The one BIG difference is aerodynamics. These cars are very slippery and have a lot of wind tunnel time to perfect the intakes of their radiators. The shape of the car guides air into the radiators very effectively. You just can't compare the shape of a bug to any of those cars. Also, I'm pretty sure not all those cars rely on sidemount radiators (I think only Lambo), a lot of them will be just air intakes to help cool/feed the engines.

Rich

Hey Rich

Than first look at this
http://home.tiscali.nl/~gmolhoek/alf...ator/index.htm

With some minor ducting (that is hidden under the car) there is enough.

Wiebrand

p.s. I probably never will put an radiator/oilcooler/intercooler at front.

All very nice in a car with no rear end. I'm sure Wes would agree that it is quite a simplified model and will help him improve his Baja cooling (which has problems at speed currently). It also doesn't have a radiator in there which would also reduce air flow.
But, that site is for a 1350cc Alfa engine which requires very little cooling in a relatively cool climate. Also remember that the width of duct would be very small with an IRS rear end and you have the hot gearbox right in the middle so I don't think the flow would be that great in reality. You still need to get cool air around the engine for extra cooling and intake.
When I had the Alfa engine and rear mounted radiators in the speedster I was looking into and experimenting with scoops, it was borderline in the end and relied too much on fans.

Rich

Your right about that Rich.

Wiebrand

Not all of those cars have side radiators, some have standard front mounted radiators. I was just looking at the rads in the Ford GT, Lotus Elise, and a Noble M12 this weekend, all have standard front air inlets, but vent out of hood, I think the Lambo and the Renault Clio V6 mid. have a front mounted radiator as well. The side scoops are usually for engine or intercooler cooling, not radiator. It can be done, but with the shape of a bug or a bus, it's not as easy as with a car designed to slice through the air like butter.

Jason

I realize that the beetle is not as aerodynamic as a... well... cinderblock ( if you want to get technical, the beetle has a .458 cd drag coefficient...horrible). But my only point was that there is more than one solution to this.

My car's plan so far is to be full race, no interior, lexan, roll cage, as light as possible with still using the 6 speed g50, 400 hp ej20tt, the 6 pot brakes, ect. So whatever gets me there, i don't care. I may end up putting the radiator up front with the intercooler and oil cooler on the sides.

Im not sure i really like the idea of putting coolant lines all the way along the car, the whole idea just makes me kinda nervous. What i was thinking about doing is to do a 93(or something) MR-2 style scoop that comes out and ends right about where the heater channels are and sitck out like six inches, have that feeding right into the radiator. The way i see it is that i can try it the way i dont have to cut the car up all that much first, and then if i decide to change it, i can always move it. God help me.

Nervous because...??? It makes me nervous to think about your car getting cut up without a clear plan. I'm all for experimenting, but I'd try not cutting first, then move to cutting.

J

Steve, how did you mount the tubes ? Did you bend them to follow the lines ?
Got any pictures of that setup ?

Thanks,

Rob.

Hi

These are some photos from under my old bug, my old camera was a bit dodgy. I mounted them from brackets on the heater channels bolts. They were bent to follow the line of the chassis bolt U section.

Steve

Steve, what material did you use for your tubing? I'm looking at aluminum, I figure it's lightweight and the same material as the radiator, but copper would be better at heat disapation(sp?) I was thinking.

Hi

I used stainless, I just got my exhaust guy to bend it. Aluminium would have a good effect on cooling, the stainless a bit as well but not as much.

Steve

Copper = $
Aluminum = slightly less :D
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=71&step=2


Jeff-

Hi

One thing I will say about cooper, on the cooper 90 degree elbows that I used the rubber hoses really stuck to them, where as with the stainless or plastic fittings the hoses were easy to remove.

Steve

Racelook, according to Baja Wes Shema, the best place to put a scoop would be on the roof am i right? That's where the air travels the fastest...
Any thoughts on that. As anybody tried this route?