modding front bumper for more cooling air!!!
modding front bumper for more cooling air!!!
the reason i am posting this in the FI section id due to us having the tendencey to run a bit hotter than the n/a guys. i should be reciving my KOYO radiator and samco hose kit shortly. i was working on the z today and started thinking
(dangerous for me to do some times!) how can i improve the air flow to my new rad? well here is my idea. as you can see it is a work in progress and i only have one of the three holes cut at this time. i will post pic's when it is complete and reinstalled on the car. i am also going to install some black mesh behind the access holes for a more finished look. the other cutout area i showed a pic of is for my oil cooler, the oil cooler needed more clearance from the bumper skin for improved air flow. As some of you know i am more function over form so this should help for improved cooling for those hot track days. bye the way this is only benificial with the crash beam removed or the center section cut away.
cooling mods i have already.
1. stillen oil cooler kit
2. s/c oil cooler ( fabed myself )
3. nismo thermostat
4. oil pan spacer ( additional oil capacity )
5. 50/50 distiled water and red line water wetter
6. koyo rad
7. nismo rad cap ( higher operating pressure )
8. samco hose kit
9. center crash beam section cut out for improved airflow into rad
10.C/F cooling plate
is there something i am missing that may improve upon my list?
tell me what you think.
(dangerous for me to do some times!) how can i improve the air flow to my new rad? well here is my idea. as you can see it is a work in progress and i only have one of the three holes cut at this time. i will post pic's when it is complete and reinstalled on the car. i am also going to install some black mesh behind the access holes for a more finished look. the other cutout area i showed a pic of is for my oil cooler, the oil cooler needed more clearance from the bumper skin for improved air flow. As some of you know i am more function over form so this should help for improved cooling for those hot track days. bye the way this is only benificial with the crash beam removed or the center section cut away.
cooling mods i have already.
1. stillen oil cooler kit
2. s/c oil cooler ( fabed myself )
3. nismo thermostat
4. oil pan spacer ( additional oil capacity )
5. 50/50 distiled water and red line water wetter
6. koyo rad
7. nismo rad cap ( higher operating pressure )
8. samco hose kit
9. center crash beam section cut out for improved airflow into rad
10.C/F cooling plate
is there something i am missing that may improve upon my list?
tell me what you think.
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Originally Posted by Escobar
Did you think about installing fans on your radiator? Or will they not fit? Maybe then you wouldn't have to cut it.
Originally Posted by Nitrouz
Originally Posted by JET MECH
Sweet! great minds think alike........... and it is great that the temps dropped a bit with this mod. Thanks for the info.
Good luck, and it works.
Originally Posted by Nitrouz
np man. Looks like what you did was identical to me. Dunno if you need to run a front plate in your area, but if you do and need to find a way, let me know and I can tell you what I did...
Good luck, and it works.
Good luck, and it works.
Originally Posted by Nitrouz
np man. Looks like what you did was identical to me. Dunno if you need to run a front plate in your area, but if you do and need to find a way, let me know and I can tell you what I did...
Good luck, and it works.
Good luck, and it works.
got a few pm's already so I'll post here...
sorry I don't have a pic handy, but here's a description...sorry if it's a little confusing but it's actually really simple...
what I did was mount my licence plate on the driver side. Drilled 2 holes on the bottom of my lip for the screws, and had 2 metal place extend out front from the bottom (where the 2 screws attach it from) and up, holding the plate. So it looks JDM, doesn't block the front at all, and when you want to take it off, just unscrew it from the bottom of the lip and it won't show any holes.
Hope this helps.
Alex
sorry I don't have a pic handy, but here's a description...sorry if it's a little confusing but it's actually really simple...
what I did was mount my licence plate on the driver side. Drilled 2 holes on the bottom of my lip for the screws, and had 2 metal place extend out front from the bottom (where the 2 screws attach it from) and up, holding the plate. So it looks JDM, doesn't block the front at all, and when you want to take it off, just unscrew it from the bottom of the lip and it won't show any holes.
Hope this helps.
Alex
was just in the garage working on this and i was thinking if i purchase a piece of flat CF stock, cut out the same template pattern as the vent holes in the bumper' "inverse it" and use it as finisher plate over the vent holes with the mesh secured behind it it would give it a more fiished look and it would also work as a stiffiner so the area would not deform under heat or air load. WHAT DO YOU THINK!!!!
Last edited by JET MECH; May 4, 2008 at 09:15 PM.
I remeber another member doing somthing like this before where he cut holes in the front fender for more cooling. He said that cutting holes in the fender caused it to become weak and in fact it ended up warping. He suggested to reinforce the area with fiberglass to prevent it to warp. Might be a good idea
my first version
https://my350z.com/forum/exterior-and-interior/188451-bumper-mod-for-better-airflow.html
second version
i found out that in hot weather and cutting that much out will start to warp the bumper, especially if you have to still run a front bumper that acts like a wing on it. on version 2 i laminated 2 layers of super thick fiberglass matting on the backside before making the cuts and it now it is so strong it does not flex even when you push all your weight into it. version one though had most ALL the structural bends cut out of it though.
added a vented hood this time, and just swapped my 2 10" fans from the back of the rad, modified them to be pushers, and put them on the front of rad and will turn on at the factory 230 degrees. adding a 3000+ cfm 16" fan to the back of the rad that will turn on at 190. 22-24lb rad cap, 3" custom rad, 5500+ fan cfm, vented hood, vented bumper, large custom stainless overflow tank, and if this thing sees over 195 ever, i am gunna chop my friggen head off!! lol
https://my350z.com/forum/exterior-and-interior/188451-bumper-mod-for-better-airflow.html
second version
i found out that in hot weather and cutting that much out will start to warp the bumper, especially if you have to still run a front bumper that acts like a wing on it. on version 2 i laminated 2 layers of super thick fiberglass matting on the backside before making the cuts and it now it is so strong it does not flex even when you push all your weight into it. version one though had most ALL the structural bends cut out of it though.
added a vented hood this time, and just swapped my 2 10" fans from the back of the rad, modified them to be pushers, and put them on the front of rad and will turn on at the factory 230 degrees. adding a 3000+ cfm 16" fan to the back of the rad that will turn on at 190. 22-24lb rad cap, 3" custom rad, 5500+ fan cfm, vented hood, vented bumper, large custom stainless overflow tank, and if this thing sees over 195 ever, i am gunna chop my friggen head off!! lol