Aluminum lower air dam.

[magindat]

This weekend while tinkering around, I found some aluminum diamond plate I'd been saving for a 'rainy day'. Meanwhile, I noticed my lower air dam has been trashed by parking stops and the like sooo...

I designed a lower air dam out of aluminum plate. The leading edge is a little shorter than stock and the trailing edge a little longer, but with less angle.

It seems to me this air dam is supposed to foil incoming air to create a vacuum and 'suck' air from the space between the radiator fan and the motor. So, I designed based on that theory.

I put it on, and of course, shiney is beautiful. I tested a couple of my known 'catcher' parking stops and wala! No scrapes. The final test was riding up to Reinhart's (about 3.5 hrs). The water temp ran about 1-1.5 needle widths (I know, real scientifical...) lower than the normal average.

So far, looks great, clears curbs and cools better. I made another and have a prototype on it's way to a supercharged friend to make sure it's all good with SC cars, too.

No pics, yet, but I got a ton of pics to take and will include when I get to it.

[Cobra25]

More air better cooling. I made one last year, a few members called it a "lawn mover". But it worked well and the car did cool better. Since then I improved on it and made 2 new ones , one for ghost03 and another for me. My Old one I gave to RoyLPita. It's twice the length of the stock one and it still clears the parking stops.

[magindat]

I have enough material to make 2 more if any body else wants to try one.


More air better cooling. I made one last year, a few members called it a "lawn mover". But it worked well and the car did cool better. Since then I improved on it and made 2 new ones , one for ghost03 and another for me. My Old one I gave to RoyLPita. It's twice the length of the stock one and it still clears the parking stops.

[Zack]

I would love to try/buy one!
Thanks

[magindat]

I would love to try/buy one!
Thanks

40 bucks should cover material and shipping? Do you think that's fair? I'm not trying to make any money. I just thought it would be cool to share.

[Zack]

Where do I paypal?

[magindat]

PM on the way.

[TooManyFords]

ME TOO!!!

I trashed my plastic one...

John

[Rider90]

I may be interested, I'd love to see pictures. If it is as great as you make it sound I'll bet you can get more than a few people interested.

[magindat]

Pm on the way, John.

[magindat]

Well, I guess I'm kind of prototyping right now. I basically made a couple out of some left over plate I had and only have enough for the 2 requested above. It seems to have helped me, but like anything else, feedback is key.

I think they'd be worth 100 bucks shipped if I was buying new material and making them.


I may be interested, I'd love to see pictures. If it is as great as you make it sound I'll bet you can get more than a few people interested.
I actually had no idea there'd be any real interest.

I'll try to get pics tonight.

[ckadiddle]

Mag, you are just TOO handy with fabricating stuff!!

[RR|Suki]

My intercooler hangs too low to have an air dam :( :D

[Agent M79]

Without the picture it is kinda hard to judge but let me ask...

...the plastic air dam you replaced 'gave way' to curbs, pot holes, whatever...

...is 'giving way' a good thing? Will the diamond plate 'give way' or will whatever it is mounted to give way?

I would climb under the front of my MM now and figure it out but I have a gravel lot here and people look at me disapprovingly when I come in covered in gravel dust and parking lot debris. Not sure why.

[Cobra25]

Rich if you go to The Tower Shops this friday we can check out each others air dam's designs . Mine has the side's welded on to direct the Air coming in Better and the holes drilled to the factory location. I used a med. grade Aluminum so it has a little give just in case I should hit something high. The reason I used the med grade Aluminum is because the air Dam is mounted to the bottom bracket of the radator & If I should hit something I'd feel better having the Air Dam bend ( Which I could always bend back) then ripping out the bottom bracket of my radator or strip out the mounting holes. Either way they both bring in alot more air and air cools and we all know what that means.

[magindat]

I measured and bent it out of aluminum plate. No welding. Drilled holes to match factory.

If you hit something, it's gonna bend. You could probly bend it back a time or two. I'm not scared of making another one if I do destroy it, but it's made shorter than the plastic one, so it hangs down less. It's mounted to a frame crossmember, so that part isn't going anywhere.

I do wanna see yours, Z sounds like different takes on a similar idea.

