was looking at my firebird yesterday parked next to my durango when a question popped into my mind, how do firebirds breathe? I saw this big nose that will suck my shirt into it if I walk in front of it on my durango


and this on the firebird


and i was thinking most cars i know of have some sort of open grill to suck air through, challenger, charger, mustang, heck even a corolla has somewhat of a grill for air to flow through to get through to radiator. I just dont see how air gets into our birds.

 

I honestly think it was poor design. Maybe it gets some air from the air dam, but I doubt it's much. Same goes for the camaros. This is why an open element is a big upgrade from stock. Breathing in a lot of hot air is better than breathing in little to no air that might be a bit cooler.

 

The nose of the car and the AIR DAM create a high pressure area underneath the front bumper/valence that forces air up into the cavity in front of the radiator. Believe me, it gets all the air it needs at anything above 30 mph (below that your fan should take care of it).
This is why it's critical to maintain the air dam as the factory installed it.

 

^ Exactly right.

 

These cars and the 4th gens are bottom feeders they draw air described by86LG.

Having no grille reduces drag; it improves aerodynamics, boosts fuel economy etc. The 3rd gen firebird was one of
GMs most aerodynamic mass produced models ever made.

Why do think the OEMs are now putting shutters in the grilles of their cars & trucks which close when at speed?

 

Under 30 your fan must work or your car will over heat. Over 30mph and you must have an intact air dam or your car will overheat.

 

The airdam also has another side.
As it creates a high pressure area in front of it and forces the air up into the radiator, there is a low pressure area directly behind it, allowing the hot air to escape downward and leave the engine bay.
I have no idea if and how much the outlets on the hood or in the fenders do for heat extraction, though, which the Firebird doesn't even have.

 

The hood and fender vents on 3rd gen Trans Ams were just for show. The air dam under the radiator support (also called the chin spoiler) is the critical piece. If yours is missing or mangled, buy a new one. Install it using ALL THE FACTORY BOLT HOLES. You don't want it flopping around in the breeze.

The difference between a mangled/worn/bent-back OEM unit scraped against a million parking curbs, hanging on by its fingernails and a fresh/straight/rigid new one mounted properly can be pretty dramatic.