Electric fans are ugly......tech.

I've seen that done and you could see the electric fan through the bars of the grille! You think one exposed behind the radiator looks bad, try seeing one through from the front! Even painted a flatter black, at the right (or wrong - take your pick) angle in the right (or wrong again) light it was visible and ruined the look of the car - wish I had a pic to illustrate.

I really like the camoflaged version Bobby's come up with, I think it very successfully addresses the old-timey feel alot of us are after. Kudos on a job well done.

Steve

 

You have a great point there Mr. Green. You aren't hiding anything or disguising it at all, just making it look better.......and it works.

 

Cool idea. I like it.

 

Its only easy to see if YOU know its there...99% of people would'nt see it as coz they DON'T know its there - that has been the case with me.

Still great lateral thinking and thats what its all about !!

Rat

 

.... will have to get the 50's dual window fan with the aluminum shroud out of the recycle pile ..

it will be just right for 32 grill

paperdog

 

that is agreat idea. i will use that on my coupe. thanx.

 

I likey.

 

I'm going to steal this idea. Hope you don't mind...

 

Bugman,... I'm sick of lookin at the em. Please do it. That's why I posted this thread.

 

Be carefull covering the motor, it is a permanent magnet motor and heat kills it quick.the motor shown is a 80 watt pancake motor rated at 60% eff., every 10 degree increase in heat takes equal out of motor.if it does not work well on hot day consider drilling a few holes in cover.

 

heat kills a electric PM motor so be carefull covering the motor, motor shown is 80 watt PM and is rated at 60% eff. so you really don't have a lot to loose, if car heats up on hot day, condiser removing cover and see if fans works a little better, if so then drill a few hols in cover, not pretty but might work.

JD

 

I think this image of being period perfect is over rated and not what rodding is about. Old stuff is cool and I love it more than most but use what works without shame....except billet shit.

Being anal about period perfect is like being an over conformist restorer to original (another form of period perfect).

I guess most of us feel the desire to be famous for something.

I have noticed HAMBERS posting that they received a trophy or award. So does that make them trophy hounds?

WE ALL LIKE TO HAVE COOL RIDES and appreciate others admiring them. Unfortunately most onlookers don't get past the shiney expensive paint. Their opinion isn't meaningfull to me. I admire hot rods and customs that are a personal expression of something original built by plain dudes.

OK enough soapbox rambling, your turn.

 

O.K....I guess the "Green Grenade" isn't period perfect because it has an electric fan on it?
I would rather have my engine run then be on the side of the road watching everyone else go by. But if I were broke down because I didn't use an electric fan to avoid the over heating problem, to remain "period perfect",you would all agree, that's O.K.?
Sorry, not upset with anyone, I just don't understand. Let's cutoff our nose to spite our face sort of thing.
I like the idea of using the old fan cage to hide the electric fan, but it was stated he still had to install one, he had no other choice.

DD

 

I'm so glad that some people are jabbin back at the period perfect jerks who feel they need to call people on their wrongness. Don't get me wrong; I completely admire the talent of making something look old and keeping it to a certain year. But I think you're right, it is allot like the guys that make sure that the wire that runs from the ignition to the neutral safety switch on their road runner (I don't even know if they have neutral safety switches) is the same tint of green as the original<o></o>
<o></o>
I say, "make it run then worry about what YOU want it to look like." There is something out there for everyone and I think we should only write about people&#8217;s cars if we like them, not if we have problems with the builders&#8217; choice.<o></o>
<o></o>
On my Dash:<o></o>
"Enjoy my truck for what I did to it, not what you would have done to it."<o></o>

 

well said,i dont really give a shit wheather my stuff is period correct or not ,the time is now and its correct for me .period. not sayin i dont like them though.

 

+1....I agree totally.

BTW, I had to go with an electric fan on my nailhead powered '33. Would've preferred mechanical, but I went with what worked (and the electric works well).

 

I used your idea last spring and looks great! Thanks

 

Missed this thread last week, but I must say that looks great.

I run a electric fan on my roadster and I will admit it looks kinda out of place witht he 283 with 3 strombergs and the rams horn manifolds. I have a overflow tank as well but not quite ready to resort to a old canteen for the vintage look

But I think the early fan grill idea is rockin. Thanks for posting.

 

Great idea!

A little off thread but how did you buy your fan; that is did you shop for a fan by cfm or ?. My 1937 Griffin aluminum Radiator is 16" wide, my flathead is 59AB 3/4 Race. It looks like I can find a 16" wide S blade fan between 1500-3000 CFM. On the flathead I presume max CFM would be desireable? Appreciate any advice on electric fan selection. I wanted an engine fan but just can't make it work with 12V alternator, MSD crab type distributor, engine & radiator in stock position. Any advice on fan selection and setup appreciated.

Bill
Gardnerville, NV

 

Tirediron
You can't really select an after market electric fan by CFM rating, because there is no standard - every manufacturer has their own numbering system, and it is worse than OEM power ratings. The rating is only useful for comparing 2 fans of the same brand, and sometimes only within the same line. Note that OEM electric fans generally stomp all over the after market stuff.

Back in the early days of FWD imports, some had electric fans with 4-5 metal blades, with a stamped metal frame. The radiator height was fairly low, so they should fit in a pre-war shell width. I know, Toyota parts on a deuce is sacreligeous, but it would look better than a plastic fan on a period style car.

Tempo fans kick butt - on low-speed they beat most after market fans, and they are bulletproof. Too bad they SOOO ugly.

Another thing to look at is hot air balloon fans - the ones they use to partially inflate the balloon on the ground. there are some little ones (14" or so by the look) that have metal blades, and a shroud, and a wire finger guard. They come in 110 and 12V. And they move A LOT of air. Maybe too much.

If you really want to make it look like it was done in the 50s, do it like they did electric water pumps. Mount the fan from a vintage house fan of the correct diameter, cage and all, to an idler pulley and bearing assembly (mounted with a home-fab'd bracket), and spin it with a belt from a period correct 12V electric motor in the same HP range as the 110 volt motor originally used on the house fan. Or hang your fan-pulley-bearing assembly from the engine and belt drive it.

As for the sound, it's a hot rod. If you can hear the fan over the exhaust, there is probably something wrong with one of them.

 

Amazing idea.

 

Yep. I am bringing this back up from the thread this morning about electric fans for traditional hot rods.