Gone is the grille
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 11,331
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From: seattle
I wasn't going to post because I did two things at once and cannot say for certain about any one change and it's results but here goes...
I installed an idi carbon fiber snorkle and removed my Grille-Tech front piece.
Throttle response is dramatically better at the lower end of the power band. I've had to "recalibrate" my right foot - I've been giving the car too much throttle!
Top end? No idea if it helps or hurts - but it certainly feels good. I can say with 100% certainty that the car feels much better down low.
It's been pretty warm in Seattle and even in horrible stop and go traffic that used to cause the car to bog somewhat... the engine seems much happier now.
my .02
I installed an idi carbon fiber snorkle and removed my Grille-Tech front piece.
Throttle response is dramatically better at the lower end of the power band. I've had to "recalibrate" my right foot - I've been giving the car too much throttle!
Top end? No idea if it helps or hurts - but it certainly feels good. I can say with 100% certainty that the car feels much better down low.
It's been pretty warm in Seattle and even in horrible stop and go traffic that used to cause the car to bog somewhat... the engine seems much happier now.
my .02
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Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Land of the landeaus
I didn't dyno the car after the recent work but hope to soon. Because this is a flow issue, I used my Tazzo to do some runs and the difference without the grille was noteable. 40-90mph in 3rd gear, especially. The higher the speeds the more I noticed the difference between having it off and on. Had the car up to 140mph
testing out the canards and there was a huge difference above 100mph.
testing out the canards and there was a huge difference above 100mph.
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 11,288
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From: Hopedale, MA
What things did you change before you did the butt dyno? What kind of intake do you have?
Also you said the with the fan you could feel/see the difference so if the Grilles are so bad you should see the difference on the dyno. Personally I doubt its going to make a difference anyone will ever notice off the track. On the track sure you need as much flow as possible but honestly I doubt people driving on the street will ever notice the benefits, instead they'll end up with a radiator half the fins crushed.
Also you said the with the fan you could feel/see the difference so if the Grilles are so bad you should see the difference on the dyno. Personally I doubt its going to make a difference anyone will ever notice off the track. On the track sure you need as much flow as possible but honestly I doubt people driving on the street will ever notice the benefits, instead they'll end up with a radiator half the fins crushed.
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Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Land of the landeaus
A Tazzo isn't a butt dyno.http://tazzo.com/
Tell you what....you keep yours on, I'll keep mine off and we'll both be happy. Better yet, take yours off and place it in front of your face in between you and an industrial fan blowing 40mph and tell me those of us who have removed it can't notice the difference. How you can look at that metal grille and think flow isn't diminished baffles me. Why would someone need to only be on a track to notice the difference? 80mph is 80mph be it at Laguna Seca or I95 north. Why would something that would make the car run better at the track not be good for the car at those same high speeds away from it? If you took the grille off and came back and told me your own accelerometer runs proved no gains, then I would suspect you don't have an open air intake or one where the filter is sitting low, away from the grille opening. I have a Comptech air chamber S2000 CAI tube attached to a Racing Akimoto Series III filter (thread posted in photo forum two weeks ago). Lots of research and trial and error went into making that intake and it's been my best to date. Removing this grille was one of the CLEAREST mods I have ever done that showed increase in performance...other than putting on these 13.5-lb wheels. Remember, earlier I said it probably wouldn't be much difference for those with AEM or INJEN-style intakes.
Tell you what....you keep yours on, I'll keep mine off and we'll both be happy. Better yet, take yours off and place it in front of your face in between you and an industrial fan blowing 40mph and tell me those of us who have removed it can't notice the difference. How you can look at that metal grille and think flow isn't diminished baffles me. Why would someone need to only be on a track to notice the difference? 80mph is 80mph be it at Laguna Seca or I95 north. Why would something that would make the car run better at the track not be good for the car at those same high speeds away from it? If you took the grille off and came back and told me your own accelerometer runs proved no gains, then I would suspect you don't have an open air intake or one where the filter is sitting low, away from the grille opening. I have a Comptech air chamber S2000 CAI tube attached to a Racing Akimoto Series III filter (thread posted in photo forum two weeks ago). Lots of research and trial and error went into making that intake and it's been my best to date. Removing this grille was one of the CLEAREST mods I have ever done that showed increase in performance...other than putting on these 13.5-lb wheels. Remember, earlier I said it probably wouldn't be much difference for those with AEM or INJEN-style intakes.