I have what I believe to be the ac condensor mounted up front under the spoiler on my car. The PO cun a notch out of the spoiler for some reason (it would have cleared it without) and i'm looking to change the look of the car with going back to black on the lower rockers and valences. My question is can I cover this up with a stock style valence, (assuming it will fit over it), Or do I need direct air flow? Ferg.

Ferg,

I think others will have better input than I.
my guess is that it does not NEED direct flow, but direct flow might make it cooler.

My stock metal valance is off the car and I could grab it for you sometime if you wanted to trial fit for clearance.

brant

Yeah that would be good, a trial fit would be best. Is it nice, I might want to take it off your hands. I'll grab it from you next time your in town. Ferg.

Dude did you just roll off the show room? All your lines match and the chrome is oh so shiney.

But on our condensor it get indirect air flow. It has a small scoop at the back of the opening to help direct air and has a fan inside the housing to push it through and out the back part. If i get some time i'll try and take a pic of it.

[/QUOTE]But on our condensor it get indirect air flow. It has a small scoop at the back of the opening to help direct air and has a fan inside the housing to push it through and out the back part.

You mean the black box sitting on top of where they cut the floor right? I have that as well with a scoop like you described, this is different and is mounted out in the open and protected by metal mesh, Kinda hard to see in my pic. If it sounds as though I have no idea what I'm talking about there is a good reason for that. Ferg.

A condensor is a radiator, and just like an oil or water radiator to function best it needs airflow from some source. Ideally it would be directly in the air stream as on a typical front engined car which allows plenty of flow through the radiator core. Older air cooled VWs and Porsches end up with condensers located in less than ideal locations and often have fans to assist the airflow. Is your's mounted flat against the front trunk floor?

Mike

Mine's (I guess) mounted where you see the cut out for the spoiler in the pic. So what is inside the big black box in my front trunk then?

I use the air about once a month to make sure it still works. I have never used it for real, tops always off.

Maybe a gt valence with the notch on the top end for the oil cooler would be the way to go, if I can make it fit.