Coastal Metals Front Grill Test Results   

Perforated Steel Grill    Coastal Metals Front Grill        Wire Mesh Grill

Metal screens are normally divided into three categories, perforated metal, expanded metal, and woven wire.  Over the years grills have been fabricated from all three screen materials.  Open area percentage can make a big difference in air flow and overall performance.  Below are sizes of the three types of metal and the percentage of open area we tested.

Woven Wire 1/4" 20 Gauge                                         66% Open

Perforated 1/4" Round Holes at 5/16 Center                 60% Open

1/2 " Expanded Metal                                                  60% Open

Performance wise (i.e. temperature and cooling), the woven wire mesh works the best to increase air flow.  However woven wire is structurally weak, expensive, and difficult to work with.  Expanded metal is inexpensive and artistic but drastically reduces air flow due to it's poor aerodynamic characteristics which increases temperatures even more.  The Coastal Metals Grill is also made of stainless steel instead of aluminum to resist, scratches, chips, and dings in the metal.  Below are the results of the different metal screens after driving five minutes on interstate conditions.

    The copyright design of the Coastal Metals Grill incorporates the least air restriction for the application of protecting the S2000.  Small holes in the perforated metal drastically reduce air flow while large holes let debris into the condenser and radiator.  The 1/4" perforated stainless with 5/16" centers was the best choice for maximizing airflow  and minimizing bugs, rocks, and debris.  The grill may look the same on the front and back, however the grill must be placed correctly to achieve its aerodynamic qualities.  This is due to the orifice radiuses on the perforated material.

    The results of the front grill tests show that with the grill on the temperature around the radiator is an average of 15 degrees warmer than without the front grill.  As you can see in the picture above, over time without the protection of the front grill debris will begin to clog and deform the condenser causing damage and increased temperatures to the radiator and condenser, on the Honda S2000.

Above shows the results of test runs taken after running the car for a period of five minutes at the average speed.  Other results were thrown out due to uncontrollable variables (i.e. cars, traffic lights, and stop signs).  The grill does make the temperature in the radiator compartment hotter, however the results below show the effects of blocking the airflow to the S2000.  The Air Induction variable is the side pieces for the grill, and whether they were blocked or open.  The side pieces are allowing more airflow into the cooling chamber, distributing the air more efficiently. During this test the car did register 4 bars on the temperature gauge, however when the side pieces were taken out it dropped back to three bars, even with the front opening completely covered.  With these results it seems that the Honda S2000 will not register 4 bars until it goes over 220 degrees, and drops back to 3 bars under 220 degrees.  Tests also show that the Honda S2000 reaches three bars at 120 degrees and four bars at 220 degrees.

Results Of Blocking All Airflow To The S2000

THE S2000

   On our Honda S2000 #00233 the grill is a vital addition.