Number plate position?

[danhutton]

My 94 M (4.0HC)seems to run hot (above 90c) most of the time. Does the postion of the number plate over the front grill stop much airflow? and is there anything I can do to make it cooler (has anyone tried the 'wetter water' stuff?).

[raceboy]

Never actually had any over heating problems before or after the numbe rplate re-position I just wanted to make more of a feature of the grill, but you could try this.....

[timewind]

Hi

If it does not go over 95 all the time I wouldn't worry as the gauge isn't very reliable. IMO it is more important that the fans cut in and the temp is stable at the given number then. I assume that you checked the fluid levels recently.

For water wetter there are several discussions on the board and in other boards aswell. I don't belive that water wetter is worthit.

In summer-time I would simply suggest to add more water to the water-coolant mixture as water absorbs more heat. of course it is still necessairy to have coolant as this is for anticorrosion aswell. This is much cheaper then water wetter and has an immediate effect.

Hope this helps!!




>> Edited by timewind on Wednesday 18th June 15:48

[spend]

I mounted mine below the grill, as in picture, however I used offset rubber washers to the bodywork, so that the plate is angled forward like a scoop. This also kept the plate from rubbing on the paintwork (and some margin for OOPS movement).

This gave significant improvement in cooling - must reduce wear on fans (and battery..)

Dave

[shpub]

danhutton said:

My 94 M (4.0HC)seems to run hot (above 90c) most of the time. Does the postion of the number plate over the front grill stop much airflow? and is there anything I can do to make it cooler (has anyone tried the 'wetter water' stuff?).

First chcek that the temp guage is accurate before doing anything else. It may well be reading high!

[danhutton]

raceboy said:

Never actually had any over heating problems before or after the numbe rplate re-position I just wanted to make more of a feature of the grill, but you could try this.....

Like it! where did you get that grille from? Looks a bit Aston Marton!

[sagalout]

Remember that antifreeze boils at a higher temp than water too, so better to keep the antifreeze levels up, even in summer. don't dilute.
Like the number plate idea. Never liked that type of grill, until now. Suits the colour better than most

[raceboy]

danhutton said:

Like it! where did you get that grille from? Looks a bit Aston Marton!

Cheers, all my own work, laser cut frame with the original used as a template, then some stainless mesh welded to the back
The same mesh is also under the bonnet vents

[MikeGF]

raceboy

Any chance in a little sideline producing those? I think that grill would look great on my Cooper Green Chim

[raceboy]

Unfortnatly the laser cutter and the welding kit belonged to Rolls-Royce, and I no longer work there (something to do with making TVR bits all day and not aero-engine bits)

[MikeGF]

ha ha!!



Mike

[sagalout]

Thought it was one of those Levens(?) Grills. Looks much better than the photos of that type. Sorry, am I garbling.

[raceboy]

Might have to look into making these, my old man needs a hobby now he's retired (also from Rolls Royce)

[MikeGF]

I would buy one

[mel]

The Leven ones are very similar (they don't have the middle horizontal bar) and do look good.

[chimyellow]

How did you attach the number plate to the front of the car? Did you use bolts or self tapping screws etc?

[raceboy]

The Leven grill is a lot more complicated than mine, they bolt theirs in and it comes in a number of pieces, hence the quite high price £270ish IIRC mine could be made a lot cheaper, the materials would cost no more than £10, but most places that sell the right materials will insist on selling you a lot more than you actually need it is an exact replacement for the old black honeycomb grill and uses the origianl rubber seal
The number plate is just self tapped into the body and hasn't moved in 3 years

[leventech]

The Leven Grill actually Retails at £225 inc VAT. Some dealers have sold them for less than this including fitting.

[dannyboyo]

I've just moved my plate down similar to raceboys too. I haven't got a current piccie, but I'll try and borrow a camera of a mate at some point.

Basically, I got a standard sized number plate, chopped off about 2 inches off each end, so the letters go right to the edge, and used 3 self tapping screws to mount it below the grill, fixed straight into the bodywork. The top edge of the plate is level with the bottom of the grill and the bottom of the plate doesn't stick any lower than the rest of the car.

Looks better in my opinion, and cools better to.

[nerlam]

I've moved my number plate to the lower position. Drilled two holes and used the plastic bolts you get specifically for number plates.
I've been toying with the idea of a stainless mesh grill, but like I guess some of you guys, struggling with why they cost so much.
A usefull tip....I took the original black grill out and sprayed it silver. Doesn't look completely professional but gives you an idea of how a stainless one would look, and you can always spray it matt black again later.