RAM Air for Volkswagen
 

I know that we try to keep our engines cool during extreme measures, and its even better when you can get more air into the engine bay area for big displacement engines, N/A or blown. Growing up I worked on old Mopars and such, got quite aquanted with RAM-Air intake hoods and cowles, etc.

Now for the Volkswagen entusiest I am today its really hard to come by RAM-Air decklids, the only way I've really seen this done is by popping the decklid out a couple inches...I'ts effective and really is pretty simple too.
But for me its not enough, what about you?

Any one have ideas or opinions?

:help:

I forgot to add that i have a really great idea and am trying to figur it out right now on exactly how I'm gonna do this, its an Ingenius and hard idea but if done properly should be verrrrrrrry effective, especialy if you are running a turbo setup.

I will unvail my projects in the future when they are completed...

Bye, Bye

You can use the rear wing to pressurize the air box the same way that RUF does on there cars. You could use the same wing to force the high pressure air coming off the back of the car into a duct that would feed the cooling fan. I have also seen ducts mounted either in the quarter panels or the rear windows feeding the carbs/cooling fan.:)

boygenius:
Thank you tons for helping me out...I'm gonna have to look into those setups that you listed later. Right now I'm working on using a standard hood cowl in reverse feeding a duct from the roof through the cabbin into the engine bay, and if I get it right itll work flawlessly:D !! But I still havent figured out how Im gonna do it yet and what matterials Im gonna use...I'm thinking Carbin fiber ducting! But I'm worried, Ive never worked with carbon fiber cloth before, just hope i get it right the first time...:befuddled

Another suggestion from a friend of mine.
If you dont use your heaterchannels, use somebrake ducts down in your front bumper, take the air through a water trap then into your heaterchannels (from the front).

At the rear where it comes out of the heater channel, duct it through the original bakelite heater pass through bits, take the air to your oil cooler or intercooler or into engine bay.

Dont know how well it would work, but certanly sounds plausable. :D

Cya,
Sam C

Now that sounds like a good idea.:D

yeah it does I might think about it, but for now I'm still pretty deep in thought about my roof mounted ducting, It would be functional and look really good, especially in carbon fiber:D !

Here is my naca duct window.

At the firewall where the hoses connect...

In the empty engine bay... Note the VW heater outlet bezels...

The whole thing cost me $50 and took 30 degrees off of my oil temp. The fan and carbs produce enough vacuum at idle to suck your shirt onto the duct, when standing next to it. The carbs also make a nice roaring noise through the 3" ducting on the highway.
The window is lexan, from the hardware store. I traced and cut the window out with a handheld jigsaw, then mounted it in my black popout frame. I still have enough to make a left window. My T1 weighs 1750lbs as is with half tank of gas.

Hybrid-john... Check out the race beetle from j/sports in the feature articles section. If you look you can see that the car has rear scoops behind and below the rear quarter windows..:)

I was thinking about doing the same thing with my car, and decided to mount the cowl on the roof and run the duct through the cabbin to the fire wall!

Well everyone has really great ideas, I might just try all of them and see how much air I can get into the engine bay!:silly: :D

Are you going to mount the cowl above the roof line or recess it into the roof? One thing you may want to consider is if your duct is feeding your carbs from the roof and it rains, oops.... Not a real problem for you living in Nevada but if you drive your car to somewhere where it rains, you could have a problem....;)

the cowl is going to be above the roof line. I found a fiber-glass after market cowl for an old Firebird which I'm gonna mold to the roof; the ducting will be flush with the roof line though. I have thought of the rain factor and am still brainstorming some ideas on what to do, because yes, even though I live in Nevada, it still rains and snows up here.:silly:
I'll get every thing figured out by the time I'm done:D

You could use some surge tanks mounted inside the car. My motorcycle has ram air and uses surge tanks to keep rain water out of the airbox. Basicly they work by allowing the air to slow down via an expansion chamber. All you need is a drain to let the dirt and water out of it every once and awhile....;)

That's what i have been thinking of...

