The air flowing through the radiators had easier egress with the inner fenders not present. I think crinkle black would be a good color for the engine bay shield.
Thanks for the feedback guys! I've been thinking a lot about the finish...Semigloss black seems to look the most "factory"-that's the one in the last pic. Crinkle black might show imperfections the least. Natural aluminum would brighten the engine compartment more. Might be really hard to get it manufactured, delivered and installed without imperfections. Polished aluminum would certainly be the most bling, but hardest to keep pristine and most expensive. It would be cool to offer all four, but that might be costly considering the small production run. Hmmm.
Bruce- I agree with Mitch. Would look great with black crackle paint and would look like a factory piece. Taz Terry Phillips
And was wondering if there was anything made to do this job! Will be watching closely for developments.
The wheelwells are ventilated and the shield does not totally seal the engine compartment. Having never had cooling issues with my 348, I do not believe I will begin to, but will road test the Beta version in the desert near Vegas in June before release. Pattern is at the machine shop now, and release & shipping is planned for late June.
Oh yes, I realize that - I was just surprised at how much cooler it ran without the wheel well liners. It was difficult to get the temps up enough to kick the fans on! My thought was if the liners made that much difference, would Bruce's piece cause a corresponding increase in temps. But we'll find out for sure in the blazing hot desert in a couple of weeks!
If you're seeing a lot of temperature variance absent extreme ambient heat, possibly it's a thermostat problem, as when they fail, they stick open rather than closed. That allows water to flow through and transferring more heat to the radiators. The motor then runs cooler than it should, and you see heat accumulating in the motor at idle, back to the proper level. That's what I usually see when somebody is talking about the temperature fluctuating. The thermostat serves to keep the temperatire constant.
I vote for satin black, non crinkle finish. Crinkle looks great on small and uneven surfaces, not the large planes of a shield such as this. Too much crinkle is like too much bling. Personally I was wondering about a stensling pattern in the satin black - "Stooge, Stooge, Stooge", every few inches or so. Or maybe "We Love Italian Engineers". Have some fun with it. Ooh, ooh, how about, "I used to have an IRA, then I got this car"?
Good thought, but I stuck the liners back in for the upcoming run - and it warms up faster now, just like before I pulled them out. I kinda dug the raw look without the liners, but with my luck I would put a rock through a radiator in the middle of the desert! I can't wait to check out your creation in person in a couple of weeks!
It's a wonder Enzo didn't think of this idea .......... only kiding. I think I will stick to my original system - I like originality.
Here's my latest pattern. It's natural aluminum so it's easy to see coverage. I'll take my final measurements from this one, radius the appropriate places, then do a limited run with powdercoat-semi-gloss and/or wrinkle (match the air cleaner box). Working on pricing, looks like $250-$300 with hardware. As soon as I confirm pricing, I'll post up for those of you who may want one. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Looks great. A suggestion: How about something to finish the top and side edges? I was thinking of that "U" shaped edging, metal covered with some sort of vinyl (could substitute some heat resistant product). I still like mine satin black.
Possible to get it in quilted aluminum? I think that would look awesome. Image Unavailable, Please Login
