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I've poked around a bit for tips and how-tos re ducting the radiator but have not come up with anything great. From what I've read, it sounds like you just find any source of not-too-flimsy plastic from Lowes etc. and hack it up to fill the voids between the grill opening and the radiator? How do you attach the ducting to the car? Any advice would be great. Thanks.
http://pitstopusa.com/c-132804-body-...d-plastic.html
Frame it with aluminum strappy things from Lowes using lots of aluminum rivets. Seal it to the mouth of the car and the heat exchangers. My ducting is attached to the radiator mouts on the sides, I made a rail that goes under the rad, all the way accross, and the top side of the radiator is basically wedged between the weld along the top of the core and the inside lip of metal on the inner bumper support. It's worth driving to my house in Lewisville to look at my ducting.
Advice so nice you posted twice...
I'll take you up on inspecting the green car. Thanks again.
Gabkwong just uses foam on his 99. He has every knook and cranny around the radiator filled with foam.
I use both the 1/2" and 4" open cell foam that I got them free from work. I cut the 4" foam down to shape them to seal up the gap between the a/c condenser and the bumper cover. I also fill up the gaps on both side of the mouth opening. I leave the outermost holes on both sides of the mouth open since these passages direct air to the brakes. Basically all the air that enters into the 'mouth' has to go through the a/c condenser/radiator. I also use the foam to plug up those openings in the radiator cowl. I then use the 1/2" foam to seal up the gaps between the a/c condenser and the radiator, between the radiator fans and radiator and void around the radiator. The goal is to make the a/c condenser/radiator/fans as an air-tight unit. All the air that got pushed in by the forward movement of the car and pulled in by the fans has to go in through the a/c condenser and exit from the fans.
With this setup and my old OEM radiator, the temp gauge needle stays solid in 12 o'clock position in first gear, stop and go traffic in 100 degree days! I also notice my a/c is blowing cooler too. Before I have this mod, the temp gauge needle goes up to 2 o'clock in just 10 to 15 minutes. Not bad for an hour of work and zero cost!
I wish I could turn the AC fan off when cruising down the highway, with the AC engaged. Hmmmm.