Fresh air ducting
Discussion
It is my turn now to see if I can come up with something that works. I have elected not to fit helicopter vents on the GTW as I think that they spoil the lines of the car, cause wind noise and are just pony in general.
Ever since I was a small boy being carted around in the back of my Dads car, I have been used to a steady blast of fresh air from his open window and now find it impossible to drive anywhere without having my window open at some point during the journey. To that end I feel it imperative that I get my fix in the GTW.
Whilst at Clives for the SVA episode a few days ago I noticed on a shelf in his workshop (not for the first time I might add) a dozen or so in line bilge fans with a 4" aperture at one end and a 3" at the other. I have mentioned them before but I don't think that he found the prospect of yet more prolonged R&D on the GTW an appealing prospect so I have taken up the challenge myself. I am going to duct air from the grill area (mine is different to standard) and the fans will sit behind the front wheels on the 'shelf' just in front of the Ali access panels on each side and I plan to fit a switch for each fan to switch on and control the speed so that I may have total control over the flow rate. I am looking at the internal cabin ducting at the moment with a view to maybe fitting a square conduit with outlets along the length under the front of the dash. I am also going to have a few small louvres added externally to the bottom rear corners of the doors to allow circulation (the holes on the door inners will allow the air through to the louvres).
Ever since I was a small boy being carted around in the back of my Dads car, I have been used to a steady blast of fresh air from his open window and now find it impossible to drive anywhere without having my window open at some point during the journey. To that end I feel it imperative that I get my fix in the GTW.
Whilst at Clives for the SVA episode a few days ago I noticed on a shelf in his workshop (not for the first time I might add) a dozen or so in line bilge fans with a 4" aperture at one end and a 3" at the other. I have mentioned them before but I don't think that he found the prospect of yet more prolonged R&D on the GTW an appealing prospect so I have taken up the challenge myself. I am going to duct air from the grill area (mine is different to standard) and the fans will sit behind the front wheels on the 'shelf' just in front of the Ali access panels on each side and I plan to fit a switch for each fan to switch on and control the speed so that I may have total control over the flow rate. I am looking at the internal cabin ducting at the moment with a view to maybe fitting a square conduit with outlets along the length under the front of the dash. I am also going to have a few small louvres added externally to the bottom rear corners of the doors to allow circulation (the holes on the door inners will allow the air through to the louvres).
I don't think it possible due to the shape of the window and the fact that if it were not bonded to the frame it would be flimsy as hell. When I attended the factory open day earlier this year I had a good look around for inspiration but all I could find was things not to do like fit sliders that I saw on a GT40, I like the look on that particular car but can't see them suiting the GTW somehow. There was also an Ultima with a hinged window like a rear quarter light on a BMW coupe but even shut I could easily pull the window around, a good idea but it needed a stiffer type glass. I will be staying away from any type of window idea.
I initiated a similar topic few weeks ago, wayne...I made a fresh air supply by taking air from the front grill, through a hose, going through the front wall of the center section (the one which is not visible when front clip is closed...) into the cabinet... In between I have a closing mechanism to make it switchable...How do you want to solve the problem, to guide the incoming air out again ??
I have a fresh air duct system. It does not use a fan but the air is driven in when the car is moving. With the helicopter vents closed there is still a significant flow of air which is escaping under the bottom edge of the doors.
I doubt you will need to provide any extra vents.
Clive. Have you fitted the 'fire-wall' ali pieces just in front of the tanks? I think I saw somewhere that the factory don't fit them any more. If this were the case then cockpit air will also escape under the luggage pods and down into the engine bay. Perhaps a flap in that wall would allow air to pass from the cockpit but the flap would prevent fumes coming back.
Steve
I doubt you will need to provide any extra vents.
Clive. Have you fitted the 'fire-wall' ali pieces just in front of the tanks? I think I saw somewhere that the factory don't fit them any more. If this were the case then cockpit air will also escape under the luggage pods and down into the engine bay. Perhaps a flap in that wall would allow air to pass from the cockpit but the flap would prevent fumes coming back.
Steve
Well, I think I may have something useful and tangible to contribute on the cooling situation at last. After much trawling, digging and poking I have a plan. My idea is to draw fresh air in through intakes in the front grill, duct into electric fans (designed to feed cool air into the bilge of a boat and thus help cool the engine) mounted under the front clip just behind the front wheels and routed through the bulkhead. The fans will have their speed controlled via rotary potentiometer switches and blow into a rigid PVC ducting that runs along the underneath of the dash, down each side of the luggage containers and joins behind the seats to make a full circuit. I am also looking to install filters just after the fans (it won't stop the smell of cow shit from being wafted through the cabin on a sunny Sunday drive through the country but should combat small pieces of debris that may find their way into the system). Being in the window business, I think I may have found the ideal type of closeable vent normally used as trickle or slot vents on the head of the window frame on all new build specifications. The ducting is the key to success with regards to routing the system and if the right vents are used the airflow can be directed to a certain degree. If all goes well I will be offering a kit of parts and instructions to any that may be interested in doing the same.
Bye bye horrid Helicopter vents, a breath of fresh air in more ways than one.
Bye bye horrid Helicopter vents, a breath of fresh air in more ways than one.
Hey Wanye. Basically good plan. But don´t you worry about the rads placed behind the front wheels ? Stones, Chips...are heavily catapulted into the wheel-area. So the rads might get damaged by things flying around !?! AND why do you go through the bulkhead ? you could go through the front part of the center section. hence shorter hoses, shorter distances, less restitance for the vents/rads...
It is as much the poor performance of the helicopter vents as well as the look that puts me off. Other owners have reported that they work quite well but are noisy and have popped out at speed on some occasions and as far as I am concerned, anything that may be resplendent of a LeMans type car is certainly appealing and if the Ultima came with a sliding type window arrangement 'ala F40 for example then I may feel differently about the situation but I still fear wind noise at high speed may be a concern. As for the increased weight of my system it will be constructed mainly from PVC and I would be very surprised if it weighed more than 5 kg all up. I don't like adding extra weight but with 650 bhp at my disposal I consider it a small price to pay for an engineered fresh air system that will make my car at least a nicer place to be in as a result.
lvjost said:
Hey Wanye. Basically good plan. But don´t you worry about the rads placed behind the front wheels ? Stones, Chips...are heavily catapulted into the wheel-area. So the rads might get damaged by things flying around !?! AND why do you go through the bulkhead ? you could go through the front part of the center section. hence shorter hoses, shorter distances, less restitance for the vents/rads...
Hello Lutz. In answer to your question am I to assume that when you say 'rads' that you mean the fans? Indeed, debris in the wheel arch may be a consideration but the fans are in a fairly tough case and now you have mentioned this I may look at making some kind of primitive shroud to protect them a bit. The reason for going through the bulkhead is ease of fitting and the ducting I am going to use lends itself to this layout due to the unions available and the fact that the ducting is 29mm x 236mm and so will only fit in the limited space available in one orientation.
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