Air Scoop Opinions

What's your thoughts?

I have an original Baja Scoop which if fitted will be functional and not cosmetic. The cooler will be protected front and rear by mesh. These scoops are quite rare now and most current Bajas don't feature them. A Google image search sourced only six in 8 pages of 20. Four of these were Hot Wheels models and not actual examples.

I'm six and one half a dozen another on the issue. My mate say it would look good the wife say it looks stupid.

I will have the roof rack cut to fit around the scoop if people think it looks Ok.

What do you think?

Sorry man
Looks pretty freaky or funky to me, Id ditch it.
Rob.....

No idea on how effective they are, but I have seen plenty of kombi's and baja's with an oil cooler strapped to the roof.
Doesn't have the statement of the scoop though if you like the look.
Andy

I think the reason why most people don't have them is they look silly and over the top. A bit like a rear wing on a hyundai Excel. :thumb

Baja Wes wrote:...and over the top....

But of course.

Up periscope

What are you trying to achieve ? It not only look silly but I reckon will get broken easily.

Unless you are having trouble keeping cool why would you strap something like that up there and increase oil pump head to a stupid level as well as increasing teh chances of oil line leaks and issues ?

Adding a spot light bar to a baja will dd upwards of 10 - 15 degree to oil temp as you interupt the air flow. I don't see why you would want one of these unless you are having a lot of trouble keeping your engine oil cool.

I have a scoop to go on my baja.
Just because you dont have panels around your engine, dont mean it keeps cool.
My oil cooler is able to be bypassed. When you are crawling through the bush for a few hours, your engine Will get hot. When you are cruzin down the freeway your oil can get too cold. Every bit helps.
It is up to YOU.
I have some pictures for you.

Todd :jesus

i rekon there's better or just as good ways with ext oil coolders & mcycle thermo fans to cool oil (wether or not the cars moving) rather than putting more holes in external bodywork (esp the roof) and having something extrra to be ripped off by tigfht branches/sideways trak work.

that said, the roof mounted scoop & cooler is almost mandatory if ur going for the 70s/80s baja "look" tapered stripes & all. but then it becomes cosmetic and therefore to some people agaist the fuctional ethos of the off road vw.

at the end of the day, do wot majkes u feel good.

bajaman64 wrote:When you are crawling through the bush for a few hours, your engine Will get hot.

mmmm this is can of worm sort of stuff..

What makes you think your engine will get hotter crawling around teh bush than on teh freeway ?

I have alway found it to be the complete oposite. The fins I have seen don't have fans so they woudl be useless in the bush anyway.

Buggy Brad wrote:

bajaman64 wrote:When you are crawling through the bush for a few hours, your engine Will get hot.

mmmm this is can of worm sort of stuff..

What makes you think your engine will get hotter crawling around teh bush than on teh freeway ?

I have alway found it to be the complete oposite. The fins I have seen don't have fans so they woudl be useless in the bush anyway.

I agree, if you're crawling there is minimal load !!!!

How hard is the oil pump working to pump oil to a cooler on the roof !!! forget the heat problems, what about the nil oil pressure :jesus

How much air will a scoop collect at low speeds ??

what about running ducting from the scoop down to your cooler/ engine to take advantage of air flow at high speed ??

Run two for cold air induction 😀

» Air Scoop OPINIONS

thebronze is smarter than he looks.

all we need now is baja wes to take a counter point of view on oil coolers, mounting, positioning, full flow, bypass, fans, ect & we'll have a full on tech thrash & us plebs will be the better informed for it....

bring it on

Yeah, I've watched "SKIPPY", those kangaroo's are so much more smarter than they look 😀😀

helterskelter400 wrote:all we need now is baja wes to take a counter point of view...

Well funny you should say that 😀

I found my vw engines (1776, 1835 and 1915) always got their hottest crawling around offroading doing 1st gear work. I put it down to the hot air from the engine and exhaust recirculating through the cooling fan. Occasionally it would get to 100 deg C crawling around.

When I then sped up the engine always cooled straight down. It never got hot on the freeway. It would get to maybe 80 deg C on the freeway.

Having said all that, a roof scoop ain't going to do anything to cool your oil while crawling around in first gear. If you really want to keep it cool at low speed you need a thermo fan on an oil cooler, which won't fit in the roof scoop, and if it did would be rather pointless.

I just personally think the Baja scoops are ugly and not functional. There are heaps better ways to keep your oil cool. The best way to use the standard dog house cooling system.

If you want to build a californian look baja then the roof scoop will be cool, but only a few people in Australia will understand what it's about. I wouldn't do it. You will hit it on low lying branches offroad.

Thanks Guys,

I deliberately didn't offer opinion in order to get discussion and ideas floated. You have raised points I had and hadn't considered.

Points I had considered:
Cosmetic V Function- Is it needed,
Function: consequences and cooling.
I had considered urban damage like dickheads but not branches.
I had considered oil pressure thanx to Jeff Hibbard.
And oil cooling - bypass and idle temp.

Cosmetic:
How many people could relate to the US 60's Baja look.
If a Type 5 look was desired how much more would I have to do?
Baja's are ment to be function Offroad!
Rollover would render me kaput!
Extra oil needed and possibility of leaks.

I appreciate the greatest minds in the country debating the pro's and con's of the scoops.

My opinion:
I like the cosmetic / history of the scoop. I think it is a valuable piece of history and shouldn't be discarded. On a trailer towed Caged Type 5 full offroad Baja the scoop would have it's place. On a registered weekend bush pushing warrior the scoop would not last. All I had to do was think of some of the spots I get into at Stockton to realise that it would not be a good option.

Thanks Gent's 😉

😀 Now whats a good motor for putting around in sand? 😀

The Bronze.