My secret project unveiled

[Big Joe P]

I had functional front fender vents from a 1978 Trans-am installed. There's about 2 feet of flexible tubing running from the vents towards the engine. This was totally a cosmetic mod, but I figured why not make it functional as well. What do you guys think?

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=63 72&stc=1

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=63 74&stc=1

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=63 75&stc=1

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=63 76&stc=1

[torinodan]

Do you have any pics from a bit further back? I want to see more of the car with this, maybe a whole side shot?

[Gunslinger]

Thats pretty sharp Joe! Can we get a shot from a little farther back? See how it looks in relation to the whole car. Thanks

[Gunslinger]

Do you have any pics from a bit further back? I want to see more of the car with this, maybe a whole side shot?
Dan beat me to it

[MaLo03]

I Think it compliments the car.
I give it a :up: GOOD JOB

Funny though, I was pondering over Vents from a 1986 Trans Am I use to own a while ago and just forgot about it.
Eggie

[BillyGman]

Iit isn't my cup of tea Joe, but it looks like you (or whoever did it) did a good clean job.

[MaLo03]

Thats pretty sharp Joe! Can we get a shot from a little farther back? See how it looks in relation to the whole car. Thanks
I agree with you both.
Can we see a PIC further back?
Eggie...

[HwyCruiser]

That is bad-ass. It looks like the lines fit pretty good.

BTW, do you think you're going to make CFR in a few weeks?

[Big Joe P]

This is the biggest I could post, if you want a BIGGER pic, PM me your e-mail.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=63 77&stc=1

[Slowpoke]

it looks cool!

lemme get this right, though. The vents dont serve to increase airflow into the engine; you are supercharged anyway; so it wouldnt seem to matter. The purpose then is to make your car have less wind resistance since any air caught in the engine compartment can exit out the vents?

No matter what the function is, it definitely gives your car 'gills' like a fish... better yet, a SHARK.... a rice eating mean-son-of-a-***** to stomp all others.

[torinodan]

Not going to be for everyone, but I think it's great. Good work.

[Big Joe P]

I guess the original function is to increase air flow under the hood, to reduce heat I think.... I just liked the way it looks..

[MaLo03]

I guess the original function is to increase air flow under the hood, to reduce heat I think.... I just liked the way it looks..
That PIC is good.
It looks really good

[blackf0rk]

That's insane! I'm lovin it man, great job. Real classy ;) :2thumbs:


Now all you have to do is make your supercharger get it's air from one of those somehow. Have a short pipe from that inlet to the filter, then the regular pipe from the filter to the S/C.

All you'd have to do is make the filter box all sealed except for where it leads to the new outside ports - it'll be forced to suck the cold outside air!:banana2:

[BK_GrandMarquis]

Very cool!!! :2thumbs: Adds to the muscle car look. :burnout: I would think it would do wonders to decrease underhood temperatures.

[Petrograde]

wow,.. that's cool! :up:

[rayjay]

Very nice job on the install, looks factory. Functional also? thats too sick.

[theredlineboss]

Nice work! :beer:

[martyo]

I guess the original function is to increase air flow under the hood, to reduce heat I think.... I just liked the way it looks..

Joe: I like it, a lot! I may have to steal this idea. Where did you get the vents?

I am working on a cowl hood for LK and hoping that others will have some interest in it to get the costs of a limited production hood down. I think these vents and the cowl hood would be the ****nit.

Congrats on a job well done.

Oh yeah, can you e-mail me the bigger picture at martin_ochs@hotmail.com?

[Big Joe P]

I found a pair of vents, and went to see my body work guys. This actually turned into a bigger project than I planned for. The vents don't just fit on the fender, they're recessed. So we had to get 2 Trans-am fenders, and cut out the vent mounting area, including about an inch all the way around. Then cut a hole in the MM fender, to accommodate it. Weld it into place. Lots of fabricating on the inside to make it functional. A small stub of tailpipe welded to the inside of the vent mounting area, to attach the flexible tubing to. Then run the tubing through the inner fender and secure it about 6" from the headers. Of course all the inner sheetmetal and fabricating was painted. Turned into a 35 hour job. Everything is tight, secure, and clamped. I'll be at our Chicken run (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=17524) Sunday 5/15 and at Barry's (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=16162) 5/20-21 so you all can get a good look at it.

[Gunslinger]

I think its great. Excellent mod Joe! Well worth the time you invested.

[NAVCHAP]

Nice job! Hope to see it at MV III. -kjs-

[teamrope]

Nice job Joe, The grill looks sweet too.

[jgc61sr2002]

Joe - Very nice install, the vents look great. :up:

[Krytin]

This has to be the best body mod I've seen to date!
Very well thought out, laid out and executed!

[SergntMac]

Outstanding, Joe, just too cool! I would love to see you find a way to vent your blow off valve out the vents, that would be neat.

Now all you have to do is make your supercharger get it's air from one of those somehow. Have a short pipe from that inlet to the filter, then the regular pipe from the filter to the S/C. All you'd have to do is make the filter box all sealed except for where it leads to the new outside ports - it'll be forced to suck the cold outside air!
Well, you have a good idea here alright, which may work better on other supercharging systems, but the air path on BigJoeP's Kenny Brown Vortech centrifugal system is much more effective as it is.

