85 Stalker

I've searched far and wide for an A/O Forced Air Inlet plate, that is one item that has become very scarce. With my car the plate opening is cut out for the intercooler and Co2 spray bar. For a long time I had a black screen mesh with a plate frame.

For this project this is materials list I started with:

1. Wide base plastic plate frame
2. SMC dual inlet brake duct inlet
3. Apoxie black sculpting compound
4. JB PlasticWeld Epoxy
5. Bondo glazing Spot Putty
6. Bulldog Adhesion Promoter
7. Duplicolor primer

The pictures tell the process - marry the two parts together with epoxy, shape the inlet with Apoxie, sand, spot fill with putty, sand and repeat. It took a lot of investigation to find the correct way to marry SMC with ABS plastic. This is very important if you plan to do this.

I applied three thin coats of adhesion promoter before priming. I can see some small defects, once it is dry I will fill them with repair putty and sand/prime again. I'm posting this while I wait for the primer to dry.....

I've not decided if I will color match or paint matte black.

The inlet plate with be attached to the car with rare earth magnets, I will post pictures of that once I'm at that point.

Let me know if you have any questions.

BV85

85 Stalker If you should happen to make an extra one I'd like first dips at it. If not to expansive. TIA

85 Stalker

BV85 = I will not do another one - this is a one and done project. Give it a shot, for materials not including paint I'm at around $45 (for the plate, compound, epoxy and putty); not too difficult to do but many hours of labor. I'll help walk you through it if you want. Making your own is about the only option for getting an A/O style plate at the moment.

This is the primer after the first 600 wet sand, very smooth at this point. After I fix a couple small pinholes and shallow scratches I noticed in the pictures I may just leave it since I know I will wet sand after the first topcoat application. The camera shows all, surprised I did not see the little pinholes in the shop!!!!

85 Stalker

Just ordered the Duplicolor rattle can base/clear -- we'll see how close it is.............

383vett

Nice work. I missed something, What was wrong with the original opening shown in the top picture on the left?

85 Stalker

The dual inlet is too small to bridge the opening of the plate area -- so I grafted it to the plastic frame.

rocco16

Wouldn't it have been easier/quicker/cheaper to just make a "plate frame" with an opening to match the inlet opening????
The end result would have been cleaner.....

85 Stalker

I think this will flow well with the front end, it should be a clean look. If not, back to the drawing board

85 Stalker

The plate turned out pretty good with the DupliColor paint. Not an exact match, but close enough for now -- the mica went down a little different so the flop is not an exact match to the bumper. I put down five coats of clear and will wet sand it next week after the paint hardness a little more.

I'll post some photos on how it mounts in the opening with the rare earth magnets next week.

pologreen1

Very nice, also very surprised if this is a mod for performance that you left the center in there, it looks like a big obstruction of air, but maybe helps velocity?

85 Stalker

Should move plenty of air focused directly to the spray bar and intercooler. If I need to open it up a little more that will be real easy to remove the center section and bridge it with an aluminum funnel design. Each of the opening are 3 1/2 inches.

mazdaverx7

That came out VERY nice! Job well done!

85 Stalker

I forgot to post a picture of the inlet plate on the car, I'll get some better pictures once the car comes out of storage. Paint is a 95% match, but close enough for now. It is held on with rare earth magnets. I need to finish some duct work to the intercooler.

ghlkal

Very nice work.

I'm looking forward to more pics

85 Stalker

Looking at the picture I need to paint the aluminum mesh gloss black - so that it better matches the other bumper mesh (right now it is satin black).

gman35

You are right.. they are rare and i ended yp taking a 84-90 model Forced air induction plate and reworking it too fit my 991-96 front bumper. It came out perfect but I was very esitant to mod it too fit my bumper. Here is a pic of my other project, I molded a 1978 camaro scoop onto a C4 hood.
I may never use it,, but wjat the heck it was a spare hood