Killing off some frontal area?

[brucepick]

Originally Posted by DifferentPointofView

When your doing a grille block, wouldn't you wanna do it from the outside of the grille?...

Yup. I think the ideal would be an opening smack in the center of the front panel. I think the opening should be narrow at the top and wider at the base. That is to allow lots of air at top of panel to skip over the hood.

I did mine with a diagonal slash because it's a Volvo so I wanted to mimic the Volvo radiator grill slash logo thing. I'm planning to build a new panel in spring with a larger opening for summer use, it might have an opening that's a semi-circle with curved top and flat part at base. I'll have to deal with the structural issues of a big hole in panel though. Rear stiffeners, laminated up to build strength alongside the cutout.

[DifferentPointofView]

Okay, because most of the times when I see grille block threads, they remove the grille and block the inside of the grille, which I see as an inefficient grille block. My lower duct tape grille block and upper side grille blocks are coming off now, and so I'm hoping to make my foam board grille blocks soon so they will last longer. Sure, it's not coroplast, but it's definitely more water resistant than duct tape. How should I attach the foam board... hmm. any idea's?

[Daox]

Foam board doesn't last long either. Thats what I used on my Matrix. Its been on there roughly 1.5 months now and its looking pretty sad. Use something more rigid.

[DifferentPointofView]

I would, but I got the foam board for free so I'm gonna use it now until i get some rigid blocking material. I'm gonna use the foam board because tape and water don't last as long as foam and water. Might as well use it since I got it for free. I'm not gonna use any of it for underbelly stuff tho since it is very liable to catch on fire :O. Until I get some coroplast, this is all I have to work with, right now there's a hole in my grille block, which I think someone at my school kicked in because they thought i'd be funny. Nothing more duct tape can't fix . I want to hold it on there with something not permanent, but more resistant to water than duct tape.

[Sandy]

Is it better to block the top openings or bottom?
My Civic has slots in the Bumper that look like they actually go to the radiator,
but between the bumper and the hood that seems to go over the engine.
At first I was going to cover the lower slots,
but the opening below the hood seems to be more of a scoop and might help more.
Which have others blocked, top? bottom?, both?

[DifferentPointofView]

If you live up north, which you do, and it is winter, I'd just block every part of the grille that you can during the cold winter months, then remove the bottom grille block when it starts getting warmer and you notice your temp gauge rising. that way you'll get cool air to the radiator when it needs it, which is during late may, june, july and early august.

[Sandy]

Thanks,
I've got some board and tape to start the project.
Will switch it to plastic when the weather gets better.

[Frank Lee]

A grille block from behind the grille is, for all practical purposes, just as aero as one in front.

[diesel_john]

tricky part is making the air that you don't block go thur the radiator and not thur the cracks around the radiator, headlight wires, hood release cable, ac lines, bumper mounts, etc... if you just block at rad. it forces air thur the leaks in the chamber that's between the grill and rad., true it also slicks over the grill and diverts air around. Or are we talking directly on the back surface of the grill.

Aluminum tape works good over small holes, I use cable ties and plexiglass or aluminum sheet. I go the local recycler and buy aluminum by the pound out of the their junk pile. I scored a bunch of old road signs the county had scraped. One was so big I made both my side skirts out of it.

Frank Lee,
I am trying to figure out a way adjust the amount of air ducted to the rad. manually from the drivers seat?

[DifferentPointofView]

I have lots of zip ties if that's what your talking about. How exactly would I tie it to the front of the grille tho? (I really, REALLY don't wanna take off the front bumper and grille to do this.)