In reply to Javelin (Forum Supporter) :
Oh wow! I saw those on an F-body Firebird promotional race car (The TIRE BIRD by BFG) back in the day but didn't realize what they were. I never noticed them on the Donohue Javelin, and I thought I was paying attention! Thank you...that is a great solution and a great, direct way to get air. That will eliminate a lot of ducting on the interior. Awesome!! THANK YOU.
In reply to jh36 :
You're welcome!
Today I detached the body, lifted it up and sprayed the inside of the skirts. After the paint dried, I scuffed it back and tacked the valley to the frame trail. 
Between the welds I spread a bit of JB Weld for good measure. Then lowered the body back down. It went back to its previous position easily.
NOT A TA Encouraged me to start an aero chapter in the appropriate zip code. It's a stand-alone rabbit hole...
with the non-production penalty I take in NASA ST and the "plywood in the wind" front end, I will need some sound aero to gain back some ground.
When I first hatched this idea, some fellow racers protested, saying "why complicate things? Just race it...this will cause delays". Man am I glad I didn't listen. This has been a ton of fun so far. I love being on the track, wheel to wheel racing...but I think I enjoy this side of things about as much.
In reply to jh36 :
You know, if this wasn't a racecar & thus susceptible to occasional damage, it would sure look sweet with a chunky 70's deep metal-flake paint job.
Edit: Second thought - how cool would it be to replicate that violet blue-burst finish on a racecar?
In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :
Yeah...guitar finishes on my race car...dig it!
seriously, I am planning to do a wrap on this car, and my first choice is a metallic ice blue. The 3M sample sheet looks really nice but I'm trying to decide if it's too pretty. Everyone I've shown it to likes it, and with some white stripes, white markets etc, I think it would be pretty cool. I'm starting to second guess wrap vs paint a little, but I want to see what it's all about. Plus Edward_Higginbotham has experience.
we have done an ice blue metallic in our guitar lineup many times...I always have liked that color which was born of my love Austin Healey.
Looking at your body mounting flanges I would install nut plates inside the body and use 10-32 button heads about every 6 inches to hold it on. Major internal work is much easier bodyless, make it removable.
In reply to TurnerX19 :
I literally flipped a coin on that thought without seeing your opinion. I called my son while sitting in the hardware store parking lot...and ended up going with rivets. I may regret it, but I can also change it. I put an aluminum backing strip behind the fiberglass so the body is sandwiched between the steel skirt and aluminum plate. 3" spacing.
This is the backside and the backing strip with only the first hole drilled, obviously.
After I complete attaching the lower edge, I would like to put supports at the top. The fiberglass body is very lightweight, and I have had to make additional cuts, compromising rigidity. With the top and bottom anchored, I will find the logical spots to support the middle.
The top rests on the halo on the leading edge.
Using West Systems 105/207 epoxy, I plan to bond sections of angle aluminum to the roof on either side of the center halo bar, bolting or strapping to it. This will quickly locate the body East and West, and provide some resistance if the top has a tendency to "flap" at high speeds. I have raced cars with thin lexan windshields that bowed and contorted at high speeds...which I do not want to experience with this car. I find it distracting at best.
In reply to jh36 :
Metallic ice blue with a couple white racing stripes sounds perfect. I have no experience with vinyl wraps yet either, but like you I'd like to give it a try sometime.
One step forward, two back.
I am going to drill out the rivets and replace with button head bolts as suggested by TurnerX19. I know I will regret it later if I don't, and I only have finished one side at this point.
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it!
Today I replaced the side panel on the passenger side which will allow me to trim the body and install the exhaust out the side. 
Can i .ake the suggestion of natural fiber reinforcement? Aka: 1x4 pine, or suitably sized? Light, cheap, and rigid. It works to make a panel far stronger and less susceptible to flapping.
I also bonded in cotton rope when i made the fender flares for the amc out of fiberglass. It was shocking how much that helped due to making it all 3d.....
I'm glad to see the switch to bolting the body on.
Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:Can i .ake the suggestion of natural fiber reinforcement? Aka: 1x4 pine, or suitably sized? Light, cheap, and rigid. It works to make a panel far stronger and less susceptible to flapping.
I also bonded in cotton rope when i made the fender flares for the amc out of fiberglass. It was shocking how much that helped due to making it all 3d.....
I am planning to reinforce the sill area with aluminum. Where are you suggesting? While I love working with wood, I've never thought about using it in a race car.
NOT A TA said:I'm glad to see the switch to bolting the body on.
Yeah...it's the right thing to do. I may not ever take the body off during an event weekend, but I do like the idea of clearing the decks more easily if a major repair is needed.
I was thinking roof or other high stress areas. Hood edges, trunk lid, etc.
In reply to jh36 :
End grain balsa wood is a long time traditional method of bulking up a fiber glass part. The wood is not the strength, it is the "tubular" structure factor. I avoid paper or other natural fibers because they have different coefficients of expansion relative to moisture and heat. I learned the hard way on an extensive ducting project under the dash of my Volvo Duett. Fibreglast still has it in stock.
In reply to TurnerX19 :
I have combined wood, epoxy and fiberglass in a few instances, and I know it can be strong and light...i made a cold molded kayak 20-some years ago that has withstood awful abuse. I've made guitars with wood and epoxy for decades and it's wonderful. I am not sure about adding that to the race car though. I was thinking aluminum ribbing glassed in would work.
There's definitely a difference in expansion/contraction rates between metal and fiberglass that can cause problems on cars. No personal experience with aluminum but here's an example of a fiberglass scoop put on a steel hood, pic taken years afterward.
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