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So I took my first test ride with all body panels on. Everything stayed together but afterwards when I opened the hood (bonnet) it seemed to be cooking in there. Has anybody tried opening the side louvers?
I’ve thought of it but never tried. Even thought of replacing side panels and hood with ones off a real TD. If I ever get a chance to buy them (cheap) might try it. Not sure how close they are in size.
I intend to open louvers as needed in Bridget and duct air through them. Looks like a simple matter of cutting straight in the grooves, followed by a little sanding and sealing on the cut edges. My idea is to make a steel guide or jig for the roto-zip. I’m thinking a small bolt at the bottom to be fastened through the groove itself, and a carpenter’s clamp on top. One louver at a time.
Ed, won’t that open your trunk space to the weather? It wouldn’t present a problem for those of us with front engines but I think it would ruin the best thing about the VW’s….space.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Yeah. What Bill said.
What are you trying to accomplish Ed?
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
I was just told that the louvers on my hood sides are backwards. They are recessed inward instead of being raised. Makes sense, just like the top of an airplane wing lowers air pressure, the louvers need to protrude to suck the hot air out.
Here’s an option:
http://www.hoodlouvers.com/shop/size-semi-long-natural-aluminum-hi-flow-angle-cut/edsnova2013-07-20 20:07:07
Paul & Bill: I might open mine when I put a radiator up front for the Soob. Think I could box them on the inside and duct radiator through them, leaving a space inside that would remain out of the weather. Also thinking to replace the fuel tank with one like Paul’s–down low to the passenger side–which would open up a bit more luggage room.
These are my ideas.Gabor: the TD louvers were as moulded on the replicas (except for the Lafer). I can’t imagine that they would not work if opened, so long as air was pushing through the front or pulled by a decent fan.What tends not to work are hood louvers, since the upright windshield creates a hella high pressure area right over the hood.Just slot the louvres you have and watch your heat troubles dissipate.edsnova2013-07-20 20:10:30
I’ve seen the lovers painted or with pin striping applied in an attempt to make them look opened. Never cared for the end result. To cut them open I feel would end up with the same result. It just wouldn’t “look” right. With the underhood temperature, as long as the engine itself is running ok, the only problem would be to your paint. You can glue heat reflecting matting to the side panels and underhood to keep the paint from baking.
IMO the only way to achieve an acceptable look would, as Montie suggested, take an original panel and graft the louvered portion to the glass panelBill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"You think the opened louvers won’t look good because the glass is too thick? Or some other reason?
There are outfits that make louvers, – they are probably all in California. I vote with Bill and Montie, get a sheet of aluminum and have louvers punched in. Then, as Bill says, graft them to the side panels. I do think that the thickness of the fiberglass and the way that they are molded (at least in my Daytona MiGi) would not look good if opened. I can hardly imagine cutting mine open without a few serious buggers in the gel coat and the glass.
Ed, the molded fiberglass panels lack what what would be an acceptable overlap that exists with a punched steel panel. All you could expect to achieve with the fiberglass panel is a row of vertical slots in the molded ribs.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Overlap, eh? Learning new things on this board alla time.
Here’s a TD side panel on the ‘bay.Not seeing the overlap here but my eyes ain’t all that.I always thought they made louvres, basically, by cutting the metal while bending the cut parts, like so. It is not immediately clear to me how any overlap would occur in this process. Maybe the press flattens the metal like a penny on a train track?What is clear is that any Rotozip job to be done on a fiberglass TD would require a jig that was angled into the molded louver. To have any hope of looking “right,” the slots would have to be cut in the part of the mold that is nearest to perpendicular to the panel’s planar surface.I still think that would work, but would not yet bet money on it, and could certainly see a scenario in which a bonded-in metal louver set made for an easier proposition.In fact, given the difficulty of accessing the engines in these (front-engined) cars, I’d think a couple of louvered aluminum panels, flanged flush with the ‘glass and fixed with aircraft style quick-release buttons, might be Gabor’s ticket to ride.
(louvers)During the fabrication of Beatrix I found a heat build-up under the hood before painting the car last summer. I insulated the hood and covered the underside with sheet stainless steel. Additionally I extended the air filter intake of the Chevette engine to the outside of the right side cowl. I used a heavy duty 7″ cutting blade to make openings in the louver depressions (finishing the openings for final paint was labor intensive though). I tested the effectiveness of the slots by taping strips of toilet paper to the full louver area. With the top properly closed the strips of paper rise horizontally with the engine idling and you can actually feel the air flow with your hand.
(inlet for air filter tube- before painting) 
Is this O.K.? I installed a Moss luggage rack using a generous amount of extra steel fabrication, including bracing the underside of the top mounts with Unistrut material. The luggage rack opens to be 90 degrees to the surface of the spare.
With regards to louver openings I used a router with an 1/8″ bit and a rigid straight edge and it turned out beautifully. The engine compartment is cool as can be.
I would be interested to see detailed photos, Steve.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Want to see something scary?:o
Watch the installation video at http://www.hoodlouvers.com/hood-louver-installation-instructions/
Please keep this man away from my TDR.edsnova2014-04-26 16:57:15
No trees were injured in the making of this message, but some electrons were inconvenienced.
So you end up with a plate of louvers riveted to you hood?
May I be the first to say that that looks like s–t?
I cannot imagine doing that to a Land Rover. Or any other vehicle!
Keep that guy away form my TDr…and all my other cars too!
PMOSSBERG2014-04-27 10:08:21Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Why not just install a register from your home heating system? Then you can close them off if it’s really cold out.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"How structural are the fiberglass side panels?Has anyone made replacement side panels out of aluminum or sheet steel?You could punch louvers in them.
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