My Camaro has a non power antenna...probably 3 feet long.
I've heard some info saying an antenna can lose X mph top speed.
I can't seem to find anything online though.
It seems that thin wire couldn't hurt *that* much.
Does it? Is there any data on this?
What's the diameter?
Front or rear of the car makes a difference as well.
Minor aero changes can make a huge difference in max MPH. So much so that taping up the seams and such can increase MPH at the very top end.
Now, that being said, unless you are running at the Salt Flats, I dont think you need to worry about it.
The only thing I can think of goes back to when Ford set a top speed record with the second generation lightning. I read that they took the antenna off.
Mr_Asa said:Front or rear of the car makes a difference as well.
Minor aero changes can make a huge difference in max MPH. So much so that taping up the seams and such can increase MPH at the very top end.
Now, that being said, unless you are running at the Salt Flats, I dont think you need to worry about it.
(engage old man rambling)
Back in 2003, we were invited to take part in the Car and Driver Superfour Challenge. It was triathalon-style event for the popular tooner cars and limited to four cylinders. You started off with a 1/4 mile drag run, then straight into an infield course, then up on to the banking of the oval where you had to hit 130 mph then come to a complete stop. Total elapsed time for the win. It became pretty obvious that the run up to 130 mph was a significant part of the total time.
The second year, it wasn't clear if the top speed was going to be 140 or 150 mph. Regardless, we showed up with a clean Miata. Hardtop (extra weight, oh noes!) and the option list showed a "passenger mirror delete plate". I'd skinnied that thing down as much as was legal without anyone noticing. This was during peak F&F, other cars had yellow windows and there were spoilers and wings on everything. By the end of the event, there was a pile of useless styling "aero" paraphernalia stacked up around the pits as everyone else figured it out too.
Drag matters!
Don
You'll need to log in to post.
