Top Flight Bracket mod for Ram air idea
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 941
Likes: 38
From: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Top Flight Bracket mod for Ram air idea
What does anyone think of the following idea? A big part of the ugliness of the stock plate mount is the large bracket itself. In order to get more direct air into any of the systems out there (vararam, vette air or others), what about cutting the bottom half of the top flight bracket off and mount the bottom of the plate to the new bottom of the the top flight bracket. This would put the top of the plate itself part way up the bumper area (bending and conforming the plate to be close) and open up half the area in the grille area that was previously being blocked.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 941
Likes: 38
From: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Just looked this over a little more. The location of the vette air specifically is pretty high in the grille area. So I would go as far as mounting the plate's bottom holes to the top screws in the top flight bracket (and cutting the rest of the bracket off). This leaves a sufficient space for air entry. Also looking closer at the bumper cover, it slopes back, so the plate is hanging out there a bit. I mocked it up, but the pictures didn't come out- I think it looks fine- not as good as the standard top flight location, but much better than the stock bracket.
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: La Habra CA
Been There Done That
I had my yellow Z at A&A's party this year and was asked about my half-way-up plate. No one else had a plate at all. I have been hasseled 3 times in my C5 Z for no front plate so I figured I had to put one on...don't need any excuses to pull me over.
Looks fine...and I intend to put a Vette-Aire in there.
Looks fine...and I intend to put a Vette-Aire in there.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 941
Likes: 38
From: Franklin Lakes, NJ
I had my yellow Z at A&A's party this year and was asked about my half-way-up plate. No one else had a plate at all. I have been hasseled 3 times in my C5 Z for no front plate so I figured I had to put one on...don't need any excuses to pull me over.
Looks fine...and I intend to put a Vette-Aire in there.
Looks fine...and I intend to put a Vette-Aire in there.
Thanks for the input. You did this on a Top Flight bracket ? And you went with aligning the bottom holes of the plate to the top holes in bracket? I'm going to install the vette air as low as possible and then look at possible drilling two new holes in my plate halfway between the existing top and bottom holes to minimize the amount of the plate that is just sitting up there .
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: La Habra CA
Lots of Ways to Skin that Cat
I turned the bracket upside down and cut about half of it off then used the standard plate holes. The bottom of the licence plate bolts through the hard rubber air splitter. Obviously there are many ways to achieve the plate sitting lower so the air can get into the vette-air.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 941
Likes: 38
From: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 3,604
Likes: 396
From: Austin, TX
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Drifting
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,549
Likes: 1
From: Roanoke Virginia
Turn the Top Flight bracket upside down, and mount it on the upper lip of the grill entrance. I did not measure IAT, but my ECT was 10* F lower for a given stretch of road vs normal position blocking the grill. My set up is a Vette-Air, DeWitts Radiator, 160* stat. Top Flight is a quality product.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 941
Likes: 38
From: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 941
Likes: 38
From: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Turn the Top Flight bracket upside down, and mount it on the upper lip of the grill entrance. I did not measure IAT, but my ECT was 10* F lower for a given stretch of road vs normal position blocking the grill. My set up is a Vette-Air, DeWitts Radiator, 160* stat. Top Flight is a quality product.
