Update on the Turbo Q45

[sijoko]

I definitely see the need for the louvers, can't say I like it tho. I think I would paint them black to camouflage them. Those exhaust tips look beefie, I like 'em.

I'm thinking of painting them but I'm not too sure if stainless steel will hold the paint over the long term. As is, the vents don't look too bad but they are very noticeable. I'm still searching for other possible solutions.

[dickie]

you could have them powdercoated a gloss black or even "dark chrome" or something to make them look more luxurious.

personally i could go either way with them, they are sort of an intimidation factor as they stand out from the luxury car look so much. if you want the luxury look back, im sue it wouldnt be too hard to have some fiberglass vents made that could be molded into the hood.

[maxnix]

It's loud in the vid because the window is open plus I'm running Spintech mufflers which are not the best for noise suppression. Also, my Level Ten rebuild is going out and making unpleasant noises. I need to start looking for a replacement transmission soon. The 4.08 diff might get replaced also since the car builds boost faster in 2nd gear.

Driving the car from Oregon to Atlanta was pretty uneventful. It handled the mountain passes with no problems. I was passing the other cars like they were standing still up the really big passes.

When I got into California, I was passed by a Gallardo somewhere near Sacramento. I had to control myself and decided to let him go without challenge. Might have been interesting but I can't afford any tickets on my license.

The car was averaging between 18-20 mpg at speeds of 70-80 mph. That's not too bad considering that I have the lower gearing.

I thought I heard some untoward mechanical noises, so I was wondering.

Turbos at altitude have to be king. For a 4.08, 18 -20 sounds right as you should see about a 15% decrease in MPG, so the turbo must have been used infrequently as you maintained.

Remember the old days when hot rodders would louver hoods, much like the old XKE? I think the problem with the G50 hood may be designed to buckle about where you placed yours and where they need to be. It might make the hood too weak to do so. I also wondered about fender vents high behind the front wheels?

[Q45tech]

The combo of sealed hood and belly pan directs air passed precats and transmission by design. Changing anything may cause changes in spot temperatures at speed??????????????? Since everything was designed in a wind tunnel you will need the same instrumentation to make changes.

EVERY mod on every system causes unintended consequences

[sijoko]

I thought I heard some untoward mechanical noises, so I was wondering.

The car has over 230k miles on it. The Level Ten rebuild has almost 120k miles on it. There is still a lot of stuff that needs to be sorted out. I just haven't had the time nor resources to do it.

Turbos at altitude have to be king. For a 4.08, 18 -20 sounds right as you should see about a 15% decrease in MPG, so the turbo must have been used infrequently as you maintained.

When you are cruising at 70 mph, the turbo is still spinning but not fast enough to create positive pressure so the fuel consumption is not affected.

Remember the old days when hot rodders would louver hoods, much like the old XKE? I think the problem with the G50 hood may be designed to buckle about where you placed yours and where they need to be. It might make the hood too weak to do so. I also wondered about fender vents high behind the front wheels?

The vents are riveted over the metal skin of the hood. The frame underneath is still intact so there shouldn't be any concerns over structural integrity of the hood in an accident. As far fender vents, I haven't found a spot for them inside the engine compartment.

[sijoko]

The combo of sealed hood and belly pan directs air passed precats and transmission by design. Changing anything may cause changes in spot temperatures at speed??????????????? Since everything was designed in a wind tunnel you will need the same instrumentation to make changes.

EVERY mod on every system causes unintended consequences

I don't have the belly pan anymore so I needed a way to get the airflow out of engine bay easier. Plus, the turbo gets very hot after I drive the car hard. I might put another larger vent just over the radiator to help in moving air across it.

[elwesso]

Siju.. I like the louvers, however like others said you might look into having them powdercoated or anodized, thatd be a lot sleeker.. Did you put any sort of ducting on them for water intrusion?

[sijoko]

Siju.. I like the louvers, however like others said you might look into having them powdercoated or anodized, thatd be a lot sleeker.. Did you put any sort of ducting on them for water intrusion?

I tested them out by taking it to a car wash and there was very little water intrusion. I also drove the car in a heavy downpour and, again, very little water got in. Plus, I put the louvers over the strut tower so any water that does get in won't land on anything sensitive.

[sijoko]

you could have them powdercoated a gloss black or even "dark chrome" or something to make them look more luxurious.

personally i could go either way with them, they are sort of an intimidation factor as they stand out from the luxury car look so much. if you want the luxury look back, im sue it wouldnt be too hard to have some fiberglass vents made that could be molded into the hood.

The intimidation factor is priceless but I'm thinking I need to tone the car down a wee bit. I thought about fiberglassing in some vents but I've read that eventually the edges will crack because of the different expansion ratios of fiberglass and steel.