Front radiator protection

26122 Views 72 Replies 34 Participants Last post by Wiscombe64, 9 mo ago

Robh

Discussion Starter · May 7, 2018

Has anyone purchased or fabricated guards for the front radiators. I have seen products for previous years, but not 2018?

21 - 40 of 73 Posts

GregW

· #21 · Aug 24, 2018

I have no photos of the manufacture and install. As Porkey says, it's all on the net, which is where I got the idea.
Photos of the car show nothing.

Briefly:-
Make a template out of thin cardboard (I used a file folder), ensuring you leave enough extra so that the mesh is slightly larger than the hole. There is room behind the grill for overlap.
Practice inserting template through the existing grill and positioning it in place. There is at least one way that's easy and a few that are really hard! The cut mesh is sharp so practicing with the template is highly recommended.
Cut the gutter mesh to the template, insert, and fasten with 2 or 3 cable ties. Done.
I did the same process for the side vents.

We don't have a lot of junk on the roads here but any collection of leaves, sticks, stones is easily removed. Mostly they just fall out on their own.

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CaymanMatt

· #22 · Aug 24, 2018

porkey said:
CaymanMatt said:

GregW said:

I made some screens out of stainless, black gutter guard. With a bit of fiddling they go in from the front, sit behind the grill and are secured with black zip ties. You have to get down on the ground and shine a light to see them.

Total cost was about $20 and a couple of hours to measure, fabricate, and fix.

Click to expand...

Yes, some photos would be much appreciated
Thanks!

Click to expand...

...as I stated above, there are several do it yourself videos on line (one from Car Fanatic, for example) regarding said home made/custom "mesh" radiator guards...?

Thanks for the tip. I would never have guessed that there would be so much info regarding this subject.

porkey

· #23 · Aug 24, 2018

You're welcome. Surprised Porsche doesn't offer them standard, especially since they were standard on the first gen GT4 and are so, on other models. A radiator is still a radiator, regardless of the model....?

Viffermike

· #24 · Aug 24, 2018

porkey said:
You're welcome. Surprised Porsche doesn't offer them standard, especially since they were standard on the first gen GT4 and are so, on other models. A radiator is still a radiator, regardless of the model....?

Thing is, a radiator is built to take road damage. Many performance cars have semi-exposed, low-mounted radiators and intercoolers. Five that come immediately to mind:
- All BMW ///M cars (each of which have at least three radiators mounted below the bumper line)
- Many late-model Mercedes-AMG cars
- Jaguar F-Type R
- All Mitsubishi Evo (RIP ... All Evos have a massive intercooler )
- Subaru WRX STi (One of the main differences between the WRX and STi is the secondary intercooler mounted below the bumper line.)

The difference between cars that have mesh guards and those that don't is track use.

The primary purpose of mesh isn't to keep rocks from dinging your radiators' fins. It's to keep tire rubber 'marbles' from clogging them up and affecting their cooling ability -- if you've tried to clean melted rubber off a radiator, you know what I'm talking about -- and to keep parts of other cars (i.e. crashes, fender bumps, etc.) from piercing them.

Is the GTS made primarily as a track car? I would argue that it is not. The GT4? Yes. The 911R? Yes. And so on.

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Reactions: 3

Zzyzx

· #25 · Aug 24, 2018

porkey said:
You're welcome. Surprised Porsche doesn't offer them standard, especially since they were standard on the first gen GT4 and are so, on other models. A radiator is still a radiator, regardless of the model....?

Agreed!

After seeing Porsche2018 come up with a solution (great idea btw!) to vacuum out the radiator area, I didn't understand why something wasn't in place already to protect the radiator. If they have already done it, why not just keep it? It should be standard, but am very surprised Porsche doesn't offer it as an option.

It might be a bit extreme, but I keep envisioning a whale shark scooping up plankton and krill.

porkey

· #26 · Aug 24, 2018

Viffermike said:
porkey said:

You're welcome. Surprised Porsche doesn't offer them standard, especially since they were standard on the first gen GT4 and are so, on other models. A radiator is still a radiator, regardless of the model....?

