Chimaera cabin heat soak
Discussion
Hot day yesterday, out for a run to Dungeness and pretty much boiled alive in the driver's footwell. HCV is fine, because fan on full with HCV set to cold and I have two tiny asthmatic dwarfs blowing cold air out of the vents in front of the gear stick and from the screen vents. None of which has the slightest cooling effect on my lobster-like legs!
Now I am hoping someone is going to tell me that part of the problem might be the missing clutch MC domed cover on the O/S/F wing. Will this be letting copious amounts of under bonnet hot air through the wing into the cabin? Please say yes!
Other than that - any ideas? It really was quite unpleasant and uncomfortable - not something I'm keen to repeat too often!!
Now I am hoping someone is going to tell me that part of the problem might be the missing clutch MC domed cover on the O/S/F wing. Will this be letting copious amounts of under bonnet hot air through the wing into the cabin? Please say yes!
Other than that - any ideas? It really was quite unpleasant and uncomfortable - not something I'm keen to repeat too often!!
In the footwell next to your left knee, under the dash, is an extra vent you can open. It's a hole in the side of the tunnel inline with the centre air vents, with a rotating section you can push inward to open up (sort of like a throttle plate).
I'd say there will indeed be a lot of hot engine bay air coming in through that open clutch cover hole. If you don't have one, put some gaffa tape over it just as a test.
Also, the air flow through the vents should be reasonable albeit not a tornado. If you don't have much air flow you might have a pipe hanging off slightly. They are only loosely connected to the vents.
I'd say there will indeed be a lot of hot engine bay air coming in through that open clutch cover hole. If you don't have one, put some gaffa tape over it just as a test.
Also, the air flow through the vents should be reasonable albeit not a tornado. If you don't have much air flow you might have a pipe hanging off slightly. They are only loosely connected to the vents.
Harry Flatters said:
Shame about the extra cooling only being on early Chims. Pretty sure it's not there on my '98 Mk2 450.
Are the pipes getatable?
I have the secondary cold air fan on my car, it makes zero difference, you would be better having someone fan you from 60 ft away with their hand, it makes bugger all difference.Are the pipes getatable?
Hoping to have body off mine this year and I will be insulating the whole tunnel, it doesn't help that my fan heat and directional wheels seem to do absolutely nothing but blow hot air.
The cool air blower blows hot or hotter. Wearing shorts whilst driving in hot weather doesn’t help unless they are nasa spec heat deflectors.
The best outside temperature to drive these cars with the roof down is when it’s actually a bit nippy out.
Granted my car is a Griff but it’s basically the same as a chimaera. Used to be a regular question about 20 years back about lack of cold air through the vents.
Steel cars have the entire car to use as a heatsink, fibreglass insulates. Worse still when exhaust pipes have been wrapped to lower the under bonnet temperatures. Heat has to go somewhere so the remainder of the exhaust system gets hotter underneath near where you sit lol.
So long as your radiator is working properly and the engine stays off boil then you are doing well.
The best outside temperature to drive these cars with the roof down is when it’s actually a bit nippy out.
Granted my car is a Griff but it’s basically the same as a chimaera. Used to be a regular question about 20 years back about lack of cold air through the vents.
Steel cars have the entire car to use as a heatsink, fibreglass insulates. Worse still when exhaust pipes have been wrapped to lower the under bonnet temperatures. Heat has to go somewhere so the remainder of the exhaust system gets hotter underneath near where you sit lol.
So long as your radiator is working properly and the engine stays off boil then you are doing well.

All looking very much a case of TADTS.
I will sort the clutch M/C cover.
Even though I was cooking in the cabin and it was very hot outside, water temp never went over 90deg.
As a tailpiece to the day, it finished with my alternator frying it's coils, largely I think, as a result of being under rated for the aftermarket electric PAS pump.
They are a trial eh
I will sort the clutch M/C cover.
Even though I was cooking in the cabin and it was very hot outside, water temp never went over 90deg.
As a tailpiece to the day, it finished with my alternator frying it's coils, largely I think, as a result of being under rated for the aftermarket electric PAS pump.
They are a trial eh

Best times to drive are Winter, Spring & Autumn!
Had to drive my old 4.5 Chim to Le Mans with roof on, thru 2 x rush hour traffic, in hot sun, never again. Metal gear knob almost too hot to touch. Fair play to the car though, it never overheated.
Unless moving fast in summer with roof off, it got a bit too hot in reality to be comfortable. My 1989 S2 wasn't as bad.
Happy motoring, whenever you drive!
Had to drive my old 4.5 Chim to Le Mans with roof on, thru 2 x rush hour traffic, in hot sun, never again. Metal gear knob almost too hot to touch. Fair play to the car though, it never overheated.
Unless moving fast in summer with roof off, it got a bit too hot in reality to be comfortable. My 1989 S2 wasn't as bad.
Happy motoring, whenever you drive!
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