[Cobra25]

I measured and bent it out of aluminum plate. No welding. Drilled holes to match factory.

If you hit something, it's gonna bend. You could probly bend it back a time or two. I'm not scared of making another one if I do destroy it, but it's made shorter than the plastic one, so it hangs down less. It's mounted to a frame crossmember, so that part isn't going anywhere.

I do wanna see yours, Z sounds like different takes on a similar idea. Mine hangs down approx 4 inches. (Stock is 2 inches approx) so it alot longer than your's Rich and the end is a little longer. The end of mine covers the lower radator hose completely . Maybe you can bring a camera Friday and that a few pictures.

[magindat]

WOW! the leading edge of mine only hangs down about 2.5" which is about 1" less than my stretched-out stock one. However, the trailing edge is about 6" long but only bent on about 30 degrees so it's no lower than the leading edge. Mine is a little narrower than stock. The ends of the stock seem like they are there for structure and not air foil so I only counted the actual 'air foil' area when figuring width. I guess it could be wider with no probs.

[Cobra25]

WOW! the leading edge of mine only hangs down about 2.5" which is about 1" less than my mangled stock one. However, the trailing edge is about 6" long but only bent on about 30 degrees so it's no lower than the leading edge. I'm going to go the the car and measure the difference again. My Lower Rad hose just about sits on the Air dam. Be Back shortly.

[magindat]

Yep, my lower rad hose sits on it, too. I was thinking of addin something to tie the hose up off of it.

[Cobra25]

OK back. My Scoop in 4 inches long at the mounting point and 2 & 13/16 inchs low from the mounting point.

[Cobra25]

Yep, my lower rad hose sits on it, too. I was thinking of addin something to tie the hose up off of it. Something we both didn't think of, drilling a few holes to let the air pass around the lower radator hose . It would still be safe and might cool it a little too.

[fastblackmerc]

How is this mod in relation to the Mach 1 air dam?

[Cobra25]

How is this mod in relation to the Mach 1 air dam?I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MACH 1 AIR DAM IS LIKE.

[magindat]

How is this mod in relation to the Mach 1 air dam?


I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MACH 1 AIR DAM IS LIKE.

I think you are thinking of the mach 1 chin spoiler. The air dam is the piece that's about 2 feet wide that is attached just forward of the front suspension. It's plastic and hangs down and gets caught on everything. It's what scrapes when you pull in too far.

[TAF]

http://www.pcmtl.com/public/misc/this_thread_is_useless_without _pics.gif..................... .....

[magindat]

Something we both didn't think of, drilling a few holes to let the air pass around the lower radator hose . It would still be safe and might cool it a little too.

I think holes would screw up the air foil. I do think I could mount something on the top of trailing edge to elevate the hose and tie it up.

The hose sits on the factory air dam anyways. The aluminum will take more heat transfer and cool the hose more than just air flow.

The difference would be so small as to be unmeasurable. I think it would be more cosmetic than anything.

[magindat]

http://www.pcmtl.com/public/misc/this_thread_is_useless_without _pics.gif..................... .....

You're right. I'll get some tonight. I'm still at work. :bigcry:

[ghost03]

Since this thread is useless without pics, Here are a few pics of my Air Dam/Scoop .I uploaded them to my gallery.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/showimage.php?i=5592&c=3&userid=2988

[Rider90]

Since this thread is useless without pics, Here are a few pics of my Air Dam/Scoop .I uploaded them to my gallery.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/showimage.php?i=5592&c=3&userid=2988

That looks nice...think it will come off at high speed? If so, I'm out :alone:

[ghost03]

That looks nice...think it will come off at high speed? If so, I'm out :alone:I was up to 115 MPH the other day and its still on as strong as the day I installed it....Speed is not the issue, its what you hit with it, but it clears most things

[Cobra25]

I had my first one on and was doing over 130 mph ,no problem.

[RoyLPita]

I had my first one on and was doing over 130 mph ,no problem.

In fact, I have his 1st one and it is holding up fine.

[magindat]

Mine is of a different design. More like factory, just aluminum instead of plastic and more ground clearance. Pics are from a cell camera, but you get the idea.
Enjoy.