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Corvette Mods (www.corvettemods.com) is one vendor. (Be prepared to pay a lot for the good-looking one. In my opinion, the "cheap" $89 one doesn't look very good.)
I used this excellent write up as a guide and did my own. Maybe a couple of hours of work and a few bucks for screening and epoxy, and no extra cost/hassle for painting.
Here's a direct link to marco383's post. Will save you a few clicks and searches. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...cover-mod.html
I did this to my car as well, primary difference being that since I have a white car, I used white molding material. Makes it almost look like factory. Got my cover from a member here for $30, about $15 in materials (epoxy glue from WW, screen from ebay) and have about $50 total in mine. Here's how it turned out.
This might be a dumb question but does this get more air to the air intake or just help to cool the engine bay?
IMO, if you have any front central intake (all but Callaway and Vararam?) it will allow more air to both. If you have any sort of (inter)cooler up there, big advantage. A non-FI motor will probably gain very little.
But... it looks very cool, and makes you think / feel like it's quicker.
i didnt take pics and video, because quite honestly i dont care to convince a bunch of people on forums what works or doesnt, but i did measure my IAT before/after and there was a very appreciable difference. my intake is right behind the thing, though. i have TrackSpec hood louvers and my oil and intake temps both fell dramatically with these two together.
and i have the halltech plate, and honestly i think the cut up factory cover looks far better. may not have quite the velocity stack style shape, but i honestly cant see that mattering significantly.
i didnt take pics and video, because quite honestly i dont care to convince a bunch of people on forums what works or doesnt, but i did measure my IAT before/after and there was a very appreciable difference. my intake is right behind the thing, though. i have TrackSpec hood louvers and my oil and intake temps both fell dramatically with these two together.
and i have the halltech plate, and honestly i think the cut up factory cover looks far better. may not have quite the velocity stack style shape, but i honestly cant see that mattering significantly.
Why not share with the forum? I for one would like to see your results (including pictures), it's why we're here.
Why not share with the forum? I for one would like to see your results (including pictures), it's why we're here.
if it wasnt dark i'd take more pics.. i tried a "color matching" yellow, and apparently the confused "millennium yellow" with "1984 Pinto that's sat outside for 32 years" yellow so I usually do a plasti dip stripe that covers it, but here's what it looks like now.
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-
'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Here is a pic of my front license plate mod. I do have to run a front plate but I use this one for car shows. If you don't have to use a front plate, it would allow more air to flow through if you opened up the area behind the cover.
Wow, 3 paint schemes in one. I'd like to see a close up of the air intake, looks good.
What's powering the Nova? Looks quick...
Sold the Nova when I moved, but it was a sprayed 383. made ~580rwhp on a bottle and piddly without it. i was going to LS swap and turbo it if i didnt sell it. will build another one next year.
and yea, heh, my paint schemes are all plasti dip or autoflex so i play around when i have the time. i think ill restripe it this winter when i rebuild it for next season.
Originally Posted by Vetteman Jack
Here is a pic of my front license plate mod. I do have to run a front plate but I use this one for car shows. If you don't have to use a front plate, it would allow more air to flow through if you opened up the area behind the cover.
i love that you kept the vette logo in the center, thats good stuff.
Did anyone use a template for the hole to cut, (love the corvette name left in the middle), what was your procedure Vettman Jack, also what type of epoxy works the best.
And main reason I want to do it is not for looks but I have a maggie intercooler there, and figured it would help a little.
Did anyone use a template for the hole to cut, (love the corvette name left in the middle), what was your procedure Vettman Jack, also what type of epoxy works the best.
And main reason I want to do it is not for looks but I have a maggie intercooler there, and figured it would help a little.
Thanks folks , appreciate the input and help
it definitely helped, but the hood vents helped 5x's more (or at least the combo of the two did). pretty sure with the under hood area becoming a high pressure pocket, it doesnt move as much air as it looks like it would.
if you have major cooling issues, hop over to the road racing forums and look at the modified front fascias, or the fascias converted over to be front breathers instead of bottom scoopers.
but you definitely cant go wrong for the $50 this costs - and it just looks damn cool to me
it definitely helped, but the hood vents helped 5x's more (or at least the combo of the two did). pretty sure with the under hood area becoming a high pressure pocket, it doesnt move as much air as it looks like it would.
if you have major cooling issues, hop over to the road racing forums and look at the modified front fascias, or the fascias converted over to be front breathers instead of bottom scoopers.
but you definitely cant go wrong for the $50 this costs - and it just looks damn cool to me
No cooling problems, also have a Dewitts radiator with oil cooler and Spal fan system, vehicle never gets above 192 in the heat out here.
did you use a specific epoxy to hold the mesh to the fiberglass plate frame.
No cooling problems, also have a Dewitts radiator with oil cooler and Spal fan system, vehicle never gets above 192 in the heat out here.
did you use a specific epoxy to hold the mesh to the fiberglass plate frame.
i did.. but now i cant remember what the hell it was. if nobody else here answers, ill call the body shop that told me what to use ~5 years ago when i did this.
Did anyone use a template for the hole to cut, (love the corvette name left in the middle), what was your procedure Vettman Jack, also what type of epoxy works the best.
And main reason I want to do it is not for looks but I have a maggie intercooler there, and figured it would help a little.
Thanks folks , appreciate the input and help
I did not use a template. I used a standard #2 pencil that I held steady and traced a line about 1" or so from the edge using a method that I used to use when doing woodwork. You simply hold the pencil steady with your thumb and first and/or second fingers, then use either your second or third fingers as the "base" which lays over the edge of the license plate cover and then just go around the cover. Take a look at your line after your done and make any corrections or adjustments if your eyes don't like the current pattern. If you don't like it at all, erase it and start over. Its only a pencil mark. Once I had a line/pattern I liked, I then cut it out with a utility razor knife with a new blade. As for epoxy glue, I got one of those double plunger epoxy glues at WW where you press both plungers to get an equal amount of each. Mixed it up and turned the plate upside down and then glued a "spot" down. If I remember correctly, I had 6 or 7 spots that I glued down. Each of the 4 corners, a couple at the top and one at the bottom in the center. I used a light weight clamp to hold the screen to the plate and then let each spot dry before going to the next one. Overall process took several days but I wasn't in any hurry. Hope that helps.
PS. I ordered the white molding from the auction site. I was able to get about 6' for $10 shipped. Glue was $5 or $6 at WW. Screen came from auction site as well. For the screen I used, I searched for Stainless Steel 304 Mesh #4 .047 Wire Cloth Screen. There's a guy in Louisiana that will cut em to custom size and has free shipping. Screen was like $11 shipped.
09-25-2016, 08:09 AM