Click to expand...

Thing is, a radiator is built to take road damage. Many performance cars have semi-exposed, low-mounted radiators and intercoolers. Five that come immediately to mind:
- All BMW ///M cars (each of which have at least three radiators mounted below the bumper line)
- Many late-model Mercedes-AMG cars
- Jaguar F-Type R
- All Mitsubishi Evo (RIP ... All Evos have a massive intercooler )
- Subaru WRX STi (One of the main differences between the WRX and STi is the secondary intercooler mounted below the bumper line.)

The difference between cars that have mesh guards and those that don't is track use.

The primary purpose of mesh isn't to keep rocks from dinging your radiators' fins. It's to keep tire rubber 'marbles' from clogging them up and affecting their cooling ability -- if you've tried to clean melted rubber off a radiator, you know what I'm talking about -- and to keep parts of other cars (i.e. crashes, fender bumps, etc.) from piercing them.

Is the GTS made primarily as a track car? I would argue that it is not. The GT4? Yes. The 911R? Yes. And so on.

...thanks for the education...glad mine will be considered a "track car" then...but with everybody now a days PPF crazy about their paint, somehow I don't think they want to look at rock dented radiators either, regardless of continued functionality...?

Reactions: 1

CupraLeon

· #27 · Aug 24, 2018

On the (Belgian) roads I have had a perforated intercooler on my Nissan S13 due to 'debris' taking out several rows and a cooling channel, so for those who would like some peace of mind, the protection mesh isn't a bad idea. Also the previous generation Cayman/Boster had radiator 'rot' due to wet leaves and dirt, it can help to keep the car in a healthy condition over longer time (in humid area's) and save on expensive parts.
Just my five cents

porkey

· #28 · Aug 24, 2018

CupraLeon said:
On the (Belgian) roads I have had a perforated intercooler on my Nissan S13 due to 'debris' taking out several rows and a cooling channel, so for those who would like some peace of mind, the protection mesh isn't a bad idea. Also the previous generation Cayman/Boster had radiator 'rot' due to wet leaves and dirt, it can help to keep the car in a healthy condition over longer time (in humid area's) and save on expensive parts.
Just my five cents

...five cents well spent...add it to my previous two cents and I say "agreed"!?

Reactions: 1

Viffermike

· #29 · Aug 24, 2018

CupraLeon said:
On the (Belgian) roads I have had a perforated intercooler on my Nissan S13 due to 'debris' taking out several rows and a cooling channel, so for those who would like some peace of mind, the protection mesh isn't a bad idea. Also the previous generation Cayman/Boster had radiator 'rot' due to wet leaves and dirt, it can help to keep the car in a healthy condition over longer time (in humid area's) and save on expensive parts.
Just my five cents

Not going to argue with any of that. I installed mesh on three previous cars (GTi, Celica GT-S, Mini Cooper) -- but not my WRX since its intercooler was on top of the engine -- and it does help with road detritus.

The important distinction, though, is immediate damage during a race/track session vs. damage over time. Mesh is primarily meant to be protective, not cosmetic -- though it's morphed into being cosmetic just like black wheels (which also have their genesis in raciing) have.

See, as originally intended, mesh isn't meant to be kept in pristine condition. It's used because it's easy and relatively cheap to replace from race to race -- certainly cheaper than a new radiator -- and keep you and your car in each race. It's meant to keep nuts, bolts, and shards of carbon fiber and metal from slicing a hole in yours.

On our cars, it's critical to keep the radiators clean to avoid long-term issues that @CupraLeon mentions. And that's why cars that are not meant primarily as track cars don't have mesh -- it is almost always much, much more difficult to clean the radiator with mesh installed because the mesh keeps hands, brushes, high-pressure water, etc. from being effective. This is the main reason I've not installed mesh on my 718 and did not install it on my BMW 2 Series, WRX, or 370z, even though all of these cars have/had exposed radiators in the nose.

Bottom line: Mesh looks great, but for road cars it can create more issues than it solves.

