Modifying the engine bay

Has someone modified the engine bay of the Beetle so that you could hydraulically open the top to let in more air when the weather gets hot and to also act as a spoiler?

Sometime ago, I bought a fixed device which enabled this. But the problem with this method was that you had to physically manually open and close the lid.

I thought it would be really cool if the whole thing could be done hydraulically.

I saw a photo in the USA recently in which a late model engine lid [1968-76] had the top section made to look like an early porsche 911 that did have a spoiler with vents that opened up at about 60kmh..
I don't know what they used to open it [electric motor or window winder maybe] but when it was open You could see into the top half of the engine bay...

whether the spoiler part actually did anything apart from letting a lot of air into the engine bay, whether it actually scooped air into the engine bay>??

looked great and well made..

I don't know of anyone who has done that in Australia to the lid opening and closing.. heard a lot of people talk about trying to do it..
can't be too difficult.. even using a window winder to open & shut the top of it...

LEE

A few people in the US have tried it using VW Corrado electric spoiler motors, but the cost and work envolved far outweighs the 2 mins it takes to fit or remove hood jax.
Neat feature though.


Lee, you're thinking of that Grey Bug from Germany
It's more for downforce than cooling purposes.

The french are big on this for some reason.

That Grey Germanlooker is very nice.

Joel wrote:A few people in the US have tried it using VW Corrado electric spoiler motors, but the cost and work envolved far outweighs the 2 mins it takes to fit or remove hood jax.
Neat feature though.


Lee, you're thinking of that Grey Bug from Germany
It's more for downforce than cooling purposes.

I actually did get the hoodjacks and installed it - but the pins kept on getting stuck making it a real pain in the neck to close it.

It would be sweet if I could find a mechanic who could engineer it so that it could easily pop in and out without having to pull out the pins.

Just for the new comers, this is what the pop out engine lid should look like when its activated.

And it should simply close without having to mess around with removing hinge pins etc.. Ideally with somekind of a hydraulic mechanical system.

you just need 2 small motors to wind out a screw thread on a hinge or cantilever style bracket for each hinge. OEM motors like this usually have a built in stop point so they don't break themselves 🙂

its the top lip / rain channel that would be the problem

Get rid of that and its a POP

Just prop it open at the bottom with a mx5 headlight actuator....that should be easy 👍.

Craig Torrens wrote:Just prop it open at the bottom with a mx5 headlight actuator....that should be easy 👍.

True that. the low air pressure at the lower rear should help draw air thru the grill under the rear screen.