Opening up the inlet would be a good idea if you're retaining the airboxes, but it's an awful lot of work compared to removing the airboxes completely or just putting holes in them. And I know era2076 mentioned it somewhere, but I'd be worried about blocking more of the radiator by enlarging the inlet.

I have a long list of things I need to do to my car, and changing out the front armature (bumper beam) is one of them. The AMR armature doesn't support the inlet, which is one of the reasons why the cars run without airboxes (or maybe it doesn't support the inlet because it doesn't need to since the airboxes were removed). Regardless, once I swap out the armature, I'll have to either design an adapter for the inlet or run open airboxes, which is why I'm so interested in how well the filters can handle water.

Based on my dunk test, I'm not worried about some light splashing. So long as the fender liners are in place, water contact should be very minimal unless you put the nose of the car in standing water - at that point you're kinda screwed regardless... but that isn't hard to do when you're driving through a torrential downpour. It was raining very heavily this morning on my way into work, and I drove my V8V... had I thought about it beforehand I would have removed my airboxes to see if the heavy rain and standing water on the roads came into contact with my filters.

Just my 2 cents, to show the difference between a K&N filter (for example) and a paper filter:


@Rich: i will send you a PM later :)

Vincent - There's no doubt K&N filters have great air flow. The main issue is that they need oil in order to filter the intake air, and that oil can damage the MAF sensors. And they also don't provide much protection against water if you're running open air boxes. My concern for intake filters isn't just airflow, it's also protecting the engine. I'll take a look at the PM!

Roo - The AMR armature comes with support brackets for the headlights, but it doesn't allow use of a standard grille. You have to use the mesh you see on some of the racecars. The armature sheds 16.25 lbs from the nose of the car - I'm not sure if that includes the savings from the mesh, though. I'm also not sure if the armature comes with oil cooler supports - only know it comes with the headlight brackets.

I found this pic online... might be the very same one I got a quote for. If so, I might recreate this on my own. I'm willing to bet I could offer it for a lot less than I was quoted hilarious

http://cdn-4.motorsport.com/static/i...antage-gt3.jpg

Caveat emptor for buyers, of course...

Killer duct work :)

chr

Car is on jack stands to facilitate annual service.

The Tellum-Redpants design 4 bar grille. Attaching points for removed bars filled; assembly sprayed with black Plastic-dip.

See belly pan. Louvers were added under each of Stuart's headers. Objective: aid in cooling the effects of incremental horse power.


Difficult to photograph a black hole.

Just 3 cuts required to create this much larger opening.

On the right side is an Italian air horn. 6Speeder Karl Franz had one on his GT, I needed one as well. Its very effective in refocusing traffic light texters.


Vertical cuts are easy, horizontal tedious. Mask potential damage areas to both horizontal and vertical surfaces, especially the body color paint on the bumper fascia.

The larger opening now reveals a one way drain on the bottom. Drain includes a clever seal that floats.

As I see the great effort is modifying the air inlet system to gain (maybe 5 HP at 70000 RPM) I am reminded of the phrase. "Its not the destination, but the journey that gives one the most satisfaction: :D

Make that 7000 RPM hilarious

Kanga - can those ducts be sourced? That is a nice setup.

x-chr

Responding to Kanga's interest
 

Splitter in repose on car cover

Carbon fiber splitter (and a matching Kamm tail) was designed, engineered and produced by 3 auto industry professionals in 2008 or 09.

It is the same part barely seen in my Avatar.

It was designed and modeled in clay on my Vantage in the very same spot where I took the front end pictures a couple days ago.

Do not think it is available now, the company that produced it is out of business. Although the Kamm tail appears to be being reproduced poorly by a Chinese bargain CF company. They probably bought a part and made a mold from it and didn't correct for the "shrink" that occurs and then didn't have a Vantage available to confirm the fit. Just conjecture, but these errors are common.

I have better pictures, I will find them and show them here.

AM Racing Duct Mouth

Nice piece, but too large for my need. A smaller corner piece might work, however. I want some air to get through the lower grille to the radiator when I pull the air boxes and ductwork so the car gains 10 horse power and looses 10 pounds and becomes just a little more fun to drive.

Both pics taken at or nearby the Automobile of Fame, Dearborn, Mi. A most appropriate site, I think.

Here's the splitter. Gets lots of compliments. "Looks like an original equipment Aston Martin part". I was considering orange as a highlight color when the picture was taken...the consideration passed, I pealed the tape, kept the splitter.



My P & J leaving a car show. A professional snapper took this. A very similar shape was incorporated on the V12V liftgate when it was almost simultaneously introduced. Great minds think alike.

Yellow car, Rose, must have been resprayed and rebuilt as it was a preproduction vehicle used as development mule for the Vantage program. And then it went racing, extensively. Neither function yields cars as unaffected as this one appears.

Dr Bez, AM President at the time, famously drove on a team that perticipated in a 24hr Nurburgring race in Rose.

Was not aware the N24 cars included this liftgate design. Early adopters as I remember were DBS, V12V, Bamford Rose's dk green coupe and me.

Aero shortfalls were exposed in an otherwise extremely positive Sport Auto magazine test of an '06 coupe. A wind tunnel test revealed lift, both front and rear at speed. The article was so positive AM had it translated from German, and pages of test pictures, results and comparisons were printed on the best paper, and distributed to their dealers worldwide as a selling tool.

In our Kamm tail development we modeled 2 distinct designs in clay on my car. Then picked a winner entirely on appearance, no test here!

Correction: The facility where my 2 pictures were taken, above, should read, "Automotive Hall of Fame".

Good to know if I ever drive through a stream or creek :D

I had a CAI on my vette which is lower than the aston and never had a problem driving at highway speeds in heavy downpours. Would never use a K&N or any oiled filter, way to easy to add a little extra oil and take out a MAF.

It was on the N24's first but then straight to the 2007 V12RS with the new front splitter and rear diffuser, obviously addressing the lift concerns for front and back.


https://images.cdn.autocar.co.uk/sit...?itok=ZlRhRtM_

No Airbox cover moisture test on OEM filter
 

Now when I say "high rpm" in the video I meant above idle.
By my CFM calculations the test was simulating a max of 2300rpm on the 4.3L Vantage (which is likely around cruising rpm in Top Gear).

Hahaha that's awesome.
Only thing I'd "criticize" is that the paper filters do holdout from letting water in for quite a while, and once they do it comes through a lot faster, so a short test isn't going to show much water get through compared to a long test. Making the leap from shop vac test to real world, it'd be like driving 30 seconds of driving in the rain vs 10 minutes. While a few drops might have gotten through the filter in that short amount of time (~30 seconds), how much more would get through with the sustained period (~10 minutes)?

I've got a set of air box delete brackets on the way and I'll be installing them on my grey car. My dry filters are taking longer than I wanted (doesn't everything??) but they'll be going onto the grey one as well, which means I'll have to be a lot more cautious about running the car without air boxes. I might have to replicate your test, Ryan!