rad cooling panel

[WILDACEX187]

are these really functional or are they just bling? also will a s13 fit one with a sil front?

[BLT123]

Functional because those holes actually channel air up and around the radiator (also intercooler if your IC is not completely connected to your bumper).

I suggest just buying aluminum sheeting and making one yourself using big cutters and a chisel. Worked well for me - cheap cost.

If you have the $, get one on e-bay. Lots of non-branded replicas that work the same.

[mjjstang]

i took a section off of my blitz nurspec box and hacked it with a knife, producing a sexy brown cooling panel, it works and I dont take it to the shows, you could zip tie it on too so it doesnt fall off. but i guess if you want bling, go for the metal ones.

hmm blt, I just read your post, I think I might get an air shear off ebay they would make a nice panel.

[BLT123]

Originally Posted by mjjstang

i took a section off of my blitz nurspec box and hacked it with a knife, producing a sexy brown cooling panel, it works and I dont take it to the shows, you could zip tie it on too so it doesnt fall off. but i guess if you want bling, go for the metal ones.

hmm blt, I just read your post, I think I might get an air shear off ebay they would make a nice panel.

Haha you guys are lucky - shipping is not such a big deal when you buy off of e-bay. I'm on the other side of the world, shipping costs an arm...

The nice thing though is we're pretty close to Japan - though there are only less than 80 silvias in our country counting those in the junkyards.. so they don't bring in parts much... ZZZZzzzzzzzzz...

[struka]

yea i think i am gonna make one. i've been tryin to make it but i've been puttin it away as with the rest of my projects

[kandyflip445]

Originally Posted by mjjstang

i took a section off of my blitz nurspec box and hacked it with a knife, producing a sexy brown cooling panel, it works and I dont take it to the shows, you could zip tie it on too so it doesnt fall off. but i guess if you want bling, go for the metal ones.

hmm blt, I just read your post, I think I might get an air shear off ebay they would make a nice panel.

LOL. I hear ya. Mine is by Frito Lay.

[Mr_Nice_Guy]

So you guys just took some cardboard box and cut it up and ziptied it down? That sounds pretty damn cool. Any pics? I will have to see about doing it on my car since I am not about to spend alot of money on something that could be made that easily.

[mjjstang]

well I didnt zip tie it, its sandwiched between the hood and some member I think, my camera is being loaned out, but just take some cardboard, and mold it (by molding i mean cutting anything in the way) to the shape of the opening, really really ghetto but can be removed with the upward action of your arm. also I have been doing some RandD in my facility on a lower one, damn I threw away the rest of the box yesterday but on fresh alloy they tested a lot of radiators and also included a lower panel that they did out of cardboard, it yeilded very noticable effects also, I think lower temp numbers than upper sheilds did, suprisingly though nobody sells lower ones.

[TheSparo]

what happens when it rains? wet cardboard /= good

[kandyflip445]

When it rains it dries eventually. If it falls apart there is always more free cardboard. lol
You could always waterproof it with that stuff they spray on shoes.

[sdtouge]

im gonna start making them for s13s and s14s. metal units, 25 bucks shipped.

[BLT123]

Hehe, take careboard, cut it out and get a pattern.. buy a small sheet of 2mm aluminum and just draw out the pattern and cut it. Use a chisel and hammer for the center hole (the one where the hood level sticks up). Spray paint, carbon fiber sticker, car paint, laquer, whatever. Pretty much takes a few hours for a good job, cheap cost. Good Sunday morning project.

[sdtouge]

i ended up making one today. im gonna turn this onto a 1 piece tommorow, this is mt stencil.

[Rusker]

looks good!

[BLT123]

What's the big gaping hole behind the latch? Are you planning to close that?

If it's good can I be your first international customer?

[WILDACEX187]

hmm i might be making upper and lower ones out of cardboard too. gonna make it weather proof. thanx for the ideas guys.

[mjjstang]

hehe I just bought some steel from HD today before I got off work, its all the rage guys, go do this urself and we will all have homemade panels. YEY

[sr240mike]

There's a guy on craigslist selling these for $50, sounds too high for what it is, a $10 metal sheet thats bent like poo poo.

[sdtouge]

haha if i make some more sure you can be my first onternational customer lol

the big gapping hole would not really need to be covered, the whole is so you dont have to undo the support for your latch thing. i was gonna do without the latch, but my whole radiator support was really flexible so i decided to put it back on.
im gonna try and redo mine today, i was thinking about possibly doing fiberglass but im over it.

alos, sr240mike, if you got that panel becuase our overheating, your problem is not having a fan shroud.

you really should be using one.

sure the gauge doesnt go up with out one ont he stock cluster but if you had/have a aftermarket one i garentee at idle you would see some rise in temps.

[WILDACEX187]

anybody got pix of how a lower rad panel looks like?

[sdtouge]

mine is kinda a lower one, ithink most of them are a little hiogher up.



i went to go make another one today and its a pain in the ass. i got a ass load more metal paper cuts and stuff. im over selling these. oh to close the gap behind the hatch i just stuck a little strip of metal in it across, didnt even need to bolt it down.


hey does anyone know aobut anytihng similar to this diy stuff? besides the bushings underneath the back of the hood?

[BLT123]

Here's the one I made - sorry don't have any other clearer pic online.

Panel sits higher, made with aluminum DIY - fake CF sticker .

Used the same material on the intake heat shielding at the right with rubber moulding.

[drew935]

Originally Posted by BLT123

Here's the one I made - sorry don't have any other clearer pic online.

Panel sits higher, made with aluminum DIY - fake CF sticker .

Used the same material on the intake heat shielding at the right with rubber moulding.

that's a sweet looking intake heat shielding there

[kandyflip445]

I did the same thing on my KA with cardboard for the filter.

[mjjstang]

I think you guys saying higher and lower reffering to the upper panel but how it sits, im talking about an actual one that sits next to the crossmembers where a nismo power brace would sit, that area, anyway im going to fab up some with cardboard when it gets hotter and see if it works.

[sdtouge]

oh that would be interesting, but its farther back, i think it would only flow more air to the engine bay, not reqally the radiator.

im kinda intregued by this though, post some pics please when you get around to making/installing it

[struka]

oh yea, i am gonna make one this weekend i hope. ill post some pics when i get done.

[Inland180]

Dont the cardboard ones get all nasty when you wash your car???

[WILDACEX187]

you have to water proof it or just throw it away and make a new one since its just cardboard.