I've seen quite a few threads about installing grills, and several people mentioned to be careful of air flows...

I'm installing my grills this weekend but was concerned about whether to place the grills flush against the oil coolers, or at the back of the bumper..

I'm currently planning on using the aluminum GutterGard, rustoleum painted black.

The mesh seems like it would pass air quite enough but I figured I'd double check with anyone who has already used the material and find out how it's working out.

 

It's been done both ways. The Racing Beat screens mount directly in front of the ac condensor and the oil coolers. The DLS Customs mount behind the bumper. The DIY versions mostly mount in front of the coolers because alot of people are installing them without removing the bumper. With the aluminum material you are using you'll need to remove the bumper.

I haven't seen any reports of any airflow issues.

 

The Racing Beat ones I have do mount directly in front of the oil coolers.

 

I have the Racing Beat's also, and yes they do mount right against the coolers. However, if you look at the pictures they have a nice thick rubber surround that keeps them from rattling. My guess is if you want to make your own then mount them on the bumper or use some split PVC tubing as a surround and install them the same as the RB's.

 

YMMV. I mounted my DIY screens on the inside of the bumper.

I made the center one tall enough to cover the opening behind the grille. No stone's gettin' to my baby, especially since it's been cooped up in the garage for weeks due to this endless Winter!

 

Hey Fasto, do you have any pics of your Racing Beat screens? Do you have all three? What did it take to install other than removing the bumper and removing and re-inserting the fasteners?

 

MI, here's a shot of the RB oil cooler grids in place. The grids basically are a kind of slip-fit, meaning there are no fasteners per se. They just pop into place and are held there by the sides of the cooler and the rubber scoop thingy. However, I used a couple of nylon ties to secure the edges firmly to the cooler. (You might be able to see one of the ties on the left edge of the grid in the pic.)

Did a custom job for the main radiator so have no info on that. I recall seeing a posting not too long ago that had pics of that, though.

 

Thanks Go48. I've seen a lot of different people's solutions for the oil coolers, but for some reason, there are fewer pics of the radiator cover. And when I do find them, they are always painted black. I would really like to see one unpainted to see if it looks unsightly.

I don't think the oil coolers look bad unpainted, but not so sure about the other screen.

 

Yeah, if the protective grilles are mounted on the bumper opening, I would think the bare metal would be unsightly, if not rusted (steel), unless painted. Here are a couple more pics of what I used/did. The expanded steel sheets definately needed to be painted or they would have rusted, so I used Rustoleum black with three coats of clearcoat.

BTW, one thing I discovered about attaching the grilles to the inside of the bumper opening is that when you drive through a swirling mass of leaves in the fall, the opening completely fills with leaves. Not a good thing.

 

BTW, one thing I discovered about attaching the grilles to the inside of the bumper opening is that when you drive through a swirling mass of leaves in the fall, the opening completely fills with leaves. Not a good thing. [/QUOTE]

Alright...swirling mass of leaves...need to remember to rake my front bumper... :D

 

Here's a pic of the Racing Beat A/C screen on my 8. I used the instructions in this thread to remove the front bumper:

https://www.rx8club.com/dls-customs-closed-89/front-bumper-removal-39738/

Installation was pretty easy. Just as you said, remove the bolts and install the mounts. The instructions included with the screens were great.

-Gary

 

Gary, I can't tell in the pic but it looks like you painted your screen black as well? What kind of paint did you use, and do you have a pic with the bumper back on? As far back as that screen looks, it appears as though you might not even be able to really see it.

I'm starting to lean towards making this a near term "project".

 

I painted the oil coolers, but not the A/C screen. I just used plain old black spray paint. It seems to have held up quite well thus far.

You really can't see the A/C screen unless you get down on the ground and look for it. Attached are some pics. Excuse the bug splats and nasty flash. It's dark now and I didn't back the car out of the garage for fear of flooding it :D

I've also attached a pic of the Craftsman 10mm ractheting wrench that I highly recommend you use on the upper bolts on the A/C condeser. Those suckers are a little hard to get to and this makes it a lot easier. I think I paid $7 for it. Money well spent.

Here in the Great Plains, I don't have to worry about scooping up leaves in the front. However, I did catch my first Wal-Mart bag last week.

-Gary

 

Gary, great pics!! Exactly what I was looking for. Really appreciate you going to all the trouble. That wrench also looks like a great idea. You can never have too many tools, right? There's something to be said about having the right one for the job.

 

Not a problem. Glad I could help out. Good luck with your project.

 

If not for the grille, those leaves would continue to accumulate inside the plenum, also not good but admittedly you could probably go further before accumulating a whole bushel-full. So yours is a good point. I certainly keep an eye on temps if driving through a "leafy" area and check/clean the grille when stopping. I like the behind-the bumper approach precisely because it keeps that kind of debris out of the plenum but then again I don't live in an area where there are tons of leaves. I've never had more than a couple to pluck.

As far as the painted vs. unpainted issue, I opted for a stainless-steel mesh. It's more expensive but completely maintenance-free and will look just as good 20 years from now. I put a similar stainless grille mesh in my '91 Miata and it was as good as new when I traded it in for the RX-8. I am noticing Mazda is following a pattern and I have plenty of mesh left over to make the grille for my RX-9.

 

Damn, more competition. That's where I pick up my Ol ladies from.

Better than the local bar!