Check out the custom air intake grill I made

[ThreePedalPlow]

I know this is controversial but I'm just running this until / if the aftermarket offers something better. I spoke to Anderson Composites and they are making something with mesh in that area. Until then, I used a hexagon grill mesh to try to match the design of the hexagon grill covering the radiator. I didn't want to dremel out the existing hexagon fill plates because I wanted mine to look a little different than what I saw everyone else doing so I dremeled out the whole section from the backside and used my own mesh. I actually tested Ford's setup against mine in a sense by using an air canon pointed in the general area before and after. My setup was flowing exponentially more air. I know it's not extremely scientific. Just my observation with a little cowboy science. Say what you want but no CELs and she runs like a mad dog. The Steeda ProFlows I added today are going to get a direct shot of air now. I'm ready to be "grilled" now...

Sponsored

 

[roket]

it would personally bug me to no end that the pattern and scale are different, but it's still really cool! honestly not sure why Ford blocked some of the holes on the stock grill

 

[MidLifeManifustang]

Looks nice! Exponentially more air? How did you measure that?

 

[ThreePedalPlow]

it would personally bug me to no end that the pattern and scale are different, but it's still really cool! honestly not sure why Ford blocked some of the holes on the stock grill

It was the closest I could find. They are just smaller hexagons but they were the biggest hexagons I could find in a pliable black mesh. I actually thought about leaving it completely open like the Dark Horse but wanted something a little different than what I have seen around the interwebz. I was also worried the dremel wouldn't make clean cuts and muck up the exterior side but it worked extremely well. If I told someone I spent 3 days cutting it with an exacto knife they might actually believe me.

 

[ThreePedalPlow]

Looks nice! Exponentially more air? How did you measure that?

I measured the distance from the ground to the middle of the air intake on the grill and set my air canon in a fixed position blowing air in that area from the same distance at the same air speed before the mod and after the mod. All I had to do after the air canon was turned on was put my hand in the air filter box without the air filter in place to feel the difference in airflow. What I can't measure is with the lid closed so that is why I said it's kind of a crude cowboy science.

 

[thelostone]

it would personally bug me to no end that the pattern and scale are different, but it's still really cool! honestly not sure why Ford blocked some of the holes on the stock grill

Probably to prevent excessive water from rain storms …that’s why they recommend not to drive a dark horse in rainy weather because of the open intakes on the grill

 

[RaceRedder]

To each their own, but for me the pattern is too small.

 

[ThreePedalPlow]

To each their own, but for me the pattern is too small.

I will say I wanted to use something about twice the size I did but I couldn't find it. This was the biggest I could find with a similar hexagon pattern in black. If I could have found something bigger it probably would have been easier to mold into the shape I needed as well. The smaller hexagons also made the mesh somewhat difficult to mold to the curvature of the backside of the front fascia in that area. Molding it around the little lamps in that area was a PIA as well.

 

[ThreePedalPlow]

Probably to prevent excessive water from rain storms …that’s why they recommend not to drive a dark horse in rainy weather because of the open intakes on the grill

I noticed all kinds of odds and ends while I had the front fascia off and I was messing with all of this. They have a little hole in the airbox incase water gets in there but it wouldn't flow much water. Might be 1/8 of an inch or so. I also noticed the pony in the grill unscrews from the backside. I thought it was molded into the grill beforehand. Now I kind of want an illuminated mulitcolor pony and to tap into a RGB wire somewhere to match my mood lighting.

 

[roket]

Probably to prevent excessive water from rain storms …that’s why they recommend not to drive a dark horse in rainy weather because of the open intakes on the grill

i havent had any issues with rain so far, but i guess we will see when monsoon comes around

 

[RaceRedder]

I will say I wanted to use something about twice the size I did but I couldn't find it. This was the biggest I could find with a similar hexagon pattern in black. If I could have found something bigger it probably would have been easier to mold into the shape I needed as well. The smaller hexagons also made the mesh somewhat difficult to mold to the curvature of the backside of the front fascia in that area. Molding it around the little lamps in that area was a PIA as well.

But I like you took your own creativity in your own hands and decided to experiment. I'm way to afraid to do such things.

 

[ShaZadam698]

I wonder how it would have looked just open?
the mesh doesn't look terrible, but I agree it would drive me wild to see 2 different patterns.

but none the less love to see the community coming up with different ideas..

 

[ThreePedalPlow]

I wonder how it would have looked just open?
the mesh doesn't look terrible, but I agree it would drive me wild to see 2 different patterns.

but none the less love to see the community coming up with different ideas..

I had it just open for a little bit while I still had the front fascia off and it looked good like that as well. I probably would have been happy with that look too. It was kind of like the Dark Horse but just looked like a black void compared to the Dark Horse's grey outlined hole. No pictures of that unfortunately. We have so much stuff falling out of the trees here all the time combined with big bugs and I wanted some mesh just to keep some of the debris out of the air filter box.

 

[ShaZadam698]

I had it just open for a little bit while I still had the front fascia off and it looked good like that as well. I probably would have been happy with that look too. It was kind of like the Dark Horse but just looked like a black void compared to the Dark Horse's grey outlined hole. No pictures of that unfortunately. We have so much stuff falling out of the trees here all the time combined with big bugs and I wanted some mesh just to keep some of the debris out of the air filter box.

Oh yeah, I'm sure it would look cool, but the actual daily use of them being open would be more worrisome plus like someone said above the amount of rain water that would come in might be a slight problem

 

[Zig]

I had it just open for a little bit while I still had the front fascia off and it looked good like that as well. I probably would have been happy with that look too. It was kind of like the Dark Horse but just looked like a black void compared to the Dark Horse's grey outlined hole. No pictures of that unfortunately. We have so much stuff falling out of the trees here all the time combined with big bugs and I wanted some mesh just to keep some of the debris out of the air filter box.

Somehow this post lead me to wonder… what if it was open but the screen was in the box, at an angle just in front of the filter, following it’s form?

Sponsored