When I was reassembling my 100 I did not attach the vertical "fin" to the apron panel. Question...it seems that this piece really does not have much value in cooling the Healey. Or..am I missing something....Have not had any cooling issues since the car is back on the road. I am interested in any feedback.

Thank you:

Pete

I doubt if it has much effect on cooling. Read once that it was there to block the straight line of sight view. In other words, you can see straight through the front of the fender wells without it. Strictly cosmetic.
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Thanks Dave...appreciate the info!

Pete

I mounted my oil cooler to the horizontal in front of the radiator. I left the verticle panel in (with a cut-out for the cooler) to provide some ridgidity to the assembly. Don't throw it out.

...I put 2 more verticals in there to keep the air going in the rad instead out the fender wells.

Good idea.

I put side baffles between the radiator & the inner fender panels to force the air through instead of around. It helped a little.

Interestingly, I found that the louvered hood greatly increased the radiator air flow & cooling. Conclusion is that the air can get into the radiator pretty well but has no good place to exit. I first found this while driving around in hot weather with the hood/bonnet removed. Maybe this is why the rally cars had the large side vents cut into the fenders.

Looks like you are going to have a fun car there!
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Great!!

Appreciate the info...when I bought the car dissasembled (It was my first 100)...The panel was perfect and painted but didn't know where it went.....I will pull the grill and mount it soon... Good to know about the louvered hood and heat too since it has not been driven in high temps yet

Ite 70 here in Columbus and I drove it to work!! Almost didn't make it back from lunch..wanted to keep driving!

Pete

My louvered hood evenly distributed coolant overflow across my windscreen on a hot August afternoon a few years ago.

Years ago in a completely different "Detroit" model, & going about 75 on the interstate, the car blew a radiator hose & dumped the entire cooling system contents into the air cleaner intake snorkle.

The engine died so quickly that there was no time to overheat. Thankfully, no bent (hydrauliced) connecting rods. Terrible mess to clean up under the hood.

Maybe better to have it on the windshield?

Another time, same car, the air cleaner housing insulated from the carb by a heavy fiber gasket, fiber insulating washer under the air cleaner lid hold down nut, no connection to ground. The coil wire arced to the electrically insulated air cleaner & from the inside of the cleaner across the gasket to the inside of the carb. Large underhood fire. when the Air Cond. Freon hose burned through, large noise, escaping Freon, & toxic gas cloud. Thankfully, a fire truck with large CO2 extinguisher was only two minutes away. Removed the insulator so that the thing was now grounded.

Just had to ramble a bit.
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