Aggiestro Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Is the front hood seal that is attached to the top of the radiator support really needed? From pictures it looks like many have cutoff this sheet metal flange /seal. I’m adding an intercooler to my setup and looks like the nice upper intercooler support brackets (like from GRW) mount flush with to top of the radiator support. If I cut mine off what are the negative affects…just maybe some more rain getting thru? Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dat73z Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 I had the same thought years ago and decided to keep mine. The thought being that it would help channel more air through the coolers. You can still mount the intercooler below that lip and there is plenty of room for a large core, moreso with the 280 rad support. On the 240s I think they may have been 73 only and you can also put a rubber strip across the top to seal the area more. Curious what others think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetsaz Posted May 3, 2023 Share Posted May 3, 2023 The front end of these cars is already so questionable in terms of aero, that I'd be weary of doing anything that let even more air go places you don't want it. The hood in particular is already prone to lift due to the air flow. Sealing that top with the appropriate rubber strip can help mitigate some of the issue and make sure you're getting airflow to the intercooler and radiator where you want it. If your car is not done and you haven't driven it at highway speeds it's hard to grasp just how noticeable the front end lift is. Steering starts to feel very light above 75-80mph. Scarily light even. Enough that I was scared an avoidance maneuver on the highway would quickly make the car lose control and put in me in a ditch when I was trying to keep up with traffic through Idaho a couple years back. The difference in confidence I had when I finished my seals on the front and added a splitter was night and day. I'm not sure that upper area does anywhere near as much as the splitter, but I still don't want more air pressing up against the hood. Realistically, how much are you losing by bolting the intercooler to the bottom instead of the top of you cut it? 1/4"? Maybe 1/2" in some extreme situation where you add washers on top of the plate to avoid rubbing against the paint or something? If it creates tiny clearance issues with your intercooler piping just bend the plate out a tiny bit so it doesn't drop as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dat73z Posted May 3, 2023 Share Posted May 3, 2023 (edited) I was curious so I took a look at Godzilla Raceworks site and it looks like they sell a 24x12x3 intercooler with their kit which has the bent bracket above the rad support. My IC which is mounted below the rad support is 27x12x3, and I can actually fit a 4" core with both a large oil cooler + small ac condenser and retain the hood springs. If you remove the hood springs you can fit an even larger IC if you need it, but you'd likely need to angle it a bit. This is on a 240z so on a 280 with the taller support you can probably fit an even larger IC. The brackets are easy to make (couple bends and holes). Fwiw Edited May 3, 2023 by Dat73z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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