Vents behind the license plate

[Danpa]

I'm leaning toward making vents behind the license plate on my 68-69 deck lid, instead of using the stock 70 vented deck lid. (I just like the clean look of the 68-69 lid).
For those that have tried it, does it work as well as a vented lid, stand offs, or the tennis ball?
No use going to all the trouble if the cooling improvements are minimal.

If the opinions are positive, my plan is to make a die and punch to make the vents vertical and look just like the ones below the rear window, not louvers or holes.

Thanks,
Dan

BTW, I figured now is the time, before paint.

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67 Beetle (gone)
68 Bay Window Double Cab (gone) sob, sob!
64 Beetle (gone)
77 Scirocco (gone)
73 Squareback (scrapped)
70 Beetle (current, in pieces)

[nextgen]

I agree, ah!!!!!!!!! Well if you like Smooth --- Mines is a 74 with early wider front fenders - this way I was able to use early head light and Porsche 1956 Speedster grilles. On the back I used Brazilian flat tail light covers.

Also of course the Cali-Style Sliced bumpers. I took our late year bumpers and did 2 slices to remove the 1" area were the rubber bumper strip would go . That left me with upper and lower "L" Shapes that I over lapped the top piece over the bottom and used Chrome bumper bolts to hold them together. I did have to make an adapter from the original mounting brackets to the much thinner bumper. Nice because it is only two bolts to detach each bumper from the body. Works great because you have the original designed bumper protection when parking .
Protection that does not take away from new smooth body work.
DO NOT USE AFTER MARKET BUMPERS, they Rust after the first rain and are half the weight -- been there, done that !! Use stock and if need be just have the upper halfs re chromed.

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[Alstrup]

[Pruneman99]

I've been thinking about this also. Has anyone grafted the thermostically controlled vents that went behind the license plate into an early lid? IDK what years had them, but the fist bug I owned had it. 1974 California Standard. Anyone else know what years the thermostically controlled vents came on?

[flat4olsen]

I made 3 holes behind the license plate (and vents from a Karmann Ghia) and mounted the plate with a few spacers.
If it “works” depends on the your engine. A small engine will need less air, than a large engine.

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Type 1 1968, Lotosweiss. 2109 oxyboxer engine
Early Bay 1970, Montana Red. Under construction

[esde]

In my experience,
Holes behind the license plate light help, but not as much as a tennis ball. BUT, that's on an early lid, as you can only fit so big a hole under the pope's nose.. I haven't wanted to cut behind the plate itself so I just cut out inside of whatever the light will hide.
Standoffs and tennis ball work great but I hate the look. I have the latch bent so the deck lid sits openish, about a 1/2". You can't really see it unless you're looking, and as long as you don't have the rubber seal, it seems to let the engine breathe. My .02
SD
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modok wrote:
Bent cranks are silent but gather no moss. I mean, ah, something like that.

[Brian Anthony]

Here is a '67 with vent installed behind the license plate. Can hardly see it with license plate in place.

_________________
1965 Double Cab
1967 Bug, Sedan
1967 Bug, Convertible

I’m not old, but I once knew a man who was alive during the Civil War, and he once knew Revolutionary War veterans.

[Danpa]

[anthracitedub]

Tennis ball. I have a dual port 1600 in my 62. Just cruising around town I don’t bother... but when I extend the demand on the car I just pop the ball under the lid and call it done... works fine and I can spend my energy on other things.

[andk5591]

Air is being drawn in by the fan as well as forced in by air pressure. HOWEVER, I know nothing of the actual aerodynamics of these cars...How air flows around a moving car is not always intuitive (i.e. GM cowl induction hoods, which supposedly worked well).

The little that I know is that usually the rear of a car is a negative pressure area. which means that air will want to be drawn out, BUT I don't know for sure with a bug. Does this mean that you will actually draw more air in through the vents above the deck lid? Maybe....maybe not. Bottom line is that more openings are probably going to help IMHO.
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D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[Alstrup]

The tennis ball solution is basicly the idea that hot air is better than no air. The reason to this is that due to the turbulence and before menthioned vacum behind the car, a percentage of the hot air escaping from under the apron/exhaust gets drawn in and used again. The solution with vents behind the licence plate is appently juuust so far away from the apron that it sucks "clean" air. That´s why the relatively smaller openings work just as well as the tennis ball solution.

[sled]

why aren't more people drawing fresh cool air from under the car through the front engine tin?

its more work than a tennis ball or decklid standoffs so thats probably why
_________________
drive your split.

[Glenn]

[sled]

yes, although there is room for a much larger inlet/ducting.
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drive your split.

[VdanielW]

I used to run a large tennis ball (dog toy) to keep the deck lid proped, but didn't like that it wasn't always latched. I used a couple of spacers under the hood latch hook and now it latches and stays secure.

[esde]

[sled]

[74 Thing]

I cut the passenger side of the front tin off, but I drive a Thing so it is higher than a bug and a lot of air can get into the engine compartment just with this mod.

With the top down that is another issue all together. I have to prop the decklid for long runs on the freeway running 75-80mph with dual carbs.

There is always the easy test to see if you need more air with your engine/set up. Go to the hardware store and get some 15' of the 1/4" vinyl tubing. Connect one end on the fan shroud on one of the wire clips and then run the tubing into the passenger compartment. Put the other end into a bottle of water-when driving if the water is sucked up the tube then you need more air. That's Eric Allred's test and it works very well.

[Danpa]

Well it seems that the better solution is the "under car ducting". Makes sense and I can go ahead with the primer and paint.
I'm thinking a sheet metal rectangular duct, maybe one per side, that would be attached to the underside of the package tray and would pick up fresh air by the torsion tube, completely away from heated air.

And, there might be room to have it enter the engine compartment on the right and left spaces on vertical panel that surrounds the firewall tin.

Hmm....

I'm liking this idea A LOT better!

Dan
_________________
67 Beetle (gone)
68 Bay Window Double Cab (gone) sob, sob!
64 Beetle (gone)
77 Scirocco (gone)
73 Squareback (scrapped)
70 Beetle (current, in pieces)

[calvinater]

watch out for road debris, plastic bags, paper, leaves. etc.
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"Albatross"!