Genuinely Custom Gill Designs

[Jbraud]

So I'm considering trying out some fiberglass molding that i've been researching by making custom gills for my roadster, and anyone elses if they turn out good and people are interested. and i figured i'd start a thread to record how well the results turn out.


But to start, does anyone have any custom designs that they think would look cool for gills on the z's?

[BenFenner]

Make a blank-out piece and you might have some serious interest?

[wrench13]

Curved gills might look cool. Also actual down draft ports might too, like on an old aircraft engine.

[E.Hands]

Something functional instead of cosmetic is what should have been there from the begining.

[Jbraud]

ya i thought about trying to make some blank out pieces for practice because i think they might look interesting with the z3 badges on them or even the engine type badges on them. I'm going to try to do several different types, both functional and cosmetic

[Nighthawk399]

Im interested in a set of functional if they work out

[Bear Grylls]

I want functional

be awesome if it could be a partial intake for the air intake

[Kyle Anderson]

To be functional you have to cut out metal from the hood.

[aquirolando]

To be functional you have to cut out metal from the hood.

Plus one on that, my car is being processed in having functional gills, it will be up and running in about a month and a half.

[wcampbelliv]

Wouldn't functional gills that feed the intake be loud? I'm not sure if I would want to hear the intake sucking air in the gill area all the time. It seems a little too close to the windows.

Maybe I'm wrong though.

[Kyle Anderson]

Wouldn't functional gills that feed the intake be loud? I'm not sure if I would want to hear the intake sucking air in the gill area all the time. It seems a little too close to the windows.

Maybe I'm wrong though.

I think most people intend on them being functional for heat dissipation.

[wcampbelliv]

I think most people intend on them being functional for heat dissipation.

Fair enough, hadn't thought about that.

Is heat really a significant issue in our engine bays?

[Jbraud]

i think that i'm going to start out with some completely solid pieces for practice and then try some that have a single curve from the top left corner-if you are looking at the drivers side that is- and curve all the way down to the bottom right corner of the plate. then add some fancy mesh or something like that to it

[Joemamaman]

Just my opinion.. and maybe my Z3 is still too new to me... But I like the original gills. It's the Z3's signature!

Sure they were copied (thank goodness that's over)... but they still look fine on the Z3 (At least to me) and I haven't seen any other sets make the car look better by having them. To be honest, even the M side "gill" doesn't quite look right on the Z3, (it's fine on the M of course). I have to admit though, I didn't like the fake blocked off texture of the M gills. At least the Z3 gills are real vents w/ a screen in it... although that's a moot point since the hood isn't vented anyway...

In the long run, when all the aftermarket stuff gets old... it's the oem look that survives the times, and retains value, UNLESS the new gills you make are REALLY tasteful, and compliment the design of course.

That being said... good luck!! and keep us posted!~

[Tazmanian Devil]

Fair enough, hadn't thought about that.

Is heat really a significant issue in our engine bays?

If your boosted, it gets a little warm under the hood

[Bear Grylls]

If your boosted, it gets a little warm under the hood

Or if you have headers that are not ceramic coated...

[BenFenner]

Also helps reduce lift at speed.

[Gofast]

Regarding "Functional" Gills;
Those locations don't go anywhere good inside the engine bay. You're pointed at the fuse box on the driver's side, and the ECU and emissions pump (in a sealed compartment) on the passenger side. The most functional thing to do is leave them closed, there's a reason they're only cosmetic.

[NWFLBimmer]

I saw this about a year ago and I really like it!

[BenFenner]

Regarding "Functional" Gills;
Those locations don't go anywhere good inside the engine bay. You're pointed at the fuse box on the driver's side, and the ECU and emissions pump (in a sealed compartment) on the passenger side. The most functional thing to do is leave them closed, there's a reason they're only cosmetic.

When I finally took a real good look at the situation, this is the conclusion I came to as well. Not only that, I recall real frame rail in the way...
It would take a lot of work to make them functional and me happy with it, so it's not happening.

[coupe du jour]

repeating my mantra...drop, wheels, (stylistically) done.

[kojohns]

I saw this about a year ago and I really like it!

Very interesting... deleting the gills really emphasizes the nice hood/door/rear-quarter body line that continues from front to rear...that had never caught my eye before due go the gill breaking up my focus.

I kinda like it

[AlexP]

If there's a gap between the bonnet and the frame behind the gills where heat could escape, then they could probably be made semi-functional at least.

[RAW VEGAN]

It would be interesting to make em functional while at the same time still able to keep water out even though this would require drilling into the hood. Always wondered if anyone had done this.

[austinchance]

I always thought it would be cool to just mill a replacement for the chrome parts of the M sides in slightly more angular aluminum.

Blank out plates make the car look a little too phallic to me....