cut my front bumper with sawzall

[bmoha2]

I am planning on later on using the 2Gb for light holes for vents to the front brakes. I made these block off plates out of sheet metal aluminum and radiused them so they match the curve of the front clip when seen from above. Right now they are painted black but I might paint them the same color as the front clip. Later on when I make these into vents for brake ducts I will just cut a three inch hole in the center of them and weld on a short length of three inch aluminum tubing. I have too many other projects going on right now to be able to cut, fit and weld them up.

[bmoha2]

I made a really simple deflector for the front clip out of 1/8th inch thick aluminum sheetmetal. It's pretty burly and doesn't get moved by the wind so far. I made the single bend in it and then cut it to fit the opening. I used a drill that is made for small spaces to drill the six holes into the top of the front crossbar to mount it. I used SS self tapping screws to bolt it down. I lost the front deflector that came with the car along time ago and the 2Gb front clip didn't come with one. I didn't like the idea of air coming in and just smacking into the front of the lower crossbeam. Now the air comes in and gets directed right to the radiator. Seems to work pretty well.

[bmoha2]

A while back I hit a minivan in a parking lot at low speed while distracted. It cracked my front bumper right in the middle. At that point I was pretty obvious that it wasn't doing anything to protect from impact. I used a sawzall to cut the middle section out. Then I used a section aluminum tubing to bridge the two pieces. The tubing is burly as all hell. The walls are 1/4 inch thick! I just dropped in a single bolt on each side. I cut a center section out of an aluminum dowel so that it doesn't crush and bolted it down tight. It may not be exactly right but it's better than nothing and even seemed to tighten up the front end of the Talon. That might just be in my head of course or wishful thinking.

[GrnZ]

You dont plan on using a Fmic or what??

[Lofty]

Hmm, looks like it needs to be sanded, but I actually like this look.
It probably works awesome for cooling, am I right?

[97 GSX 97]

Bye Bye FMIC.

[93_tsi_fwd]

Originally Posted by GrnZ

You dont plan on using a Fmic or what??

guess not. looks like he has an upgraded SMIC.(first picture)

[ATLDSM96]

why is your bumper support cut in half if you dont have a fmic? but that bar should work good, just thought it was weird that your support is cut up for no fmic

[ATLDSM96]

you have any pics?

[bmoha2]

Since I'm running the FP BigT28 turbo I don't really have a need for a FMIC. It would be kinda overkill for that turbo. The Hahn does a great job so far. I broke the bumper in half from that low speed accident. That's why I cut it in the first place. It does seem to work awesome for cooling. In general, I am really trying to promote and direct cooling airflow. I am planning on running this car at Blackhawk and Road America next year. The bar does seem to work really well and doesn't interfere with airflow to the radiator at all. I did this, the carbon trix hood vent, wrapped the SS DNP tubular exhaust manifold and made the deflector and put them on the car all at the same time. I'm also going to wrap the SS O2 sensor housing, it's dumptube and the SS 2.5 downpipe up to the flex section. I am also going to build a separator box for the intake filter to keep it from engine bay heat and I was even thinking of Making a hood scoop in the passenger side front corner of the hood that directs air right at the intake filter.

[bmoha2]

I had two pics posted last night.

[meliketoball]

Keekee nice ram for the air to flow into your radiator.

[bmoha2]

tonight I am building the sides to it to close in the sides and force the airflow directly only to the radiator. Just more sheetmetal aluminum that will be riveted.

[spooling 1g]

How are the covers held in?

[manny correa]

those are nice!!! paint matched ftw..

[manny correa]

pic???

[91PlymouthLaser]

pic or death!!! thread death that is

[Defiant]

Please do not post a picture. I do not want bad dreams.

[bmoha2]

for what reason I don't know. Pictures are in my other post: made a simple set of fog light block off plates.

[bmoha2]

I guess someone doesn't want my pictures posted. Pictures are in my other post made a simple set of fog light block off plates.

[bmoha2]

But I went back over and fiberglassed them in.

[Defiant]

No one's taking off your pictures. But I did wad all these into one post.

[bmoha2]

She's not pretty but very functional and burly. I attached the sides of the shroud with SS sheetmetal screws. All the hardware you see is SS. I made a cardboard pattern and then cut out the shape with snips leaving tabs to attach to the spoiler I made. I painted both sides of each panel with primer and then two coats black so as not to be an eyesore.

[bmoha2]

now the Talon looks like a sucker fish I am also modifying the front clip at the same time. I think taking out the ribbing in the center section is a good mod for any of the turbo DSMs.

[knochgoon24]

I like the sheet metal shroud. I might do that sometime here.

[TSG59_Steve]

That looks really good.

[324vr4]

WOW...you did a very nice job on that...looks like you will see results with such an install...you have any numbers before hand on where your needle pointed and any afterwards?! Be interested to see how much improvement you see! Either way good job buddy!

[bmoha2]

Thanks guys
All I have to go on is my hand and the stock temperature gauge. Before, you could have cooked eggs on the hood of the Talon. I did all these things at the same time and it really seems to help. I put the Carbon trix vent into the hood, wrapped the SS DNP exhaust manifold with DEI wrap, fabricated the radiator shroud and filled in my fog light holes. The intake side of the engine bay is noticeably cooler. The turbo is spooling up faster. Mostly I think that is because of the DEI wrap. The spoiler part of the radiator shroud is really burly and does seem to be producing some downforce. That is, the front end seems a bit more planted. Might be my imagination but I think it is helping a bit. Before I did all this, the engine bay used to get really hot. Mostly because of the SS DNP exhaust manny. That sucker really kicks off some heat. Now the heat really seems to be much more localized just around the manny, turbo, downpipe and dumptube. I am also planning on wrapping the SS tubular O2 sensor housing, it's dumptube and the SS 2.5" SS Buschur racing downpipe up to the flex section. After everything is wrapped, I'm going to hi temp silicon spray all of it. I've heard really good things about that high temp spray prolonging the lifespan of the thermal wrap. Before the stock temp gauge always sat at dead level. Now it definitively has a dip to it. Not a huge difference but I guess my goal is not so much to reduce regular operating temp as it is to reduce air intake temps. I bet that my air intake temps have dropped 20 degrees or better. It doesn't even feel hot on that front corner of the engine bay now. I am still planning on making a air intake separator to cool intake temps even further. This car has never overheated and I want to keep it that way. I plan on doing the SCCA event at Blackhawk next year and Road of America if I can get the time off. I did quite a few pulls tonight at 17 psi and it ran clean as all hell! NO stuttering! No stumbling! Just smooth power delivery! I had been experiencing some issues with sporadic stumbling. Seems to be eliminated now. If I had it to do again I would have definitively bought that SS DNP exhaust manifold ceramic coated.
I also went thru the trouble of drilling out and retapping all four of the nuts that hold your front clip on. The ones above the corner markers. So now I can actually bolt my front clip on instead of using zipties!
I am glad I cut the ribbed section out of my front clip but I didn't like looking at the sides of the front opening afterwards. I didn't like the square cut it left on the sides of the front opening. I riveted on a couple of straight sheetmetal sections on the the sides of the front opening and fiberglassed them in. I have just roughed them in at this point but it came out pretty good.

[97 GSX 97]

You did a really good job but was it all necessary? I doubt it.

[bmoha2]

It's all aimed at high speed SCCA events for next year and all of it was done for very little money. The largest expenditure was for the Carbontrix hood vent. All the sheetmetal aluminum came from my work from signs that they discarded when they rebranded.