Front Spoiler

[neutral 3]

Been going through the huge History file for the beast and I found a letter from around 14 years ago to Fernhursts re " Front Spoiler " has been knocked off again"

I wasn't aware that it ever had one ! Anyone have a photo of a Griff front spoiler ?

[A900ss]

http://www.actproducts.co.uk/product/sp007-front-s...

Hope this helps. Fitted one to my Chim. Better high speed stability and cooler under bonnet temps.

[phillpot]

A piece of plastic rain guttering cut up works well.......



This is an S Series but you get the idea

[neutral 3]

Thanks guys, so the spoiler helps high speed stability as well as cooling. Dont look too rigid though, so no wonder they don't last long !
Anyone have a photo of an original Griff one ?

[Pete Mac]

I've got a splitter knocking around at home somewhere. I'm not sure it is original but I've always assumed it was. It looks like a bit of bent aluminium painted black and was given to me by the previous owner. I can't remember whether he took it off or whether it fell off. I think it was pop-rivetted on.

I'm not in the UK right now but you are welcome to take measurements, templates whatever when I am back. It is probably a fivers worth of aluminium sheet. Pete

Edited by Pete Mac on Sunday 15th June 11:37

[neutral 3]

Morning Pete, what's the weather like out in the back of beyond ? So the Original one was probably made of Alloy. If my buggered back will allow it il have a quick look this morn and see if I can see any mounting holes for it.

[EGB]

Speed bumps are a menace. I'm thinking about some suitable stiffy piano hinge.
When knocked back on a bump can be reangled forward again. If it works on bumps and works at 100 mp plus then it should do the job.

I'm unsure now whether the splitter is for stability, or and for cooling. If as an aid for getting more cold air through the radiator, it needs to be mounted further forward on a Griff? Help

Edited by EGB on Sunday 15th June 09:23

[Pete Mac]

neutral 3 said:

Thanks guys, so the spoiler helps high speed stability as well as cooling. Dont look too rigid though, so no wonder they don't last long !
Anyone have a photo of an original Griff one ?

Warm and very windy with showers but actually better because it has been a bit too hot over the last week (33-35C).

I've heard both theories about the splitter, one that it kept the nose down, the other that it diverts air over the radiator to aid cooling. To be honest, with my vaguely logical mind, it seems to be in the wrong place to aid cooling so I have always assumed it was there to keep the nose down at higher speeds.

I must say, if I was to imagine that I could drive my Griff at higher than legal speeds than I might imagine that the steering would get very light and there might come a point where I might feel somewhat unsafe and want to back off a bit so an aid to keep the nose down makes sense.


I've never felt particularly motivated to put the splitter back on but on the other hand I can't imagine TVR would bother with one unless it had some positive effect, they weren't exactly a company to worry about frills......!

Considering the cost of producing one it is probably worth experimenting and feeding back to us whether it made a difference or not. Pete

[carsy]

The splitter imo is purely for helping with the cooling. It is especially helpful on pre cats due to the smaller front opening.

As said a piece of guttering cut to shape does the job fine and is flexible should you encounter a speed bump etc.

I certainly didn't notice any change to stablilty, ( not that I find this a problem anyway ), after fitting one but it certainly helps with directing the airflow to the rad in the summer months.

Edited by carsy on Sunday 15th June 10:39

[ThePrisoner]

I haven't got a splitter on my precat, haven't noticed any difference in the cooling Department either. I was under the impression that precat's never had them anyway. Could be wrong though.

[neutral 3]

Guessing its for cooling as well as stability. In the summer i always take the front no plate off and put it on the dash top. The difference on the temp gauge is very noticeable.

[Pete Mac]

neutral 3 said:

Guessing its for cooling as well as stability. In the summer i always take the front no plate off and put it on the dash top. The difference on the temp gauge is very noticeable.

Ric, Having spent quite a bit of time and effort on my cooling system (subject of a previous thread) I don't find it something I am too bothered about although I do constantly check as I am driving. I find it takes about about 5-10 miles to get to just below 90C and then it stays about there if I am moving. In traffic it climbs a couple of degrees.

I've never thought of removing my front number plate. Might try that for an experiment to see what effect it has on the temperature gauge.

I was thinking of replacing my current 'rabbit hutch' grill with some nice stainless steel mesh but was wondering what effect it would have on the cooling. This stuff looked good:

http://www.meshdirect.co.uk/Woven-Stainless-Wire-C...


With 74% open area I didn't think it would have too much effect on the cooling, however it is all time and it wasn't top on my priority list. I was going to fix it with stainless rivnuts and stainless button screws.

But I digress, the pre-cats definitely seem to have more of a problem with cooling due to not having a front air intake.

