I need to make sure they end up in the right place and the right size

I don't have the dimensions with me. But what I did is 1) get the shroud 2) install it, drilling all holes and putting all screws in 3) take the shroud off and make initial cuts a big inch inside of where you think the final line will be 4) bolt the shrouds back on and mark the final line with a felt tip crayon from the inside 5) take the shroud off and make the final cut 6) Voilà !

Michel Richard

You make it sound so simple I want to get all the cutting done before the body is blasted and primed and I'm a bit wary of all the horror stories about how long it takes parts to arrive (especially as I'm in the UK).

Who did you get your shroud from?

If you really want to do a GT shroud, I would recommend steel bracing between the front torsion bar mounts. This helps restore some of the structural integrity that you remove when cutting huge holes in the front panel and trunk floor.

If you look at the original parts (which were steel), there is an outer shroud, and an inner deflector/structural brace.

The brace (when it was a factory part) was a formed piece of sheet metal that formed a box section across the front edge of the trunk floor.

All the parts that I have seen for sale have been reproductions made from composite materials (fiberglass). I would recommend Getty Design as their stuff seems to fit better than others. I think it was around $200.00.

I fabricated my own metal shroud to fit the cooler that I chose. The factory shroud had a specific cooler in mind when it was designed and I chose a more economical unit. (My BLOG has some pics of my shroud/cooler).

The other "kit" that you could get is a complete package from Patrick Motorsports. They sell a "kit" that includes a cooler that will fit the included shroud.

I wish you the best of luck with your project.

See my picutres on this thread

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...4896&st=140

I agree completely on the recommendation for Getty Design and for the reinforcement between the torsion bar mounts.

the pictures in the thread in the link above show the Getty parts.

At my skill level, it would not be realistic to get the hole to final size without having the shroud parts on hand. YMMV.

Please keep us posted on your project !

Michel

Thanks guys, will do

I agree on the Getty stuff. Great customer service. I bought GT rockers from them. The left side had some waves in it and my painter was not happy, although it was typical of fiberglass parts from most places. I decided to call Getty. When I called about it, they said it was time to do some repair work on the mold. In a week or so, they delivered free of charge a flawless new rocker. Now THATS customer service!

In my opinion, I think people get a little carried away with the openings for coolers.. If the cooler is mounted directly against the sheet metal, you might have to cut a full size hole to prevent air blockage. If it's set back a little, you may not need such a big hole. Remember, the coolers actual air opening is significantly smaller than the actual size of the cooler. You need no more than what can flow through the cooler. It is tempting to think bigger is better.

With that said, I enlarged the holes in the front with a Greenline tool and avoided the full cut out in the front. The area of the openings far exceeds the openings of the cooler. The cooler sits quite a ways back from the holes.
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