Author Archives: Nathan Morris

In this article, I test this "vented" radiator panel to see if the theory works out in practice.

Every now and again I see a product on the market that looks really well thought out and I just have to try it out. A year or so ago, I came across an item that checked all the right boxes for me, it even talked about air pressure which you probably know I have a special place in my heart for... The product? A "vented" radiator panel.

"Radiator panels" are really popular right now as one of the hot new "JDM" parts. Admittedly, they look cool and give you a place to display a neat sticker or two and the theory behind them is okay. The theory is that by sealing up the top of radiator with this panel that air flow is forced through the radiator rather than over (what about under/around?) it where it'd normally go into either the engine bay (if no hood seal) or out the side cracks of the hood.

It is true that the better "sealed" the radiator, the more likely air is to flow through the radiator than around it (particularly at higher speeds). Basically the applicable rule here is that air flows from higher pressure to lower pressure areas, always. However, I do not have much data about whether or not these radiator panels really do much and I cannot imagine a circumstance that a daily driven car would go through that would require or benefit from this part. A heavily tracked car, perhaps, but not a daily driver.

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Before mod

I have received numerous requests for a DIY on my snorkel mod that I detailed in the intelligent modification series from the IS300 community.

It is based on my measurements of restriction in the stock intake system, it does two things: reduces restriction imposed by factory snorkel/airbox, increases the availability of pressurized (higher than atmospheric pressure) air at speed. In effect, it adds additional "ram air" on the highway.

No exposed conic filter, even in this hardcore Ferrari.

Using a sealed airbox is ideal in any car that will be going through gears frequently (street car, road racing car). The reason is that even if it doesn't produce the highest hp, which sometimes it does, is that transient response is better with an airbox than with an open element air filter. When the throttle closes between shifts for example, the air that was quickly rushing in hits a wall and is forced back down the intake system. In a sealed system, the air actually bounces back and helps ram more air in when the throttle is re-opened. In a open air filter system, the air is lost to the atmosphere and thus power just after a shift is harmed. There are other reasons, but the best "proof" of this is that even the hardcore no-creature comfort exotic cars like the Ferrari Enzo DO NOT use open element air filters, but still - air boxes.

The factory air box generates more and more air pressure as the car speeds up, by replacing the airbox with a "open element" conic filter, you lose that benefit completely. Just pointing the snorkel at it just supplies it with the outside air, not the pressure.

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