Happy to help you with doing some tests and report back to see what effect a splitter has on cooling and perceived high speed stability (although to be honest, the speeds at which the Griff starts to get a light front end are the speeds I don't want to be doing if I want to keep my licence). Let me know, I am back in the UK round about 10th August. If we get positive benefits then we could probably get a few knocked up and make them available to all. Pete

[Barreti]

EGB - don't bother with the piano hinge. I made a spoiler out of piano hinge and a 2" piece of flat ali. I spent ages making it so I could flatten it to the car when I knew I might catch it - the ferry to Le Mans each year for example.
So it had velcro to keep it flat and a wire from front to back to keep it in the lowered position and stop it rolling backwards at speed. A really nice proper job.

I don't think it lasted the first year before I ripped it off.

I've never got around to refitting one and can't really say I noticed a difference. Though I might have another go with a bit of square guttering now I have the screw holes I can fit it into.

The smaller numberplate does give a cooling improvement on cars with the 500 front end though (I have a pre-cat with a later front)
I have both a full sized plate for MOTs etc and a 3/4 size plate for general use. There is about 5deg difference with the 3/4 plate fitted and I even notice a difference again when I 'forget' to fit it.
My front plates are fitted with velcro BTW, you wouldn't believe they would stay put but they do. So if cooling is your issue fit a 3/4 plate with velcro, you have nothing to lose.

Edited by Barreti on Monday 16th June 09:18

[QBee]

They are just over £20 from ACT, and are the correct item.

http://www.actproducts.co.uk/product/sp007-front-s...

[EGB]

Barreti said:

EGB - don't bother with the piano hinge. I made a spoiler out of piano hinge and a 2" piece of flat ali. I spent ages making it so I could flatten it to the car when I knew I might catch it - the ferry to Le Mans each year for example.
So it had velcro to keep it flat and a wire from front to back to keep it in the lowered position and stop it rolling backwards at speed. A really nice proper job.

I don't think it lasted the first year before I ripped it off.

I've never got around to refitting one and can't really say I noticed a difference. Though I might have another go with a bit of square guttering now I have the screw holes I can fit it into.

The smaller numberplate does give a cooling improvement on cars with the 500 front end though (I have a pre-cat with a later front)
I have both a full sized plate for MOTs etc and a 3/4 size plate for general use. There is about 5deg difference with the 3/4 plate fitted and I even notice a difference again when I 'forget' to fit it.
My front plates are fitted with velcro BTW, you wouldn't believe they would stay put but they do. So if cooling is your issue fit a 3/4 plate with velcro, you have nothing to lose.

Edited by Barreti on Monday 16th June 09:18

Thanks Ian. Wise council. A lora, lora work with piano hinge then! My cooling fans take significantly longer to switch on if the regular legal number plate is taken off.
Also on one occasion when at 70mph in my beloved Griff, the bonnet started to rise up indicating more cooling air getting through the radiator. Stupidly I had not locked the bonnet down proper. Luckily on this occasion I was able to save myself, the bonnet and the Griff by pulling onto the hard shoulder to fix.
With the number plate on this did not happen at 100 plus even when the bonnet was not locked down on quite a few times. Honest, don't try this at home!

I'm experimenting now with a fabricated number plate which has horizontal louveres which which hinge open at 50-70 mph with the wind. Will send a picture when I get back from the dentist.

[RichB]

carsy said:

The splitter imo is purely for helping with the cooling.

It's a funny one this because having been on Pistonheads since it's inception (and before) this has been discussed numerous time and each time there are as many died in the wool TVR People say it's for stability as for cooling. My car has one, always had since it was new, and I've never knocked it off. I've driven at over 150mph with no problems and neither does it overheat! Take your pick I suppose.

[spend]

RichB said:

...It's a funny one this because having been on Pistonheads since it's inception (and before) this has been discussed numerous time and each time there are as many died in the wool TVR People say it's for stability as for cooling. ..

I think you have to be careful how you read 'stability', certainly in the case of the larger Chim bonnet it is more STABLE and I've heard Griff owners comment about the bonnet movement although reasonably rare.

Seeing the front end (bonnet) shake about or be 'still' at high speeds does lend itself to using the term stability, whether the steering is affected or not IYSWIM.

[griffdude]

I paid £6 from B&Q for 4 splitters (ok, it was 1 length of guttering).

[EGB]

It works for some cooling in v hot weather and saves fan over action. However, it's another lora work to make, it does not look nice, is not legal (will puzzle the cops) and cleaning the flyes off is another lora work. Mad, mad.

Perhaps a better idea on a Japanese Griff was a hinged number plate. It hinged horizontal with wind at some speed allowing unimpeded radiator air flow then returned to normal when stationary. It can be done with some engineering skill, and a lora patience.

Options: 1. 3/4 size number plate. 2. Bonnet stick on plate. 3. Japanese idea? 4. Plastic guttering. (slow down over speed bumps)

Closed


Open

Edited by EGB on Monday 16th June 12:45

[carsy]

griffdude said:

I paid £6 from B&Q for 4 splitters (ok, it was 1 length of guttering).

Snap. Had the odd scrape but not knocked off yet. Can honestly say it runs it cooler during the warmer weather and also brings the temp back down a lot lot quicker after being in standing traffic.

Fitted location wise as per Pete`s in this thread.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=...