C3 wheel well vents
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 8
Likes: 3
From: Palo Cedro, CA
C3 wheel well vents
Has anyone tried converting the engine bay vents to let out air from the wheel wells? The car tries to take a trip into orbit after you hit 120 and I know venting positive pressure in the wheel wells can help with handling in the higher speeds. I know the vents are used to cool the engine bay and shouldn’t be tampered with unless you want to overheat, but if you had vents somewhere else such as the hood to handle that, would it not be beneficial to vent the wheel wells there? It seems like the perfect place considering (on the 75 at least) they are only a few inches from the back of the wheel well and could very easily be modified to vent them. Has someone attempted this before or has nobody done it because it won’t work?
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 13,258
Likes: 7,847
From: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
If your car is lifting at a buck twenty. You probably have your stance wrong.
Rear end should sit a minimum of a half inch higher than the front end.
Other than that, I'd be looking at your suspension set-up.
Rear end should sit a minimum of a half inch higher than the front end.
Other than that, I'd be looking at your suspension set-up.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,716
Likes: 281
From: New York
Good advice! Set your D height / Z height.The only other advice I can give is that air under the car as you describe can cause lift. The solution may be an air dam. Spoilers and vents in the front fenders are prettier. But an air dam that prevents air from getting air from getting under the car. The lift you feel is well known for C2 and C3. I think Duntov said something like they had just enough lift to make them a bad airplane (something like that).
