zeintop owners ...

[The Radium King]

i'm one too. you may have seen my other post regarding custom engine covers for cars w/ roof deletes. on a similar note i've got another idea, and looking for input ...

i am thinking about removing the rear glass on my zeintop and replacing it with louvers. this will lose a lot of weight (along with a complete roof delete). if i can find a fabricator to add a vertical rear plexi window like this, then I can open up the engine by removing the carpet and cover. again, reduced weight, along with better engine ventilation and tone (and maintenance access). further, it leaves lots of room for fun things like intercoolers. rear quarter windows would most likely have to be deleted (they would interfere with the vertical rear window) most likely replaced with vents feeding additional air into the engine compartment (and intercoolers?).

any thoughts? am i crazy?

[blue2000s]

Just a note on cooling. Usually the airflow through the engine compartment is carefully designed and managed. Opening up the top cover will not necessarily improve engine cooling. It could more likely reduce cooling of the engine because the airflow paths are altered.

Imagine you have a tube with an inlet and outlet and air flowing through it to cool the walls of the tube. Then you cut a hole into the middle of that tube. Now a good part of the air leaves through the middle of the tube and the end of the tube is getting warmer than it was before.

[The Radium King]

dunno about that. the boxster engine is in a closed-top compartment that is open at the bottom. heat rises, and will hang around the engine unless moved. the fan in the side vent does just that - it tries to push the hot air out the bottom. i would call it a compromise more than an engineered solution. if you want to talk heat transfer, having a fan on only one side of the engine will cool one side more than the other; even with perfectly engineered airflow around the engine, the air will have heated by the time it reaches the intake side of the compartment.

open the top and the hot air can get out on it's own, especially given the low pressure area back there.

[blue2000s]

The car's motion provides part of the airflow solution. Flow through the engine compartment is studied as thoroughly as the flow over the body.

[Boxtaboy]

Wouldn't then all the heat from the engine emanate into the passenger cabin, making your interior feel like a sauna? Have you ever taken your engine cover off after driving the car for a bit?....the metal cover itself is hot (and that's even with the honeycomb heat shield underneath it). Not to mention you will probably lose hearing after a while as there's no more sound deadening carpeting either. This isn't another stir the pot kinda post of yours for amusement is it, cause if it is, I think you should also remove the heat shield behind your seats for some extra sound and heat ventilation enjoyment.

Have fun with the project, and let us know how you make out!

[The Radium King]

not stirring the pot, just trying to let the heat out and make more room back there. the front bulkhead and sound deadening carpet would remain, just the top of the engine compartment would be gone. the passenger cabin would be separated from it by by a vertical plexi rear window sealed against the bulkhead at the bottom and the roof at the top and sides.

[pomocanthus]

Old post but hope many of you are still into modding your Boxster. I have one of these Zeintops but my lawn guy managed to bust rear glass while weed whacking (I should have parked inside). In any case do you guys know if Cayman glass will work or where to get a replacement? I'd be interested in yours if you have removed. Thanks

Originally Posted by The Radium King

i'm one too. you may have seen my other post regarding custom engine covers for cars w/ roof deletes. on a similar note i've got another idea, and looking for input ...

i am thinking about removing the rear glass on my zeintop and replacing it with louvers. this will lose a lot of weight (along with a complete roof delete). if i can find a fabricator to add a vertical rear plexi window like this, then I can open up the engine by removing the carpet and cover. again, reduced weight, along with better engine ventilation and tone (and maintenance access). further, it leaves lots of room for fun things like intercoolers. rear quarter windows would most likely have to be deleted (they would interfere with the vertical rear window) most likely replaced with vents feeding additional air into the engine compartment (and intercoolers?).

any thoughts? am i crazy?