KenC

While I was waiting for my new tires to be mounted a few weeks ago. My car was sitting next to a new corvette. The vette had those plastic air vents just in front of the rear tire in the lower body. They actually are real with a hose to the rear brake. The cosmetic body vent seemed plyable and just the right size for a 944. It got me thinking what if. It would look great as well, not "Rice" due to it's plastic black look and could easily be applied to the front face of the lower rear fender well. Just in front of the rear wheel. And made to actualy function. I checked with Chev. and the part is $90 per side for the vent. What do you all think? Can anyone post some pics using photoshop. Putting the vents on 944?

BeerBurner

I'm sure it can be made to work. But will it actually be beneficial?

BB.

KenC

I don't know....But it looks cool. It's probebly not very beneficial on the vette either. You race guys out there..are their possible benefits in cooling to do something like this or is it just cosmetic.

Eyal 951

i doubt the rear brakes need any cooling. on the track, with good pads, you dont want to cool the brakes TOO much either. basically it would be an apearence mod inho.
~Eyal

Danno

"on the track, with good pads, you dont want to cool the brakes TOO much either."[/i]

Huh???

BeerBurner

Brake pads (especially the carbon ones) need to maintain a certain temperature to be effective. If you cool them too much, they won't work as well.

BB.

Eyal 951

danno, dont race pads work like **** if their cold? in the rear, those things don't heat up all that much, (relative to the front) if you cool em too much, you may not get an optimal performance out of them. (i know, it would have to be a lot of cooling, maybe more then a vent like that can do, but still)
~Eyal

Eric in Chicago

Guys,
On the race track, you cant cool your brakes enough...
You may be thinking of race pads used on the street. It takes them a while to come up to temp, when cold, they squeal like a pig and dont work 100% until they get a little heat into them. On a race track, the brakes are hot, 700-900 degrees hot. Our cars use more front brake than rear, the set up you mention cant hurt but I dont think it is worth 90.00 per side. I dont know of any racers that cool the rears 911 or 944's
Think of the reason why we want cool brakes, so as not to boil the fluid and produce fade when we need it the most. With the proper brake fluid, this conditon will almost never happen on the street.

Dave E

My rear brakes get HOT! I am thinking of a small duct arrangement, but I think with most cars the quarter panel vents would be overkill, but much more convinient for getting air to the brakes. A small NACA duct would look better IMHO

Peckster

On an NA that doesn't spend most of its life on the track, I say it's rice.

M758

I see no need for rear brake ducts. I have front ones on my 944 na.
If I really wanted cooling air i much rather put a duct under the car like a simple bent piece of metal to direct air to the rear brakes. But I don;t because I don' t need them

So Yes it would be rice to put them on street car.

One major form odf Rice to me is all about stuff is supposed to look like it does something on race car, but in reality serves no fuction on a street car.

One can say that even front brake ducts on street driven 944 NA are rice unless that car is taken to the track. I have never been a situation on street that overcooked the pads. Race track yes, street no. So to have brake ducts on 944 is might be rice. "Stuff that looks like it does something, but really does not. "

944 Turbo's do have brake ducts, but they are not rice for a number of reasons. Firstly they are very stealth and not all together visble. Turbo's are faster car and were ment to be driven fast so brake are important. Brakes were upgraded and Porsche clearly felt they were important in keep temps in check especially cars that would find their way to the track.

FWIW...
I see things like modern Porsche Aero kits for 996's & Boxster almost rice since they are not really needed on the cars and 99% cosmetic.

944 turbo front ends on 944 NA's could have been rice, but are saved since the 944 Turbo has less drag and therefore the front end is benefitial and it was added to all 944S2 cars so it was not just a turbo thing. It really could be considerd a design evolution vs tack on body mod.

Geo

A couple of things....

I agree with the comment that a NACA duct would work better.

You don't want to cool brakes too much on the track or they won't work at their best. In fact, we had some difficulty with this on our Sentra SE-R at TWS which isn't too hard on brakes and has a couple of long straights giving them time to cool.

Rice....

I've got to laugh at the Porsche crowd. Sorry guys. To call these ducts rice and not call an adjustable 968 wing (see the CF thread) rice is absurd. It's funny because while I was at the Parade club race today and saw a car with it I had that thought about the adjustable 968 wing. This crowd is quick to call some things rice and defend others. Personally I think if one is rice then the other is as well.

Sorry guys. Flame away I guess.

Matt H

I see things like modern Porsche Aero kits for 996's

Or the key to making a 996 the hottest GD car on the market. Without the aerokit the 996 is boring, with it looks incredible.

968 wing is not rice, it is incredibly gaudy. It does however, have function and came on the car originally. Putting, say a Banana wing in a street car is the def. of rice!!
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Geo

Function? On a road car? Jeez, you gotta warn me. I almost had Diet Coke come out my nose.

Rear brakes ducts are every bit as functional as the adjustable 968 wing. Again, if one is ricey, damned sure the other one is.

ERAU-944

i agree with George... it's rice!

it is a cool idea .. he he, cool... but i doubt its functionality even on the track. maybe front ducts, but rears? overkill.