I noticed that my Intake Air Temps (AIT) were really getting high with the stock intercooler and this hot weather. I was seeing a peak IAT of over 60*F above ambient. I had to get the hot air out. The cure: A pair of stainless steel bildge vents, a cutoff wheel, and black plastidip. In my eyes, the design matches the rat rod styling of the Wildebeest. The result quicker intercooler recovery, longer time before soak, and an average of 25*F lower AIT.

 

first 2 pictures do not work but the third one looks sick.

i think we need more info / pics of the car.

 

looks gnarly! Goes good with the flat army green color!

 

I tried 15 times to get it to work but this site doesn't like the links. You can copy and paste the URL to see them.

 

Looks sick!!! Suggestion, you should wrap the panels where the scuttles are with matte black.

 

that looks awesome.... one of the coolest minis i've seen!

 

I agree, gotta be one of the coolest looking Minis I've.
The vents fit right in (though they'd look terrible on any other car). Congratulations on having the ***** to cut holes in your stock hood.

Is the green vinyl or paint? and where did you get those fenders with the screws?

 

Not sure what happened to bookmarking a thread like I was able to before, so I am going to make a comment in order to save this...

this has to be one of the coolest mini's ever!

 

Needs a gun on the top now. Mini Tank, new model coming in 2014!

 

I would add some kill stickers on the scuttle panels and some fighter plane inspired warning labels. It has that military aircraft feel to me. Very cool.

 

We have a guy in our local club that did something similar. His design required using drain trays/tubes, whereas yours are covered to minimize rain entering the engine bay. Great design, and great looking MINI.

 

Looks great! Any under hood shots?

 

wow thats just awesome. nice job

 

Why don't you go full mad Max style and run it with no hood at all lol

 

Nice! I've considered street-rod style louvers to accomplish the venting of under-bonnet heat, but this looks like a more cost-effective idea.

I'd be interested to see airflow patterns over the hood with the vents, to see where the vented hot air goes after it leaves the vents. It'd be optimal if it flowed far enough away from directly straight back to avoid the cowl vents, since most CAI setups (including my modded stock intake box) pull air from the cowl. I suspect that due to the curvature of the windshield, the air flows both up and over as well as to the sides, and it's just a question of *where* the split occurs....

Any pics of the underside of the bonnet? How far do those protrude below the original metalwork?

C ya,
Dutch

 

Love the style you're owing for. It's awesome!

 

I could totally see a few rows of Honda, VW, Mitsubishi, and assorted other auto logos lined up under the driver's window!

C ya,
Dutch

 

Your car is badass! Love the entire look.

 

dude. you gotta post pics of your remote turbo, like, right meow.

and Bad@$$ mini btw

 

Hey Helix--
Stole your vent idea....thanks!



C ya,
Dutch

 

+1 I want to see this twincharging setup.

 

So how much did the louvers/vents lower your intake temps?

Ooops.....I didn't see that in your original post. Lowered them by 25 degrees. Good job!!

 

That little bit of info in the OP was what spurred me to copy the mod for my car, since it gets a little warm here in Mordor in the summer.

I wish I had a Scangauge before I did this mod to mine, so I could have logged the difference in IATs on mine. I could feel the ECU program adding in more timing than previously, though--even at 8 this morning, when it was only in the mid 90s. The engine responded much like it did on the few mornings in the past couple weeks when we had post-storm cool*/humid happening. The ride home today at the forecast 106 degrees will be informative....

C ya
Dutch

* Cool and humid by AZ standards, which is still a bit warm....

 

Hell yeah, looks freshhhh

 

Well, after almost a year with my bonnet vented, I can call it a great success. We've had 105º+ temps here every day for the past few weeks, and even in stop-and-go with the a/c on, Nudnik's running great....

C ya,
Dutch