Modifying the PFL factory grill for more air flow

leebutts

1 AYC Bar
Location
New Zealand
First Name
Lee
Drive
2001 Golf GTI
So this is what happens when you're sitting at home on a Sat morning with an insatiable urge to modify your car and aren't allowed to spend money on the car due to an impending wedding (which I happen to be the groom at...)

**** DISCLAIMER: HIGHLY LIKELY TO MAKE NO POSITIVE EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE WHATSOEVER****
Required:
Keyhole saw ($15 at Bunnings)
Flat File ($13 at Bunnings)
Touch up paint ($11 at SuperCheap)
Drill (already had one...)

This basically involves attacking you grill with a small flexible saw of some kind.. Saw towards the front of the grill from either side then drill a hole big enough to get your blade into and cut along the front edge and join the two cuts.
IMG_4919.jpg


IMG_4920.jpg


I had originally intended to leave the face of the grill alone but accidentally chipped one of the bars while cutting so decided to remove the bars from the face of the grill as well.


Then I filed down all the rough edges and tidied it up with the touch up paint.

Here it is fitted on the car. Look at all the space that nice cold air has to get through now!! :)


IMG_4924.jpg


IMG_4925.jpg

I also sliced a gap in the rubber seal under the bonnet to make another gap for air to get into the factory intake.
IMG_4927.jpg


I'll see how much difference it makes at the dyno day on sat...

*cough* none *cough*

cheers

Lee

p.s. I will move this to the guides section if anyone thinks it's a worthwhile mod...
 

king_panther

Gettin' tanked
Location
New South Wales
First Name
Brad
Drive
2012 VW Caddy 1.6TDI 7-Speed DSG. Still crappy DSG.....
Nice work Lee ;)

Oh & yea I know the feeling of not being allowed to spend money !

My wedding is in September & I'm still scratching my head thinking how to pay for it all hehe....
 

naughtika

OzVR4 Stalker
Location
Brisbane, QLD
First Name
Christian
Drive
'96 Galant VR4, '17 MB A180, '25 Macan GTS
nice Lee.. I was thinking of doing the same thing.. but also add a air flow guide.. maybe a plastic/old A4 folder cover will do? or if you can get hold of 3mm aluminum sheets use that and rivet the damn thing somewhere so it doesn't come flying out and slit someone's throat..
 

Nick

Leaving Skid Marks
Location
Vic
First Name
Nick
Drive
Aristo
Great write up and idea! I had thought the same thing as you a few months back. The PFL and the FL are both not right in terms of the air flow hole.

img5274jc3.jpg

img5275ra7.jpg

img5276fn6.jpg


You rekon they would have sorted this out on the new model! lol

Nice right up Lee, good Work!
 

bradc

1 AYC Bar
Location
New Zealand
First Name
Brad
Drive
Facelift Manual 400hp VR-4 Legnum
I cut out the 3x2 mesh section on mine, doubt it would make a difference though.
 

king_panther

Gettin' tanked
Location
New South Wales
First Name
Brad
Drive
2012 VW Caddy 1.6TDI 7-Speed DSG. Still crappy DSG.....
P.S.

Anyone else notice the VR4 badge on the PFL is surrounded by a silver border but the FL VR4 badge is surrounded by a black border ?

Mine's a PFL & the VR4 badge is surounded by silver too. We were noticing this at the NSW meet last week... out of a PFL Galant, 2 FL Legnums, & my PFL Legnum, mine was the only one with a silver rimmed VR4 badge.

Hmm......
 

Fred

Leaving Skid Marks
Location
Orange N.S.W 2800
First Name
Fred
Drive
1998 Legnum VR-4 & 1999 Legnum VR-4 w. Recaros
looks better with the silver border...imo that is...mines pfl, but has a black bordered VR-4 badge...prob cause it was one of the last pfl made, it got a fl badge...??? damn that sucks...
 
G

Guest

Unregistered
I feel deprived, I mustn't have a VR-4 front grille cause I don't have a badge! But my PFL has some small slits in my grill already, so I don't have to cut things myself...???
 
G

Guest

Unregistered
Another option is making a scoop sorta like this one I made for another car I used to have, that way you don' have to cut into the car.

Picture270.jpg


Picture273.jpg


Picture286.jpg
 
G

Guest

Unregistered
I'll have a play within the next few weeks and see what i can do.
 

BuzzPuppy

OZVR4 Ambassador
Lifetime Member
Location
Victoria
First Name
Gavin
Drive
レグナム Super VR-4
Well, I can tell you that the Supers were really the one of the last PFL's made (run-out model essentially, right?) and I've got the surrounding black on my VR-4 logos.

Nothing like homebrew CAI mods though :D
 
G

Guest

Unregistered
Another option is making a scoop sorta like this one I made for another car I used to have, that way you don' have to cut into the car.

Picture270.jpg


Picture273.jpg


Picture286.jpg

it's a volvo! :ROFLMAO:


i've got black badges too, reckon they look better.
 
Top Bottom