For the rain I split the tubing to the enginecompartement in two.. The upper tube goes to the engine, the smaller under tube goes to outside the car an let the rain and other water floud back besides the rearaxle..

GReetings Wiebrand

Here's a link to one of the photos from 55superbeetle: http://community.webshots.com/photo/...92934191HuOWsb

I like this one a lot, a little more subtle (not the car ... it's not that subtle :cool: :cool: :cool: ) than some of the other methods. It would take some work, but ...

Cheers!

WOW! I never even thought about a surge tank of any sort that would be a great I dea, but I have to think about where to put it because I'm planing on putting audio components in the back (easily removable, of coarse, for auto-x)so if you guys get any more ideas let me know!
Thanks for the Help!:D

You could always move your fire wall in a few inches to get more space. I move mine in 10" and up 5" in front and 10" in the rear so I can hide the future turbo away from road debris and V-8 owners eyes. You could mount the surge tank in the created space. Besides if you make the fire wall panels removable you can get quick access to your engine and transmission...;)

I've thought about doing that for a while, and keep switching between wether I want to or not:silly:

There was an article in the September 2003 issue of VWtrends thats gave me the idea of doing that.:)

I will have some pictures of my firewall soon, If you want I can post them.:D

Sure.:)

If you do, would you be able to cover the entire fire wall, so I can get a better idea on what I might do?:haveadrin

Sure can do. My car is in 10,000 pieces right now so I can take a picture from any angle.:silly: I just have to finnish up a roll of film and have it developed onto a photo CD.:)

SWEEEEEEET:D

can't wait to see them!

Should have them by Monday.:D :D

Thats great man!!:D

I'd really like to see how you did it, some pics (other than in a magazine) would be nice!:D

Thanx!

Not quite done but you get the idea.

Another picture.

Last picture.

Nice work!...

How much planning did it take you to get the way you wanted it?

I am really thinking about doing that now, but I just dont know how, I still might do the surge tank and where and how could I fit it in there and still kinda be in-cognitto?

Any ideas?

:D

Not much planning really, I just eye-balled it. I just kinda figured what would look good. You could run the surge tank pressure ducts down both sides of the rear of the car. You could cover the ducts with vinal to match the headliner and then route the ducts into the new found engine space, since you moved the fire wall. From there you could divide the air up between the cooling system and the induction system.:D

Hmmmmmmm....
It might just work, but I'm gonna have to read over your last reply about a million times to get a picture in my head (I can't read and comprehend what I read right away with out actually seeing it done!:o )

But its sounds like a really good plan, I'm just gonna have to look over my car and see what I can get out of it!


John

Re:
 

Thumbs up for the lexan side windows... I'm anticipating on doing exactly what was done with the lexan side ducts. Buy a slightly scoop that is offset by a couple of inches from the window, to literally grab the air as it rushes by.

I havn't decided if I am going to spend the time and do this... My bug is a body off restoration, and I have 99% of the rust repair/bodywork done, but I just havn't decided on just how far I'm going to go. Mainly because with school and all... :(

If you are doing the lexan window with the duct in it you shouldn't have to do that much bodywork. Just a few holes in the firewall for the air ducts. ;)

yeah the only thing you would have to struggle with would be the cutting, and like genius said it should be easy!

Good Luck!:)

John

Now I want the naca ducts in my windows. Time to break out the measuring tape and the power tools.;) :silly:

It is a very good idea and a very simple one at that, espescially when compared to my roof cowl idea, but it looks like it would be very functional as well, go for it genius I think you'll like them when your done, but be careful, a freind of mine installed lexan rear quarter windows in his Honda Civic and hated them, yeah sure they did what they were supposed to but every time it rained, the windows would flood the back seat, just use some sealer of some kind...:)


John

Were they bolt in windows or were they designed to be exact replacements for the stock windows. :confused:

I dont remember........I think they were bolt in, which would make sense as to why they leaked so much water, can you find direct replacement windows for a super beetle?

I hope so otherwise you better put a drain in the center of you car:hehehe: :silly: ;)