The thing looks like a bit of an air brake to me so I was wondering is there any advantage in removing it? I have a large aftermarket alloy rad and have also cut away the numberplate section and it runs well cool.

It is your call, but I wouldn't remove it. It was missing it when I bought my third gem and I had a overheating problem on hot days.

Now the rest is just guessing, but removing it might also cut some front down force. The air dam may function a bit like a splitter or maybe more like the rear spoiler put under the front of the car.

Let some of the guys that know more about aero chime in.

The airdam, in addition to increasing the efficiency of the radiator, blocks a lot of air from packing under the nose and raising it. It also reduces aero drag. Try extending it lower, right to the pavement if your class allows, with a rubber addition.

I ran mine over the weekend on the street without it, and it got HOT!!!! I have a huge Griffin radiator, 2500 cfm fan running all the time and I saw temps of almost 230 while driving on the freeway and side streets! It stays cool as long as the car is not moving....
It is interesting that it may function as a splitter and reduces drag..... that kills my theory of ducting all of the air through the nose and sealing off the bottom..... plan b it is....

I didn't realize you were going out that night without the air dam. If I'd realized, I'd have made more of a point to tell you not to. lol.

Ok thanks guys, we are having a bit of a heatwave in 'Ol England at moment up in the low 90's so maybe I had better leave it as GM intended!

Check that it hasn't been shortened significantly from rubbing, and that the webbing on the backside is intact and the hardware is tight. I've seen them worn down (up), and loose or busted so they bend back at speed - both bad.

Will do, its had a few trips into the kitty litter so probably not perfect.

So, converting to a top breather is not a good idea?

I'm thinking the answer there is no. just make sure the radiator is sealed off to the radiator support.

Our ~85 Firebird came to us with a little spoiler that was attached to the bottom of the radiator support. Summer events with a two-driver car, even on relatively-short autocross courses would cause the car to get pretty hot (220-230 deg-F). I grabbed the entire under-bumper ducting off Firebird in a junk yard, and installed it. The temps immediately calmed down, even in 100+ degree heat we normally have in these parts. I later discovered that I really didn't need the upper ducting (that bolts to the bottom of the bumper cover to the top of the radiator support, and down the sides of the radiator support), but the factory front chin spoiler that spans entire front of the car was very necessary to keep the car cool.

I figured if I still needed the ducting, I'd start bending aluminum, as the factory plastic parts were more than 10# altogether. Turns out I haven't yet. We'll see how things work with the new mill.

I just returned from a long drive with only the air deflector installed, and foam sealing the rad to the support, and temps were 190 or less, with a 1" restrictor in lieu of the high flow stat. I would have never believed it. I will get the nose sealed off, widen the air deflector and call it done. Thanks for the help guys!

One other data point- I have a aluminum aftermarket radiator ( of somewhat unknown specs), and I have all air coming in through the front tunnel. There is a duct between the front fascia and the radiator. The car has a splitter and such, so no air dam under the car anymore.

Even in Memphis-hot weather on a track session I never see temps over 215. I believe the thermostat is a 180. Water pump is electric. Fan is electric -from a junkyard, again somewhat unknown origins. I glassed a heat extraction tunnel int through the top of the hood to encourage airflow in the right direction.

Thinking about it now, it even stayed cool without the splitter on.

I find the thing annoying gets in the way when trying to jack the car up or get it on the trailer, its well bent back anyhow. I also have a huge Northern Rads alloy rad with two very efficient 12" fans and have cut awy the front where the number plate went and the car runs super cool. I don't believe I would have an over heating problem with my set up without the dam (could always take it off and refit afte practice if I do) but I am also interested in if the thing effects performance in a straight line as it does look like a bit of an airbrake to me. Oh I should add its a Camaro not a Firebird sl again better as a front breather.

Again, just based upon my experience with racing Vettes, removal of the front spoiler could add lift to the front end at speed. Try thinking of your Camaro's front end as a wing with the airflow over the nose of the car as the curved part of the wing and the underside of the car as the straight part. The faster you go, the getter the pressure differential between the two sides leading to lift.

Having a spoiler was absolutely essential for both the C2 (absolutely horrible aerodynamics in stock form) and C3 (added as much spoiler as the rules allowed). The C4/C5 performed best with after market splitters while the C6 came with one from the factory.

Hope this helps.

I guess I had better leave it on for now, thanks.

I've spent a fair amount of time under our 92 B4C Camaro and find it to be much more of a 'bottom feeder' than a front breather. There's a fair amount of air being ducted into the intake from the front (100%, IIRC), and the front spoiler there is essential to keeping it cool.

Yes, they are a regular PITA to get a jack under. Luckily, they are mostly flexible, so ramming a jack under the car past the spoiler does little damage to the spoiler itself. Our trailer has 15'+ ramps, so the front spoiler isn't a trouble there. If it were, I'd do what I did to my 71 Trans Am C Prepared car, and that is mount all the front spoiler parts on Dzus fasteners. It was a 2-minute job removing and reinstalling them. I suspect I'll have to do that when we finally get a front splitter on the car (Paul?).

A couple of fellow competitors have done that to their 2nd Gen Camaro:

http://oversteergarage.com/cp-camaro/

The black bits on the front of the car come off with like 8 Dzus fasteners.

It shouldn't be too hard to configure something like that for just about any spoiler. I discovered on the Trans Am that anywhere a 3/8" bolt fit, a Dzus fastener will fit just as well with little mods. I think the 3rd Gen uses something small like 4mm bolts, but the holes for most of those bolts could probably be opened up a bit.

here's a another question: For those of you using a splitter on the front of a 3rd gen Camaro, have you blocked the holes in nose at the license plate? Will the air deflector grab enough air with the splitter installed? I have enough Alumi-lite to build a splitter that projects past the front lip of the lower valance on the nose about 4". I'm figuring the splitter will be about 5" from the pavement. If I seal off the open spaces forward of the bumper support beam and allow air in through the opening from the rad support to the bumper support and as wide as the rad, will that be sufficient air flow?
Please post any pics you may have of front splitters on Camaros. I'm curious about the under tray fab work.......

how do I loada picture here?

you have to link it to photobucket or similar unfortunately

Oh.

Well the picture I was linking will not add here either so here is the web page. Buddy added a splitter and front breather to his 85. You can stand on the splitter in the middle. Balanced out with the spoiler out back.

http://www.casc.on.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=28118

Looks good - That's one of my spoilers on the back. The car would probably benefit from lowering an inch or 2 both ends.

I don't disagree with the lowering. At Mosport into 5 it might drop a fair bit. Not sure how he arrived at that height, might have been for ease of trailer loading. I believe before the splitter was installed the air dam may have sat lower.

Good eye, yes it is your spoiler. I got it for him from Kevin.

This setup allowed him to take off over 3 seconds at Mosport. Current best time is a 1:32.4 I think, fastest 3rd gen yet I believe.