How-TO: DIY Ford Escort GT Grill Vents...
 

If your looking for a little extra cooling to maybe your radiator or an oil cooler that you recently mounted behind your bumper and don't want to fuss around with a naca duct and all the body work that goes along with it. Here is one viable solution in my opinion...

We need to combine this bumper:
http://i37.tinypic.com/2rm4bhu.jpg

With this:
http://i37.tinypic.com/bhzl8n.jpg

To get better efficiancy out of a setup like this:
http://i38.tinypic.com/ok4i94.jpg

Print out a life size picture of that grill. Decide how many slots you want and create a stencil.

My stencil is Located here:
"Save Target As"
When you got to print it just select size to fit entire page. The slots should print out around 3 3/4" long from tip to tip.

Next head over to the car and tape on the stencil. With a dry erase marker your going to color in your stencil and step back to make sure it is straight and in the proper location. (Notice the final cut bumper has grills slightly higher and over to the right more. That is the reason for the dry erase marker.)

http://i34.tinypic.com/2lo6iq9.jpg


Next step is to cut out the round edges with a 3/4" hole saw:
http://i36.tinypic.com/ih5fk0.jpg

Once that is completed, take a box cutter with brand new blade and begin to connect the holes:
http://i38.tinypic.com/nck38l.jpg
http://i36.tinypic.com/1yu3de.jpg

Take a peak inside and see where your cooler is and think about all the fresh air it will be getting:
http://i38.tinypic.com/16892y1.jpg

Finally color in the yellow that is left inside your newly formed holes with a paint marker of your choice. You could go body colored or black as i did.

After your done you should have something like this:
http://i36.tinypic.com/sfuk55.jpg

Good Luck and I'm not responsible if you cut your hand off or blow up your car...

Well I'll be damned.

RMM Grille would provide better airflow though:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...icEGT/egtx.jpg

Haha, ya i guess it would but that would look ridiculus on a miata...

now the question is does it really flow air in. Remember TSI do nothing

That will be tested once the car can actually drive. What about a leaf blower at about 8ft. and some ribbon on the back of the oil cooler?

(I respectfully remove the contents of this post)

that sir, looks pretty good. post up your stencil! I may do this...

I personally think the vents will need to be bigger. Maybe only a little. Either that, or throw one or two more in the lineup. What's the overall area of those vents? Calculate how much air would travel through them at 50-75mph. Would turbulence or tumbling pockets of air become an issue? I wonder about pressure build-up outside of vents that size, and how it would effect the ability for air to pass through.

In case the few of you that posted pics of different styles of vents didn't notice. This is a DIY for an Escort GT grill. I took the time to take pics and make a small writeup. Please have some respect and keep it on topic. I would appreciate a post edit to remove the pics. You can create another thread with pictures off any car you please. Theories on flow characteristics and criticism are welcome.

Thank you

First, I have two things to say. Props for having the balls to cut on your bumper. Second, it looks a lot better than I thought it would. Looks pretty damn good actually.

Only thing I would have done different would be to put more of them closer together. It may not look as good, but it would function better. Maybe add a few more. Dumb, but I think it would look better with an odd number of slots.

You might also try doing a little duct work or shielding to increase flow through the oil cooler. Or test it and see if there's a problem before trying to come up with a solution. It may be just fine.

You cut 4 holes in your bumper. How much explanation is really necessary? And who are you, the thread police? :eek5:

Updated first post with stencil... If you don't have anything use full to say STFU and stop padding your post count. (SloS13)

Thanks "supercharger boy"

I simply suggested my idea, which would also be simple DIY, depending on your vent choice and level of intricacy. No need to have 18 people post 18 different threads on their own vent design. Better to consolidate it and let people decide which style they want.

This is a DIY thread with instructions on how to make ONE specific style vent. Its not a thread seeing who can work google images better and find pictures of vents...

The OP didn't start this thread asking for 18 opinions on what the best vent would be. This is a DIY how to thread. A write up. Now he said he's open to criticism and all that. So it's a fine line. But the OP has now made it clear he wasn't looking for examples of what others did. He's already done it anyways.

Just a note as far as function goes: those slots on the GT grille are there for looks, as we get airflow to the radiator from the opening in the front bumper. Even the RMM grille that I posted has only a negligible effect on cooling- temps are the same with both grilles, and with or without the FMIC.

Maybe in stock form the grill doesn't do anything. But if you where to remove your radiator and mount an oil cooler directly behind the grill then replace the radiator you would have a better idea of how my setup is now and see it's effectiveness. ;)

+ 1 for Patsmx5. It looks a whole lot better than I imagined from the early pics. Will be interesting to see if it functions. I, like many here, put function just ahead of form. Works great but is butt ugly doesn't cut it with me. Looks great but just works OK, nope.

Looks good works better is the right balance. I hope your's works great. Good job having the nerve to do it. I keep doing stuff easily reversible but that only takes you so far.

Intuition means nothing when it comes to aerodynamics. This is proven by how horrible the 928 was years ago. That said. I think your vents should function better than those on the Escort. My thinking is the escort grill is almost vertical. Air just smashes into it and goes around. Your placement is more laid back. I would think the less disturbed air would be more likely to flow into your cutouts. Also wouldn't be creating quite as high pressure area behind the openings.

I'm an old hand at cutting bumpers. I also cut the rear skirt off my rear bumper but never took any detailed pictures of it. I just can't wait to get this thing back on the road. Thanks for the praise guys.

Think putting some sort of black screen or mesh behind it would be well advised? I just dont want any rocks going in and finding my tbelt seeing as im using the ricer protege valve cover on my next setup...

I removed the pics and post.

My personal opinion as long as were being honest here: These vents can't possibly be that functional as is. They look like cooling vents. That's where I think their function ends. They cover the area of a Large drink lid from Mc Donald's. If they were to be functional, they'd have to cover the bumper from headlight to headlight. Otherwise, they're aesthetic. The vents need to be A: bigger, or B: more plentiful, to see real benefits.

Holding a leaf blower 8 feet from the vents isn't going to prove anything. You need a big warehouse fan, moving air over the entire front of the car. Why? Because when the car is traveling through the air at 40+mph, there are high and low pressure zones created, even inside the bumper area. Something as simple as pressure build-up in front of the rad is going to kill this effectiveness of 4 little vents on the nose. Also, if you were to flow enough air through a vent in the nose, it'd need to be a lot bigger than that.

On the flip side: Its nice to see someone attempting to improve cooling on the car. I think various vent designs should be tested, but at least you're making a move at it. They don't look bad, or really out of place, but I guess even if they did, they'd go right along with your tow hook, sticker and modified rear bumper. Looks like you enjoy being a little different. I think the idea has validity. I just think the execution should be planned out a little more.