured light.

 

Isn't there an aerodynamic advantage to not having the vertical headlights like 1979-1986 Mustangs & 82-97 Camaros versus the 1987-2004 Mustangs & 82-97 Firebirds? (I have no tech to back it up but if anyone else does please speak up)

 

If budget is the concern, then headlight covers (i.e. GTS covers) that follow the contours of the body are certainly cheaper/easier to use than replacing the entire nose of a car. I think that rule should be changed to allow them. I realize that covers are not necessary to compete but they do level the playing field some. I assume that parity is a goal here in CMC. I know this stirs up the hornet's nest again but I feel strongly about this one.

Posted

You bring up a good point. Installing a set of headlight covers that cost about 2 bucks for sheetmetal and a handful of pop rivets is not allowed. However, it is 100 percent legal under the rules to convert a four-headlight 79-86 Mustang to the 87-93 style under the update/backdate rules if you think the more aerodynamic profile offers a competitive advantage. Having done this conversion myself with an 86 Notchback, I can definitely say it costs more money and takes longer than fabbing the headlight covers.

 

However, I find it difficult to believe that there is a significant aerodynamic advantage gained by the style of headlight cover used on a four-headlight car vs. the 87-and-up style. Since the style of cover doesn't affect the frontal area of the car, any gain has to be due to reduction of drag, and I'll bet that there's a bigger benefit to be gained by removing the stock side mirrors and installing smaller ones, which I believe is already legal. Plus a lot of guys seem to have big cow-catcher rear wings on their cars that are virtually guaranteed to be adding so much more drag than the headlight covers could possibly offset that the aerodynamic argument is probably moot in most cases anyway. The poor man's way to verify this would be to do a series of coast-down tests. However, I would welcome anyone willing to part with about 3 grand an hour to rent some wind tunnel time to donate to the cause so we can put some solid tech behind this decision. I believe there's one at a University near TWS if any of you Texas boys want to sponsor it.

 

To me it's really an aesthetic issue. I prefer the look of the angled covers on my 85 Mustang, and would probably change them it it was allowed.

Posted

It would appear that the 3rd gen Firebird is slightly more aerodynamic than the Camaro. Given that, and the point that Matt brought up, perhaps this could have some more thought into it.

Posted

Good point about the Firebird. The 91 Formula bodystyle is one of the most aerodynamic production cars ever built and is pretty much the car of choice in land speed racing in the production classes. The Kugels ran an essentially stock-bodied 91 Formula to over 300mph at Bonneville. I wonder if that gives it an aerodynamic advantage over an 85 Mustang with headlight covers? I have not seen one of those go 300 yet.

Posted

Typically, this is where I would insert some sort of cat picture.

 

However, it was brought to my attention that the posting of cat pictures is not specifically allowed in the rules for posting.

 

 

Posted

I took my areodynamic goat out on the country road that runs past the ranch the other day and ran over a cat .

what a way to start da new year

Posted

Geez, first we start off with haedlight covers and armchair aerodynamics. Now it's cats getting killed by fast movin' goats? What's next?!

 

To me it's really an aesthetic issue.

 

Me too. This rule is really interfering with my MAD MAX motif. I just gotta get my car painted gloss black with matte black accents, get the black wheels and my headlight covers IN THE ANGLED POSITION. I just can't figure out how to sneak the 6-71 blower past tech. Do you think the red knob on the shifter will give it away? Maybe if I promise to leave the blower switched off while racing?:wink:

 

BTW, Matt, is your car an '84 or '85? Or do you have one of each?

Posted

Nope, that was a typo, but I do have the aforementioned 86 that's been converted to the later frontend. I must be subliminally jealous of Adam G.'s '85.

Posted
I must be subliminally jealous of Adam G.'s '85.

 

Damn right you are.....

Posted

0130WhiteCat.jpg

can you cover headlights with these?

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