Filled or cut-out vents?
Discussion
The red and yellow car-show Sagaris stopped at a zebra crossing for me last night in Berkeley Square. Is the owner a PHer?
There was no feathering of the loud pedal to excite the ears (the engine sounded like it was running very smoothly) but the car looked fantastic - so much better in the flesh than the various pictures I have seen.
I was particularly taken by brutality of the cut-out vents. I understand that they did originally serve a purpose (cooling/aerodynamics) but that developments in the design made them obsolete.
Would it be possible/advisable to have the vents cut out on a new car, even if they do not open into the cavity below (i.e. a hole with some black mesh behind which would give the appearance of the vents having some purpose?
There was no feathering of the loud pedal to excite the ears (the engine sounded like it was running very smoothly) but the car looked fantastic - so much better in the flesh than the various pictures I have seen.
I was particularly taken by brutality of the cut-out vents. I understand that they did originally serve a purpose (cooling/aerodynamics) but that developments in the design made them obsolete.
Would it be possible/advisable to have the vents cut out on a new car, even if they do not open into the cavity below (i.e. a hole with some black mesh behind which would give the appearance of the vents having some purpose?
I still don't understand why this is not an option.Its available for the track spec car.
I just don't buy the argument that road dirt and debris exiting at the top is a problem - an underplate with offset slots or a mesh would prevent any damage from debris and as for dirt and rainwater well so what! -when dirty it would look like a race car,and you wouldn't let it stay dirty for long would you!!!
I can well understand its a relatively high cost to cut out the slots- they are not designed to be easily machined even with a CNC rig- bit of a design goof IMHO, but they do it for the track spec car so why not offer it as a cost option.
While I on the rant-I also don't understand why they dropped the opening bonnet vents- if making them work reliably as an automatic option was a problem what's wrong with some driver involvement.
Spoils the car in my view.
I just don't buy the argument that road dirt and debris exiting at the top is a problem - an underplate with offset slots or a mesh would prevent any damage from debris and as for dirt and rainwater well so what! -when dirty it would look like a race car,and you wouldn't let it stay dirty for long would you!!!
I can well understand its a relatively high cost to cut out the slots- they are not designed to be easily machined even with a CNC rig- bit of a design goof IMHO, but they do it for the track spec car so why not offer it as a cost option.
While I on the rant-I also don't understand why they dropped the opening bonnet vents- if making them work reliably as an automatic option was a problem what's wrong with some driver involvement.
Spoils the car in my view.
nubbin said:
The vents were to prevent air pressure building up in the wheel arches when racing, but had the side effect of spewing muddy road water all over the wings - this was felt to be a little too hardcore for road use, so the vents are now filled in.
It was time consuming - too many hours added to build. No other reason.
sideways mostly said:
Thanks Daftlad-thats what I had assumed.So its only money. Shame its not an option. How persuadable are Blackpool,in an "oops did we really fit the racing option by mistake that'll be anothe 3 grand don't tell anyone sir" kind of way?
I would supsect it depends on your dealers relationshp with the factory.
It's sad and surprising that TVR don't offer this as a mod by now www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?p=2&f=7&t=160170&h=0&hw=vents+mesh+cut
I did talk to a body shop I know very well (for the right and wrong reasons.... opps...) about cutting out the vents. I decided not to go for a Sagaris in the end... but if you take a car there he'll give you a price once he sees the car in the flesh.
They are the Lotus factory bodyshop for the South so know lots about plastic cars...
www.specialisedpaintwork.co.uk
Ask for Karl.
They are the Lotus factory bodyshop for the South so know lots about plastic cars...
www.specialisedpaintwork.co.uk
Ask for Karl.
speedyellow said:
I did talk to a body shop I know very well (for the right and wrong reasons.... opps...) about cutting out the vents. I decided not to go for a Sagaris in the end... but if you take a car there he'll give you a price once he sees the car in the flesh.
They are the Lotus factory bodyshop for the South so know lots about plastic cars...
www.specialisedpaintwork.co.uk
Ask for Karl.
I've used these guys before on my old Chimaera - did a good job.
Just stumbled onto this thread and was interested in the view that the vents need to be opened.... i would have thought that the weakening of the wings (GRP does stress crack) and the constant crud being thrown up would have been a good enough reason to close them off without softening the dramatic visual appeal.
If the opening of the vents is just for visual reasons, why not have some matt-black stickers made to give the impresion of open grilles. This was done sucessfully IMHO at the back of the Tamora under to boot lip and works especially well on lighter coloured cars.
Would be much cheaper and reversible
If the opening of the vents is just for visual reasons, why not have some matt-black stickers made to give the impresion of open grilles. This was done sucessfully IMHO at the back of the Tamora under to boot lip and works especially well on lighter coloured cars.
Would be much cheaper and reversible
The Surveyor said:
I would have thought that the weakening of the wings
See previous thread - no weakening of the wings is necessary, you could even strengthen them with the vents if you were worried.
The Surveyor said:
The constant crud being thrown up would have been a good enough reason to close them.
I doubt whether much would get past the tray and mesh. Cars do get dirty in the rain anyway.
The Surveyor said:
If the opening of the vents is just for visual reasons.
It should at the very least relieve pressure in the wheel arches.
Just a suggestion........ not trying to turn the stunning Sagaris into something naff or cheap.
Just a way of making the fake scoops look more purposefull to the casual observer. I would be very supprised if any Sagaris driver would ever find a situation where the car actually needs the vents for performance, so if its purely cosmetic, fake it.... just think of them as an automotive Wonderbra.
Just a way of making the fake scoops look more purposefull to the casual observer. I would be very supprised if any Sagaris driver would ever find a situation where the car actually needs the vents for performance, so if its purely cosmetic, fake it.... just think of them as an automotive Wonderbra.
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