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I came up with the custom aeroscreen idea a month after I started driving the S2000, I had both the Honda version and now I use my own exclusively:
The original purpose for this custom aeroscreen was purely for my own use. However, after reading a few posts and a couple of e-Mails, I realized many people share the same problems I have. I love to drive with the top down, but sometimes I would like to have a decent conversation with my passenger (usually my wife) and the wind noise on the freeway require us to scream at each other, which I must say is not the best way to talk to your wife, nor your husband for that matter. Moreover, I live near the beach area in West Los Angeles, and the temperature difference from where I work to my house can be very dramatic. The sudden drop in temperature can make the top-down drive very unbearable for me. The turbulent cold wind in the cabin usually would freeze my ears very quickly, causing dizziness, sore throat, and migrane headaches. My remedy is usually turning on the heater and just blast the heated air toward my face. Unfortunately, the turbulence in the cabin as a result of what I call "Back Wash" at freeway speeds is just way too much - the heated air never had a chance to get to my face - unless I plant my face on the dash, which is not a good idea when driving. With the custom aeroscreen, the cabin is a lot more quiet and calm. I want to stress a point: This aeroscreen is NOT the answer to all your problems. It will reduce in-cabin turbulence and wind noise dramatically, but it will not block out all of it, especially if you were driving in a cross-wind situation. A perfect example would be the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) near Malibu: on one side you have the ocean, and on the other you have a tall and steep cliff. With the beach wind blowing in this type of condition, it creates all sorts of aerodynamic havocs we take for granted in a normal car. The custom aeroscreen is only $160 plus S&H, and you get a special discount by being a member of www.s2000fans.com Here are more pictures if you would like to see it: The current aeroscreen design v.2.0. (aka CAS2000) is actually a cumulation of many S2000 owners' suggestions posted on www.honda-acura.net, and I would like to personally thank them at this moment because they made the aeroscreen very aesthetically pleasing and very functional. My original design, v.1.0., was ok in fullfilling its purpose of blocking back washes, but as you can see, it didn't have the "sculpted" look.
The red lines represent heated air. There were originally two options for this aeroscreen: Plexiglass and Lexan. Plexiglass is made with acrylic, a solid transparent material that's pretty strong but brittle. Lexan is a type of transparent polycarbon compound, it's used in bullet proofing banks and also in auto racing. The price difference between Plexiglass and Lexan is night and day: a piece of Lexan can cost TWICE as much as a comparable sized Plexiglass. Although I wanted a very economical solution to my problems, I realized after doing some tests that plexiglass might break into sharp edged pieces if I was involved in a serious accident. Lexan on the other hand will not only protect the S2000 driver from snipers on the freeway, it won't shatter upon impact. Not wanting to endanger myself nor the people who use this aeroscreen, I decided to drop Plexiglass as a material candidate altogether. Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ - How does the aeroscreen work? If you would look at the pictures above in the aerodynamics section, you'll see how the "back wash" effect works. Basically, as your car travels through the air, you create a semi-vacuum/low pressure area behind the windshield. The air will of course try to recover the difference between the car and the atmosphere around you, creating the turbulence you feel. The aeroscreen's job is to deflect the reverse rush of air, creating a more comfortable and quiet cabin. - Is it possible to have the plexi curve a little bit more to the roll bars?...Not totally necessary, but I think just a bit more curvature would make it look more like factory. Version 1.0 had a flat top. Version 2.0 has been rounded off, and you're right, it DOES look much better. - Are you planning to make the metal black? The silver looks a little too homegrown for me. The prototype had the original aircraft aluminum finish. Production orders will have hard black anodized base. - What is the base made of? Aircraft aluminum, hard anodized black. - Will the aluminum base warp over time? No, unless you torch your car in very high temperature. In that case, not only will the aluminum base warp, so will the majority of your car. - What do you mean by anodizing? Please read the article on "Aluminum Anodizing." - I'm sure you've seen the factory option aeroscreen - looks as if it folds down. Is there a way to make it fold forward, so we can access our little compartments without taking the top down? Sorry, I had to maximize the size of the aeroscreen to achieve the maximum wind deflection effect. You cannot use the top compartment while the convertible top is up. - You said the bend in the compartment top was due to the heat padding; is that going to permanently damage the compartment top? No, all that padding is just a soft heat insulation material to prevent the aluminum base from melting a line on the top compartment. Note: The shipping version will NOT have the padding due to the difficulties with the padding's adhesive material and heat. - I've seen fabric screens for other cars. Did you try one of those out? Maybe one with velcro straps that go around the roll bars? No, I have yet to find a proper fabric material that will sufficiently block wind and at the same time be transparent enough so you can see through the back without blinding yourself. Secondly, there is another company that sells S2000 aeroscreen. It DOES use velcro straps that wraps around the roll bar. I don't have the URL for it. - How come the aeroscreen's curvature doesn't follow the roll-bars? 1. Cost - I could hire some unskilled labor such as those people who stand around the corner of Pico and Sawtelle Blvd. and do the work, but I prefer an experienced machinist to do the work. The two added sides of curvature will increase manual labor time and cost - not by much, but I'm trying to make this an economical product. 2. Noise - Should the curvature match that of the roll-bars, the vibration from the car may cause chatter and impact between the roll-bars and the aeroscreen. 3. Fitment - No cars are made exactly alike. Yes, the roll-bar covers are made of molded plastic, and the specs shouldn't vary by too much. However, even a tenth of an inch in variation will interefere with the installation should the aeroscreen offer the kind of curvature you're looking for. By the way, the angle at which the roll-bars rise is almost exactly 20 degrees and only varies at the top inch and half or so. - Can I get a refund on the aeroscreen? Sorry, all the aeroscreens are custom made. 30 days exchanges will be available if there was a manufacturing defect. - Why can't I get the Plexiglass version anymore? It's way cheaper! If you had a chance to read my posts on www.honda-acura.net you would know that Plexiglass, though very strong, is prone to breakage if sufficient force is applied onto the material. As the designer, it's a great safety concern for me. And as a result of that concern, I decided to drop the Plexiglass version altogether. - Do you ship internationally? Yes! You'll need to provide me with your address, and I will find out how much it costs to ship. As soon as I receive the money order/cashier's check for the full amount (Aeroscreen + S&H), I will have the aeroscreen shipped within two weeks (10 business days). The turnaround time is usually one week, but I use two weeks to be sure. - How do I clean the screen? Simply use your normal household cleaners or soap and water. I recommend Simple Green or any biodegradeable cleaning products without ammonia as an additive. Afterwards, use Plexus if you would like to polish it. Although the material is very resistant to scratches, some may accumulate over the years, and as far as I know Plexus is the best thing to use. - How do I know you're not a crook and con me out of a hundred and sixty bucks? I can't ask you to trust me, but I've had a couple of transactions done with a couple of people from S2000fans.com and Honda-Acura.net. If you would like a reference, please ask me. - How do I know you're not full of $hit with this design? When there are enough users out there, we should have a good opinion pool. I took a friend of mine who owns a red S2000, and according to him, the changes are very noticeable. I am not claiming that this aeroscreen will rid you of all turbulence in the cabin with the top down, but it will be less noisy, and the turbulence will be less intrusive when you want to enjoy a less windy ride. |
Copyright © 1999-2000 Richard Ming. All rights reserved.
