What's Next?

[Haitian_King]

Well. It seems that I got a little frisky with the bid button on eBay and I'm now the proud owner of a pair of 90-93 corner lights as well as a nice new (New to me) plenum.

My question is: "What the **** should I do with it now?"

Any ideas guys?

From what I've seen on the board, it doesn't look like the plenum is a fallible part of the good old VH45DE. Has anyone ever had to actually replace theirs? Not taking it off for a cleaning or other engine task, but actually swapping out theirs for another because of some sort of defect/

Corner lights come in handy I guess, but I'm drawing a blank about possible uses for the plenum.

Perhaps a painting (powdercoating?) of the plenum? Like superuber's?

[sijoko]

Well. It seems that I got a little frisky with the bid button on eBay and I'm now the proud owner of a pair of 90-93 corner lights as well as a nice new (New to me) plenum.

My question is: "What the **** should I do with it now?"

Any ideas guys?

From what I've seen on the board, it doesn't look like the plenum is a fallible part of the good old VH45DE. Has anyone ever had to actually replace theirs? Not taking it off for a cleaning or other engine task, but actually swapping out theirs for another because of some sort of defect/

Corner lights come in handy I guess, but I'm drawing a blank about possible uses for the plenum.

Perhaps a painting (powdercoating?) of the plenum? Like superuber's?

Send the plenum out for powdercoating or polishing. Better yet, do the work yourself and learn some new skills along the way. I think the do-it-yourself method is the most fun. Challenging, but fun.

[Haitian_King]

Send the plenum out for powdercoating or polishing. Better yet, do the work yourself and learn some new skills along the way. I think the do-it-yourself method is the most fun. Challenging, but fun.

Is there anything particularly difficult about the powdercoat/polishing for the novice?

After I get this one all dolled up and put it on, I'll still have another plenum without a VH block attached.

I guess I could always make it into an interesting centerpiece for the table.

[Q451990]

I have all of the spare parts you just mentioned. If nothing else you can clean the plenum and have it ready so that you can save down time when you pull the one on your car to clean it. I bought spares of all of the exterior lights in hopes of some day retrofitting them with LEDs. It never hurts to have spares!

Heath

[jimbyjimb]

Dunno if you Jersey boys have a Harbor Freight Tools outlet, but they sell el-cheapo powder coaters. Whether or not they're any good, I dunno, never used one, but they are certainly cheap. Could be worth a try.

http://www.harborfreight.com

[Haitian_King]

Dunno if you Jersey boys have a Harbor Freight Tools outlet, but they sell el-cheapo powder coaters. Whether or not they're any good, I dunno, never used one, but they are certainly cheap. Could be worth a try.

http://www.harborfreight.com

Thanks. I checked the site, but I couldn't find the proper gun. I only found paint spray guns. That wouldn't be the same thing right? I'd have to get my hands on an oven. My madre wouldn't appreciate a plenum in the oven.

[maxnix]

I have all of the spare parts you just mentioned.

Heath

I also. If you polish the plenum, do the inside, not the outside.

[oldmako]

The early VW GTI was significantly peppier than it's Golf cousin. I read once that the only real difference in the engines was that the intake was polished on the GTI vs. a simple rough casting on the golf. So, that might be the way to go.

Never seen the inside of a plenum, so I do not know if it's smooth or not. I would imagine on one of these things, it would be.

I think the powder coat idea is excellent.

[Q45tech]

Waste of time and money to powder coat plenum.About 16 years ago JWT did a series of tests on a custom Q including extrudehoning the inside of plenum and runners and heads.......5-7 rear wheel HP was gained from $3,000 worth of time and work.

They developed a hogged out TB which created 2 wHP.

Note the only thing they still sell is ecu/tcu and Nitrous.

Increasing the runners inside diameter [by extrudehone] makes things worse as it raises tuning rpm away from the runner length tuning and causes a dip in VE around 6,000 rpm.

[craigztoyz]

I guess I could always make it into an interesting centerpiece for the table.

I only put mine out on the table for holiday occasions. Holds the Turkey plate very well.

[Haitian_King]

I also. If you polish the plenum, do the inside, not the outside.

How would one go about that?

Why not the outside? Everything I read last night about powder coating gave the impression that it couldn't hurt. The plenum would look nice and the coating added extra protection against the elements, corrosion, and such.

I saw a pair of VC's that were mirror polished. I probably would have purchased them if they were cheaper.

[qship96]

Waste of time to powdercoat outside of plenum unless you cut out a big square opening in hood above it and insert a glass window in hood so all can see that monster! {similar to the newer Ferraris } Might even light it with neon for that xtra special effect at night!

[jimbyjimb]

The intake manifold assembly on a fuel injected engine is smooth on the inside since only air is being sucked in and the fuel finely misted by the injectors, on a carburated engine the inside is rough to help atomize the fuel since the fuel isn't finely atomized when it exits the venturi's. The roughness promotes turbulence which helps "mix" the air and fuel.

[Haitian_King]

Waste of time to powdercoat outside of plenum unless you cut out a big square opening in hood above it and insert a glass window in hood so all can see that monster! {similar to the newer Ferraris } Might even light it with neon for that xtra special effect at night!

The whole cutting the hood and having a port hole idea is just plain goofy.

Powdercoating the plenum would just add a little touch of "custom" and pizazz to the already impressive VH.

[gammer_ghn]

well find out whats your cup of tea. I love the mirror finish since its very classy, as far as i have seen it. Can grats on the spare parts!!!

[Haitian_King]

well find out whats your cup of tea. I love the mirror finish since its very classy, as far as i have seen it. Can grats on the spare parts!!!

Thanks.

Is the mirror finish a DIY sort of task? Or would I have to engage the services of a specialist?

Anyone have any recommendations?

[96Qowner]

It's a bit of a task. PoormanQ45 did it by hand with polish a few years ago:

zerothread?id=103345

One of those drill attachment thingies would help a lot.

Here are some pics of BlackBirdVQ's polished plenum on the car:

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2308804/2

[Q45tech]

One of our customers paid $400 [20 hours] to have his plenum polished to a mirror finish by someone working at home? But that was 7 years ago.

[96Qowner]

LOL! Sounds like a task for your lil brother, Reji!

[maxnix]

Why not the outside? Everything I read last night about powder coating gave the impression that it couldn't hurt.

Yeah, but it doesn't help keep it clean either. Outside for looks, inside for easier cleaning and hopefully slower gradoo accumulation.

Once you pulll the plenum, you'll understand.

[Haitian_King]

Yeah, but it doesn't help keep it clean either. Outside for looks, inside for easier cleaning and hopefully slower gradoo accumulation.

Once you pulll the plenum, you'll understand.

How do I polish the inside?

[Infinitiguy19]

why do you need to polish it just clean it with throttle body cleaner or brake parts cleaner. plus no one see the inside

[Haitian_King]

why do you need to polish it just clean it with throttle body cleaner or brake parts cleaner. plus no one see the inside

It's not that it's dirty or something. I just bought a spare plenum and I'd like to do something nice with it. Then, put it away until I have cause to go under the installed plenum. From there, I'll just swap them out. Probably polish the original one and save it for my next Q. Pull the one from that, put in the polished one, and begin the cycle again.

Summer's coming and I won't have much to do.