KB's centrifugal sucks in outside air through a K&N conical filter mounted behind the passenger side fog lamp. This air is directed to the blower for supercharging first, and then on to the water-to-air intercooler. Remember, supercharged air is superheated, sometimes as hot as 200 degrees before it passes through the intercooler. If things are working right, intercooling restores air tremps to as close to ambient temp as possible, before it passes through the MAF. After processing by the MAF, the air charge finally reaches the throttle body and intake manifold, and it's pretty much a closed sytem, which is why water-to-air intercooling is so important here. The lower the IAT, the better the supercharging.

Engine bay temps are an important aspect of fine tuning this design, bay temps could reach 200+ degrees too. Without good circulation of cooler air around the outside of this plumbing, the task is that much harder. All the plumbing we're talking about that's supposed to be delivering cool air to the intake, has to accomplish that from inside what is essentially a convection oven, and Joe's done a nice job of helping cooler outside air flow through the engine bay where normally, it just hovers and bakes. I like it, it looks cool, and it's literally cool too.

Hey Joe, you 'ought to set up a small water injector to splash on the exhaust manifolds under WOT, a shot of steam coming out those ports would stop the competition dead in their tracks!

[Slowpoke]

Hey Joe, you 'ought to set up a small water injector to splash on the exhaust manifolds under WOT, a shot of steam coming out those ports would stop the competition dead in their tracks!


yeah... what Mac said... just like a mean rice eating son-of-a-a-bittchh black shark!

[Bradley G]

Looks Great Joe!, Very cool!

How about a bigger pic of your Avitar?:eek:
Bradley G

[rayjay]

Joe: I like it, a lot! I may have to steal this idea. Where did you get the vents?

I am working on a cowl hood for LK and hoping that others will have some interest in it to get the costs of a limited production hood down.
Carbon fiber Marty?

[Slowpoke]

Looks Great Joe!, Very cool!

How about a bigger pic of your Avitar?:eek:
Bradley G

that sure looks like Joe's girlfriend.

[Joe Walsh]

AWESOME LOOKING!!! :bows: :bows: :bows:

Really a quality job and functional to boot!!!

Any chance that you could post a full side shot?? (90 degrees perpendicular to car)

[Bradley G]

OOPs!,....Sorry BIG JOE P!:bop:

Luckey Man!:o
Bradley G

that sure looks like Joe's girlfriend.

[Big Joe P]

OOPs!,....Sorry BIG JOE P

that's OK, she's flattered......

[Bradley G]

As Well You should be Too, Big Joe!:coolman:
PS. your shop does excellent work!
Bradley G


that's OK, she's flattered......

[CRUZTAKER]

Nice work...impressive results.

Nice to see folks go 'out of the box'. :up:

[Zack]

I love it Joe.
About a year ago I was searching for a set of Buick GNX vents to do the very same thing.
Did you just steal the bling title from me?

[Slowpoke]

I love it Joe.
About a year ago I was searching for a set of Buick GNX vents to do the very same thing.
Did you just steal the bling title from me?


Zack - I think you still retain the king-of-bling title. A little competition biting at your heels keeps you moving forward with more innovations. But I will admit that Joe's Rice Eating Shark is one cool ride.

[FastMerc]

Way cooool:D got to love.They did excellent work.

[Krytin]

An alternative mod might be to use the functional fender vents found on the '77 - '79 T-Birds & Cougars. I had a '78 T-bird - I don't think these would look as nice as the T/A units but the Cougar vents looked pretty good if my memory is still functioning.

[MarauderMark]

I think i like it and functional as well good idea :up:.Maybe a tenth more in winter..This is a great idea but would have top see more choices available for cut outs.. :D

[merc406]

Frekin Awesome!! :rasta: :bows: :2thumbs:

[Mike Poore]

Cosmetically, they're great, with superb body work, neat idea. :2thumbs:


I'm wondering how you can measure function from various positions under the hood; for instance fabricating a plenum that will allow them to suck additional air in and around the intake manifold. I'm willing to offer a very sensitive measuring tool you could borrow, to test under hood temperatures, if you'd like to try it. :)

[ncmm]

Sharp job! I never would have thought of that mod :bows:

[Bowman9]

I like it...I like it alot. :2thumbs:

[bigslim]

Hack told me about it but I had to see for myself. I think it is a nice job. It is nice to see that you still love this car even after you getting that "Big-Daddy" car. ;)

[rocknrod]

Looks Great Joe!, Very cool!

How about a bigger pic of your Avitar?:eek:
Bradley GThats what I'm talkin about:D

[Big Joe P]

Did you just steal the bling title from me?

ZACK, don't worry about the BLING title, this mod has no crystals or LED's...

[LordVader]

:bows: :bows: Joe, I have to tell you that detail really adds something to the car. The Trans-Am picture threw me for a minute, but when I saw the project from a ways back it really works, and works well! Thanks for a new dimension!