so..this morning i got bored and decided to take off the ugly black plastic peice that always scrapes the driveway when i pull in....AND i welded some new tips on =]

 

lol that piece helps your car run cooler

 

you NEED the airdam, trust me, i thought it was ugly too

 

JamesC

 

You need that piece to keep cool. I just ordered one for my 89 RS because it doesn't have one (missing when I bought the car). I've been putting it off because my fan switch is shorted and the fan runs all the time, but I have the parts to fix that too. The only time I've overheated is when my fan motor burned out.

 

you actually DONT need it, but it makes a big difference in cooling. My dad ran his iroc without the air dam fer years and it was fine, just was really hot! But once he put it back on it was wayyy cooler

 

Those aren't those ri5er tips that point up at the end are they?

 

well no ****, thats why you do NEED it, its the only way air gets directed to the rad when the car is moving.

OP, put it back on.

 

Thank you for proving that you DO need it.

 

Camaro's have an air inlet in the front bumper. Altough some cars (TPI) have the air intakes down there. Firebirds are true bottom feeders, no openings in the front. I saw one TransAm that lost its air dam, the guy didn't know any better so he took a hole saw and cut a bunh of hole into the bumper cover for air flow.

 

He's right the Firebird has NO opening for air unlike the Camaro's I have a TPI the air dam and the previous owner ripped it off and it ran almost to hot to drive. So I didn't drive it until I put another one on it.

 

:agree: You must have the "ugly piece that always scrapes the driveway" ie air dam under the car - otherwise you'll overheat at highway speeds - the fans don't provide any flow at highway speeds, and the air dam creates a vacuum that sucks fresh cool air through the radiator.

On the tips - I'd be concerned that the heat they will build up will melt the plastic rear bumper cover - looks like they are touching now. Also, exhaust needs to move freely with engine movement - that's why they hang it instead of attaching it to the frame - with it touching the rear cover, they are going to vibrate and rub marks into the rear cover, and along with the heat generated, you might ruin that rear bumper cover, which isn't cheap to replace!

 

Yeah it makes it run cooler, but im saying if you take it off, the car will run hot. But you WONT overheat. So you DONT need it, its just a big help.
You should be fine if you drive with it off.

 

from personal experience in my TA.
Yes you do need that piece for cooling.
It will overheat at highway speeds.
Cooling has always been an issue with my TA!
I fixed for good and for the last 5 years, 195 is the hottest it has ever gotten!

The camaro has the two openings, where the driving lights usually go, that would assist in cooling at highway speeds where the Firebirds do not!

If you have driven your 3rd gen without that ugly looking air dam and did not overheat, you are very lucky!

 

lmao at op

 

Thats true, i didnt realize the camaro was the only one with the opening by the lights!

 

depends on were you live, 70mph on 110* day in vegas and it will overheat. A nice cool autumn day in Jersey, different story.

 

yeah hes in so-cal so he shouldnt have a problem lol, but yeah vegas would probly be too hot!

 

NC is too hot in the summer - we average mid 90's for highs - I'd see what I could do to make it pretty again, and reinstall it.

 

wow...alright....
my verdict:
1. put the air dam back on?
2. cut the tips off and putt the old ones back on (chrome tips that point down)
3. ask around the forum before i do anything else again xP
thanks guys.

 

#1.. put the air dam on because its is likely to cause running issues with your car.
#2.. the tips are cosmetic, thats your choice.

 

well they DO point up (ri5er status) but whatever...and its already blackened the back bumper a bit....

 

Is it possible to just loosen the tailpipes at the clamps and rotate them down away from the bumper?

 

if they blackened the bumper than they're probably going to start warping it too. if you like em see if you can lower the whole tailpipe, although that might make them look stupid.

 

+1 on the airdam(n) thing. had my formula overheat badly once moving over 42mph because that's when the fan shuts down. that's where you need the airflow from the airdam, plus it will supplement air feed to the radiator when the fan is on as well. and around here it rarely goes over 90° on hot summer days. had that happen with a new radiator.. it boiled over again and again till i added the airdam the preowner had taken off. no more problems after that.

 

Im personally not diggin the tips but it doesnt matter what I think. The air dam is necessary.

 

yeah, put the air dam back on, and if you rotate them 180* and point them down instead it will probably be ok
nice car BTW

 

thanks =] but if i point em down they might look dumb xP just gonna cut em off...cuz tthere not just clammped on..i welded them.

 

if you like the 4 outlet style tips look for some borla exhaust tips. there's a guy around here with a 91/92 bird and it looks nice with em

 

That air dam is pretty important on these cars as there's no grille on the front of these cars to help cool the car at highway speeds.

Also keeping the motor cooler = more HP

 

longer life span too