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A.J.
12-27-2007, 08:39 PM
Being in AZ things get pretty hot. So I decided to make/install some hood louvers. I can't say whether or not it makes a difference while driving, due to the fact my mechanical temp gauge read the same (last summer). But I can say after parking the van, shutting it off, and returning, the temp drops a lot quicker with an exit for the heat. Now that it's winter (36 degrees F in the morning 60-70 degrees F in the afternoon, I can see "heat waves" coming out from the louvers.

The louvers came out of a turbo Chrysler New Yorker '85ish and they're backwards (left to right on the New Yorker, now right to left on my van) to match the grooves in the hood. The metal straps under the hood are metal stock 1/2" X 1/8" that I got from the local Ace Hardware, my performance place.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/hoodlouversfront.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/hoodlouverangle.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/hoodlouversopen.jpg

A.J.

Turbodave
12-27-2007, 08:59 PM
They look good. One of the guys in Chicago (Beavis1313, aka Josh) did something similar to his van.

http://www.sdac-chicago.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=6145&g2_serialNumber=2

Gearhead24-7
12-27-2007, 09:57 PM
I used the same vents in my Lebaron. I noticed right away it runs cooler, especially in traffic. When the fan kicks on the heat blowing thru the hood is unreal...

A.J.
12-27-2007, 10:42 PM
I like your flush install. My fabrication skills aren't that good so the lip had to cover up my cuts in the hood.

A.J.

ShadowFromHell
01-25-2008, 10:57 PM
I talked my dad into putting a set of them on his jeep after his SBC swap to help with over heating issues. They actually didnt help that much, but he gets alot of comments on how good they look and people wanting to know where they came from!

One of his friends (acutally my sis father in law) wanted a me to get a set for his TJ, and i told him his jeep wasnt cool enough to have K-car parts on it! haha.

A.J.
01-26-2008, 12:20 AM
That's funny. Tell him it'll be cool enough when he turbo-charges it.

A.J.

Dez
02-26-2008, 12:17 AM
I've been wanting to do something like that to my lebaron, but I don't have the time for it.

Good job guys.

ottawa rogue
02-26-2008, 12:23 AM
Hey, those look kinda familiar:D (just like my '86 lebaron)
good install, they look like they belong there

A.J.
02-26-2008, 04:37 PM
good install, they look like they belong there

That's what I try to accomplish. I realize it's a mini-van and it will always be a mini-van. I didn't want it to look like I drove through the Pep Boy's accessory department with a ---- magnet, like some of the cars you see.

A.J.

DC Turismo
02-26-2008, 05:12 PM
While at the MOPAR Nats this past year, the member on the boards named ucku did some crazy louvers on a hood he had for his 89 CSX. They look sweet in person. Here's a pic. of what they looked like:

Dez
02-26-2008, 07:31 PM
Those look sharp on there.

vcrpro3
03-11-2008, 12:48 AM
Daytona style on my 'Baron

W.P._Turbocars
03-11-2008, 04:41 AM
My old van.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m282/wp_turbocars/657203_29_full.jpg

A.J.
07-06-2008, 05:47 PM
Just an update. When it rains my mechanical temp gauge reads 160 degrees which I think is way to cold. I'm guessing that water is hitting my engine through the louvers and cooling it down past where the thermostat closes. I wouldn't worry about it too much for how little it rains here, but I'm going to Oklahoma for Rocklahoma and it rains there. So I made a deflector shield to channel the rain away from my engine. Here's some pics of what I did.

I started by replacing the self taper screws with stainless steel allen head bolts.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF1079.jpg

On the side that I made the shield, I used longer bolts to fasten the shield to.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF1080.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF1085.jpg

Here's looking from the drivers side towards the passengers. This side has a lip.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF1083.jpg

This is the passenger side looking towards the drivers side. This side has no lip so the water can drain out.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF1084.jpg

Here's a view with the hood almost closed.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF1089.jpg

Here's a view of the drivers side louver with the hood almost closed. You can see that this side isn't going to get the engine wet.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF1092.jpg

After I was done I ran the engine with the condenser fan and the cooling fan running and I could still feel hot air escaping.

I painted the shield with Dupli-color high temp white w/ceramic. Stay away from this stuff, it sucks. This is the second can I've bought that came out chunky. I used the black for my engine and it came out awesome. But the white just doesn't come out smooth.

A.J.

A.J.
07-15-2008, 05:49 PM
I just got back from Oklahoma. Rocklahoma kicked a$$ if you care. I hit all kinds of rain. My engine temp never dropped below 180 degrees. BUT.........I'm going to have to build a shield for the other side. If you look at the picture in my last post, you can see the throttle body is exposed to the elements due to the louver. Well my idle air control motor got wet and crapped out. My van wouldn't idle and I had to feather the gas when stopped. In case your wondering how I could blame the fact that it was water that made it go bad, when I pulled it out, there was water droplets around the plunger. I brought some tools with me but I didn't bring my torx sockets to get the I.A.C. out.

A.J.

86trbolancer
09-07-2008, 09:22 PM
[/QUOTE]
I painted the shield with Dupli-color high temp white w/ceramic. Stay away from this stuff, it sucks. This is the second can I've bought that came out chunky. I used the black for my engine and it came out awesome. But the white just doesn't come out smooth.

A.J.
[/QUOTE]


sounds like you got an old can...i painted my fan shroud with white...and it looks really good, and i've used the black for my engine. Using there primer and lots of cleaning also...

and just for anyones knowledge, take a ace/oxy torch with a rose tip and burn that powder coat off...media blast it and bammmm you got some nice smooth shyt

A.J.
12-05-2008, 08:20 PM
I was going through some of my old posts, admiring my awesomely, awesome, awesomeness, and noticed I never posted updated pictures of my NEW hood louver drip trays. The one I made for the drivers side came out so much better than the original one for the passenger side, I made a new one for the passenger side. The drivers side tray empties the water in front of the battery and the passenger side empties the water on the charcoal canister.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0096.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0099.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0098.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0100.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e301/thebest4/DSCF0097.jpg

A.J.

cordes
12-05-2008, 09:08 PM
As much as I love to read your posts due to the awesome work and pics, I hope that business picks up for you soon. You've been a crazy fabin' guy as of late. :nod:

black86glhs
12-05-2008, 09:17 PM
+1000 on both points...lol!!! They look great and seem to function well.

A.J.
12-06-2008, 07:39 PM
As much as I love to read your posts due to the awesome work and pics, I hope that business picks up for you soon. You've been a crazy fabin' guy as of late. :nod:

Ya it's a double edge sword. I have time to do and build stuff because it's slow but no money to buy the supplies I need.

A.J.

monkeyhead
04-05-2009, 03:37 PM
Daytona style on my 'Baron

That is exactly what i want to do to my baron. Glad it looks as good as I thought. Now im definately gonna do it.