partial grill block: worth while?

[bobo333]

hi guys,

im currently in the research and planning stage for aeromodding my Holden Barina (Suzuki Swift) and i was wondering what your opinions on partial grill blocks are, obviously a full block would be optimal but im worried about heat due to the climate where i live

would it still be worthwhile blocking off the half of my grill that doesnt allow air to the radiator or are there other mods that will provide better results?

im also planning to add an undertray from the front bumper to around where the front axles are, is there anything i should be aware of before doing this? (apart from the obvious keep it away from hot/moving components etc)

thanks

[Sven7]

Block off the top grille if you're going to do a partial block. It will facilitate cleaner airflow over the rest of the car. If you're worried about cooling try a cardboard one taped on at first and once you've deemed it safe you can graduate to coroplast. Then start on the outsides of the lower grille and see how much it'll take before running too warm. It'll only take 30 seconds to rip it off if the car doesn't like it!

The belly pan can be coroplast as well. I've zip tied mine to existing holes in the bumpers and subframes and you should be able to do the same. Be sure to leave access holes to change the oil and filter. You can tape a little flap shut to keep it smooth in the mean time.

[bobo333]

thanks for the reply, this is my 5th post so i can finally post pics... see next post

[bobo333]

my radiator is off to one side so i was thinking i might block off the side that doesn't have the radiator

from what ive read so far the more i block the better it will be so i might rewire the indicators to flash the corner lamps and block the indicator lenses that are recessed into the bumper too



so my plan at this stage is to block the top grill, the half of the bottom grill where my number plate is (possibly more pending cooling) and also the indicator recesses, then make a under tray from the bumper to around the front axles possibly with wheel diffusers built in

[Sven7]

Oh dude. I didn't realize it's that generation. There are probably tons of writeups on those if you search the forum for Geo Metros. I wouldn't bother with the amber turn singals, but you could easily cover the bottom grille and fog lights with clear acetate. In short, don't bother with re-wiring stuff.

Are those Saab 99 Inca wheels?

[bobo333]

Oh dude. I didn't realize it's that generation. There are probably tons of writeups on those if you search the forum for Geo Metros. I wouldn't bother with the amber turn singals, but you could easily cover the bottom grille and fog lights with clear acetate. In short, don't bother with re-wiring stuff.

Are those Saab 99 Inca wheels?

thats a great idea with the clear cover, i was trying to figure out a way to cover the foglight holes without restricting light output, covering everything with clear acetate would also not affect the looks of the car as much which is a bonus.

i was going to change the indicators anyway as i think it would look much better without them.

They certainly are, well spotted, i bought them off a mate who had them laying around his yard for years as they were the right stud pattern for my car and allowed me to fit much better tires than the factory 155/70 R13s (they have 195/45 R15s and much more traction)

[Tesla]

I'd be wary of deleting all exterior mirrors, ADR's say you must have either interior & drivers exterior, or both exteriors if interior is obstructed. Mirrors are a safety issue and you will be taken off the road (canary) if you don't have minimum requirement.
As above don't stress with the rewiring, seal gaps around lights to stop excess air going through engine bay.
Regarding grille blocking, look at the airflow that will occur, if you were an air molecule, when you (the air) get through the grill, what options are there, you will take the path of least resistance, If you have the opportunity to go straight through a gaping hole beside the radiator or through a tightly meshed radiator with lots of fins to get around, where you gunna go?
If all other holes are blocked to the engine bay from the front you'd be surprised at how little grille is actually required to just feed the radiator. By blocking all the side holes and directing more air over and around vehicle, then a negative pressure is created in the engine bay which actually sucks the air through the radiator.

[MetroMPG]

Which engine do you have in your Barina?

In North America, that bodystyle could have had anything from a 55 hp 1.0L, up to a 100 hp 1.3L. Obviously one needs less cooling than the other. Regardless, the advice given is good: while you closely monitor coolant temps, start with the upper block, then progressively block the rest, starting from the openings that aren't in front of the radiator.

[ChazInMT]

And start from both sides of the lower block leaving the middle open.

[MetroMPG]

Except the radiator is offset to one side in this car - it's not in the middle. So in this case, it makes sense to start blocking from the side where there's no radiator behind the openings.

Both my Insight and Firefly are similar - the opening I left on both of those cars was in the center of the radiator, which happens to be on the left side: