Rear wing under louvers: how important?
07-07-2006, 09:54 PM
#1
Nordschleife Master
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Rear wing under louvers: how important?
I'm switching rear wings on Rufus... do those black plastic louvers under the grill on the rear wing serve a useful purpose? It seems they may help direct flow to the intercooler. If they are useful, I'll keep them, else I'll just use a screen mesh to match the Ruf bumper vents. Does anybody know? Jim Morton? Steve Wiener?
07-08-2006, 02:38 AM
#5
Three Wheelin'
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Steve:
Kevin is dead on (as usual).
Also, when fitting your new wing, make sure you have a good fit/seal on the IC rim rubbers. The TTS decklid spoiler underside is molded for the seals, where the stock "cheese" wing uses a metal strip on the back edge. Your body shop may fight the fitment between good gaps and getting the seals to fit. It's easy to check this while the grill(s) are out....
All in all, the grill louvres, seals all make for positive pressure on top of the IC. Very important....
Enjoy
Kevin is dead on (as usual).
Also, when fitting your new wing, make sure you have a good fit/seal on the IC rim rubbers. The TTS decklid spoiler underside is molded for the seals, where the stock "cheese" wing uses a metal strip on the back edge. Your body shop may fight the fitment between good gaps and getting the seals to fit. It's easy to check this while the grill(s) are out....
All in all, the grill louvres, seals all make for positive pressure on top of the IC. Very important....
Enjoy
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07-08-2006, 07:46 PM
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Steve:
If it is relavent to your project....If you are using an aftermarket TTS wing, the issue of grill, louvre and seal fitment can be an issue.
Brad Lew and I both did TTS wings around the same time. I went OEM, he used a MA Shaw piece. Brad's car is a C2S so he got a "bye" on all the grill / IC fitment stuff. The outside cosmetic differences between the OEM and MA Shaw are minor. However the undersides to these parts are very different ! Had I gone the MA Shaw route, I would have spent considerable time getting the IC seals to work with how MA Shaw does their "access panel" to the bi-plane wing mounting hardware. Fitting this panel and getting it affixed is a DIY.
Still, the TTS decklid is a very doable project with the MA Shaw piece, just make sure to inform your body shop of the importance of working out the IC seals and also making sure the side scoop gets it air to the top of the IC and not be a leak source to below the IC.
If it is relavent to your project....If you are using an aftermarket TTS wing, the issue of grill, louvre and seal fitment can be an issue.
Brad Lew and I both did TTS wings around the same time. I went OEM, he used a MA Shaw piece. Brad's car is a C2S so he got a "bye" on all the grill / IC fitment stuff. The outside cosmetic differences between the OEM and MA Shaw are minor. However the undersides to these parts are very different ! Had I gone the MA Shaw route, I would have spent considerable time getting the IC seals to work with how MA Shaw does their "access panel" to the bi-plane wing mounting hardware. Fitting this panel and getting it affixed is a DIY.
Still, the TTS decklid is a very doable project with the MA Shaw piece, just make sure to inform your body shop of the importance of working out the IC seals and also making sure the side scoop gets it air to the top of the IC and not be a leak source to below the IC.
07-08-2006, 10:24 PM
#12
Nordschleife Master
Thread Starter
Thanks for all the discouraging advice. Mine is the MA Shaw wing. I'll talk to the body shop and see if they can properly get it to seal the intercooler. If they can't, I'm afraid I may have to scrap this project unless I can find a deal on a factory S wing. In the meantime... Jim if I could trouble you for any details on making the MA Shaw unit seal properly, I can take that info to the body shop in Monday and see if the MA Shaw wing is feasible.
Dang... this was gonna be so easy. Dang.
Seriously, thanks to all for the great advice,
Dang... this was gonna be so easy. Dang.
Seriously, thanks to all for the great advice,
07-09-2006, 01:39 AM
#14
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Steve:
My best advice is to have your body shop remove your existing decklid, then bolt on the MA Shaw, no wing, no grills before spending much time on overall surface prep.
Shaw supplies covers for the openings that access the wing mounting bolts. With the grill and wing off, the bodyshop can see where the IC top plate with seals lands and best determine fitment and air flow.
When I helped Brad, we simply omitted the opening covers as his NA car simply takes all the air down into the engine bay. Had I tried to make the covers work and look OEM, I would have needed to do some minor fiberglass work to create a way to fasten down these covers and look OEM quality.
Most of this is going to be a question for you choosing a comprimise of "form" vs. "function". Also, hours needed ny the body shop may span any savings of aftermarket vs. OEM....Sorry.
Seriously.... try the initial fitment and see all this for yourself before abandoning the effort ! At the end of the day, the TTS piece is a real nice visual !!!
My best advice is to have your body shop remove your existing decklid, then bolt on the MA Shaw, no wing, no grills before spending much time on overall surface prep.
Shaw supplies covers for the openings that access the wing mounting bolts. With the grill and wing off, the bodyshop can see where the IC top plate with seals lands and best determine fitment and air flow.
When I helped Brad, we simply omitted the opening covers as his NA car simply takes all the air down into the engine bay. Had I tried to make the covers work and look OEM, I would have needed to do some minor fiberglass work to create a way to fasten down these covers and look OEM quality.
Most of this is going to be a question for you choosing a comprimise of "form" vs. "function". Also, hours needed ny the body shop may span any savings of aftermarket vs. OEM....Sorry.
Seriously.... try the initial fitment and see all this for yourself before abandoning the effort ! At the end of the day, the TTS piece is a real nice visual !!!
07-11-2006, 09:15 PM
#15
Nordschleife Master
Thread Starter
I took Rufus to the body shop today, and my guy said the Shaw tail will be no problem, and will seal just fine. Whew. Yes, I trust this guy (he did the very nice work on both Waldo and Rufus). He thinks he knows where to get a set of louvers, and perhaps even a factory grill. My fingers are very crossed.