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Reactions: 2

CupraLeon

· #30 · Aug 24, 2018

Viffermike said:
Not going to argue with any of that. I installed mesh on three previous cars (GTi, Celica GT-S, Mini Cooper) -- but not my WRX since its intercooler was on top of the engine -- and it does help with road detritus.

The important distinction, though, is immediate damage during a race/track session vs. damage over time. Mesh is primarily meant to be protective, not cosmetic -- though it's morphed into being cosmetic just like black wheels (which also have their genesis in raciing) have.

See, as originally intended, mesh isn't meant to be kept in pristine condition. It's used because it's easy and relatively cheap to replace from race to race -- certainly cheaper than a new radiator -- and keep you and your car in each race. It's meant to keep nuts, bolts, and shards of carbon fiber and metal from slicing a hole in yours.

On our cars, it's critical to keep the radiators clean to avoid long-term issues that @CupraLeon mentions. And that's why cars that are not meant primarily as track cars don't have mesh -- it is almost always much, much more difficult to clean the radiator with mesh installed because the mesh keeps hands, brushes, high-pressure water, etc. from being effective. This is the main reason I've not installed mesh on my 718 and did not install it on my BMW 2 Series, WRX, or 370z, even though all of these cars have/had exposed radiators in the nose.

Bottom line: Mesh looks great, but for road cars it can create more issues than it solves.

I'm also a more function over form believer, but I always tought that prevention is the best medecine.
For that I respectfuly disagree with the latter statement, if you keep the dirt/debris away there is no need to clean the radiators. I also understand your opinion on the visual aspect, feel the same about that (hence why i will not join the winggame

).
I could be wrong since my GTS wil be delivered in January and didn't get the chance to see if the bottom plates
cover the whole front area so nothing will get in from underneath the car.
I also track my car(s) but none have mesh because of the closed bumpergrills that are installed oem.
From a detailer's standpoint I get it that cleaning isn't as easy with the mesh inserts, but that's a cosmetic thing

Reactions: 1

RGM718

· #31 · Aug 25, 2018

4 Caymans and 5th ordered. They all have had radiator grille mesh installed. I typically use Zunsport...........it is VERY easy to remove one section to vacuum out if needed. It never has been thus far. The 5th will have mesh installed as soon as it arrives (I will order them to arrive before the car does from Germany). Personal choice........I also installed them on the side intakes on my current 981 as I had ingested a couple dry leaves........

Reactions: 2

Robh

Discussion Starter · #32 · Sep 6, 2018

Zunsport Products available now.
I was contacted by Zunsport, front grill now available for 718 GTS.
Use code below for discount.
Please be aware discount code can only be used on the Main Zunsport Website not eBay or Amazon purchases ) Enter Promotion Code ZU041510 to receive your 15% Discount

Reactions: 4

Aus_GTS

· #33 · Sep 6, 2018

Thanks for the info everyone - ordered. Great comm's from Zunsport as well.

johan

· #34 · Sep 7, 2018

anyone tried them out yet?

mazyo

· #35 · Sep 7, 2018

I just ordered a set, thanks for the 15% off coupon. Cost me $306 delivered to the USA. Not bad at all. I hope they come out with something for the rear panels. I know Porsche has a part to go inside the openings but think black steel mesh would look great and match the front nicely

Guaji

· #36 · Sep 7, 2018

I ordered a set also, should be here Monday.

Auburn718

· #37 · Sep 7, 2018

Ordered a set too - black to match the trim on my white GTS

don

· #38 · Sep 8, 2018

Can someone please post some photos of their grills installed?

Is it really necessary? I assume depends on how much you are driving and where.

Robh

Discussion Starter · #39 · Sep 8, 2018

don said:
Can someone please post some photos of their grills installed?

Is it really necessary? I assume depends on how much you are driving and where.

I will post pictures as soon as product received and installed.
There are 2 brief videos on their website showing installation.

phroenips

· #40 · Sep 8, 2018

mazyo said:
I hope they come out with something for the rear panels.

https://www.zunsport.com/us/porsche-718-boxster-s-and-cayman-s-side-vent-grille-set

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