Rain Tray or Not? Options

[VWTortuga336]

When I bought my car, it did not have a rain tray installed on the engine bay cover. I was going to buy one, but now I'm building a 2366 and want to do everything I can to keep it cool. Are there any cooling benefits to not having a rain tray? If I don't add one, how do I stop water from getting in the engine?

[somd914]

Guess I'm confused about the worries of getting the engine wet? The 6's have open grilles, my 911 dumps water through the tail onto the engine, my Elise's engine gets soaked in rain and car washes as it sets under large louvers, my Suby pulls water through the hood scoop onto the intercooler then down on the engine. Many other cars I've owned wind up with a wet engine driving in the rain.

My rain tray is out as it reduced idle temps while stuck in traffic during the summer, plus I like the look of seeing the engine through the grille. Between carb rain hats, decent plug wires, and a bit of silicone grease around the base of the dizzy cap, no issues with rain or car washing.

I'm not professing to remove your rain tray, just not sure why people feel it's bad to get the engine wet?