Grille Blocks in the Summer

[99LeCouch]

Sad day a few weeks ago. My Lexan aero grille block had to come off because the car was getting hot enough to kick in the fans doing 65 mph on the freeway.

The temperature is forecast to break 100 tomorrow afternoon. Something says the grille block is staying off to keep from overheating.

[Daox]

That stinks. Do you have a picture of your grill block? There may be a few tricks you can use so you don't have to take it off. Something like blocking air so it has to go through the radiator instead of around it.

[99LeCouch]

[RobertSmalls]

My first thought: I'm in New York, and I don't think we've seen 80°F, let alone 100°F. It's 60 outside my window now, and my mom's running her furnace at night.

Ah, looks like you've got a full grille block, and no lower radiator grille opening at all. I'd trim it back, or remove half of it before I set it aside. No, that grille block is too beautiful to sit in the garage all summer.

[99LeCouch]

I'm in Columbia, SC for another year. Moved from Buffalo, actually.

There are lower grille openings that aren't quite as big as the top ones. Since I have my ScanGauge to tell me coolant temperatures, I just may put on the half that covers the corner of the radiator without a hose. And pick up a radiator comb to straighten the fins of the A/C condenser mounted ahead of the radiator to improve airflow.

Daox, GM put in a rubber surround ahead of the radiator, so it's not as bad as it could be.

[QuickLTD]

Your Buick, has the smallest lower grille out the three brands using our chassis. The Olds 88 and my Pontiac are bottom breathers.. I wonder if you could get the dimensions of the grille and lower grille. I'm kind of interested to see if my car has the same amount of total grille surface area as yours. I have six 2x9 openings equalling 108 Square inches. BTW, I like how it looks. Nice job on that. I hope you work something out so you can keep it.

[Daox]

I'd take half of the cover off. Leave the other half on. Theres no way that whole thing needs to be open.

[99LeCouch]

I put on the left half of the block. Over what I think is a "dead" area of the radiator, since there are no hoses there.

Perfect test tomorrow on a road trip in 100 degree air temperatures.

[99LeCouch]

The two lower openings are 16" by 3" each, for 96 square inches.

The top is roughly 24" by 6", for ~144 square inches.

Together it's roughly 240 square inches, of which I'm blocking roughly 70 square inches with the left grille block in the photos currently, or 29-33% of the total grille area.

I ought to be all right.

[QuickLTD]

Hmm. My openings are 45% less than what you have. My nose is not as blunt as yours. I wonder if the aero is really that different between our cars. As you know, mechanically we are identical so I would think you would be okay. But you never know.. Might need Aerohead on this one.