Gee, thanks for reminding me.

 

The stock radiator shroud has slots (left side) to direct/allow fresh air from the front of the car to enter the OEM airbox. This makes it part of the 'intake system'. Also, the ABS radiator shroud could in no way could be considered structural.

My belief is that removing the radiator shroud and adding the AUX Cooling Plate would fall under replacing part of the air intake system.

Again the key word here is 'system' (an assemblage or combination of things or parts forming a complex or unitary whole)

14. STREET TOURING CATEGORY
14.10 ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
C. The air intake system up to, but not including, the engine inlet may be
modified or replaced. The engine inlet is the throttle body, carburetor,
compressor inlet, or intake manifold, whichever comes first. The
existing structure of the car may not be modified for the passage of
ducting from the air cleaner to the engine inlet. Holes may be drilled
for mounting. Emissions or engine management components in the
air intake system, such as a PCV valve, or mass airflow sensor, may
not be removed, modified, or replaced, and must retain their original
function along the flow path.

 

Shoot, using that logic, I can swap the bumper since it had openings that bring air into the engine bay.

Seriously? What does Honda call that part? Its not part of the intake, regardless ofthe fact that it's design lets the intake do its job.

 

I agree with mLeach. The fact that you can convince yourself that a part's legal doesn't mean a protest committee will necessarily agree. Whenever you put a part on your car that requires creative rules interpretation to consider legal, you're taking a risk. Whether that risk is worth taking is up to you, but I certainly wouldn't take it for a cooling plate.

Note that all of the above refers to national-level competition. At local events, rules enforcement tends to be more casual -- for an innocuous part like a cooling plate, I'd just talk to your competitors beforehand to ensure they know about it and are ok with it.

 

Ummm, Honda calls it "PLATE, AIR GUIDE"

 

Could someone write a letter and post up what they say? Calling it a "plate air guide" from Honda makes it questionable.

 

It's not about convincing myself a part is legal. It's about understanding the function of the design of the radiator cowl. It is specifically designed to direct air into the airbox, hence Honda calling it an Air Guide Plate. It functions as part of the air intake system.

Though I agree, since even some S2000 owners don't seem to understand it's function, I doubt a protest committee would.

 

First of all, what the part is called in the manufacturer's documentation has been stated to be irrelevant (by the SEB in a prior clarification) -- it is the actual function of the part that is important.

I think that if the part is physically separate from the intake tract, it's not an ironclad defense to claim that it's part of the intake system because it directs fresh air into the vicinity of the air inlet.

Modifying or replacing a part that serves two functions, especially when you're basing the modification's legality on the secondary function, is at best a grey area.

 

As if the giant hole in the front of the car that seamlessly blends into this "plate, air guide" is there only to facilitate a small surface for which a few slots are provided to allow a tiny amount of fresh air near the combustion air intake....

Right.

I would suppose that the primary function of this plate is to direct air into the RADIATOR. I would also suppose that a cooling plate does nothing and might possibly hurt performance.

 

I agree that the primary function is to direct air through the radiator and some holes to allow some air to flow to the intake. The result being that you cannot remove or modify this existing plate.