[Dave at Pelican Parts]

There are a number of different possible locations for coolers. The choice of location influences the choice of size (or vice versa).

The best cooling will come from a large cooler in the front trunk. Pop out the plugs in the front panel (behind the bumper), fabricate ducting to and from the cooler, and vent the air either out the bottom, or out the wheel wells. Or possibly out a LARGE hole in the top of the trunk lid.

Other options are possible. I know several trailer-riding track cars that have coolers mounted in front of their front bumper. Of course, that means that *any* fender bender or parking lot mistake can easily put your car out of action. (Or kill your motor if the leak isn't obvious before you get in the car.)

Both of those require running oil lines up to the front of the car. This is usually done between the (outer) rocker panel and the longitudinal, or sometimes through the heating ducts inside the longitudinal.

A fairly low-impact location is on the engine lid. A fan is needed to get reasonable air flow through the cooler. The hoses are relatively easy to run. But--you have to remove the rain tray, and you wind up pre-heating your intake and cooling air. Not a lot, but some... This doesn't get the best, highest-pressure cold air, but it does seem to work pretty well.

Another option is to hang the cooler under the rear trunk floor. Again, a fan is needed due to the lack of good flow. The air down there is also heated by the exhaust, so it isn't the best location as far as cooling. But it does seem to work. I was trying to do that one myself, but it was taking too long and I have temporarily halted that project. See Mike "914 Lite" Nugent's homepage for some details on this type of mount. Link from the "Big Fours" tech article.

Some Six converters have done something close to that. They have cut a hole in the trunk floor (in a non-structural area!) and mounted the cooler in the hole. They had already cut holes in the forward edge of the trunk (into the engine compartment) to make room for the fuel system of the Six (CIS or DME), so the air could get in there and out the bottom. Not sure if a fan was used. It seems to work.

Check Steve Iverson's 914 page (on Pelican Motor City, see the main page for a link) for some of the details for the last installation.

--DD