Front Grille Covers - for winter

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markthemenace

markthemenace

10 Year
Joined
Oct 5, 2011
Threads
34
Messages
464
Location
Pitt Meadows BC
Does anyone else cover their grille during winter? I decided to do so after noticing that it took a long time to warm up my Cruiser, even after plugging it in for 2 hours before hand. In addition, I found that when stopped in traffic, the temps actually started to dip below the first hash mark.

So...didn't really see much out there, and all the dodge and chevy boys have boring old black quilted stuff, I came up with my own.

P16960101.jpg


I know its a dodgy photo (dark, and my iphone isn't so good with dark), but you-all can get the idea. Before I designed this purposely for my cruiser, I just used a blank piece of vinyl over the grill and it gave me the desired temp that I was looking for, which is after the first hash and below the 2nd one...sorta in the middle of the range. It worked. My temps are pretty stable now and they keep steady even in the heaviest traffic.

I'll have to test it on some steep hills to see if they make a difference.
 
Thanks. Yeah...I thought of the cardboard idea, but I like things nice, and being a graphics guy, this is one of the things I can do pretty easily. The TEQ logo was redrawn in vector, I like the final result!
 
markthemenace said:
Thanks. Yeah...I thought of the cardboard idea, but I like things nice, and being a graphics guy, this is one of the things I can do pretty easily. The TEQ logo was redrawn in vector, I like the final result!
Click to expand...
Howdy! Being a graphics kind of guy, maybe you will appreciate the way I used to do this in Wyoming. I cut down the aluminum press plates from the newspaper where I worked to fit between the grill and radiator on my FJ 40. Worked great. I also covered the front half of the bottom of the engine bay from the radiator back with press blanket material. This helped keep the snow from packing into the engine compartment when I was out drift jumping. John
 
I like it Markthemenace, I have been looking for something and was planning on taking mine somewhere to have them make. Would be nice for them to be able to duplicate the toyota emblem on there.

R
 
Have always used winter covers, especially when I lived in Alberta. My BJ60 had a factory installed winter roll down "window shade" that fit just behind the front grill. It was the neatest trick! On my BJ70, I always use a winter cover on the outside of the grill. Made of vinyl and quilted and snaps into place on front. Wish I had those cool graphics like yours. Nice!
 
I use an inexpensive floor mat that slides up or down between the rad and the A/C coil. I adjust it at different times of the year depending on temperature. Simple, easy, cost effective.

I like the looks of the Toyota grille and didn't want to change it or invest a bunch of time or money.
 
Mark, I concur with the rest. That looks like very neat workmanship. However, the current temps in the Lower Mainland rarely - if ever - require a rad cover. If it is taking a long time for your Cruiser to warm up at -2C to 8C, I would suspect that your thermostat is shot. The daytime highs would have to be below -15C before I would bother with it. I use to run my diesel Rabbit at temps between -30C and -42C (not factoring in windchill) without a rad cover. The coolant always got hot enough to keep the car warm. What I really needed was a tranny oil warmer and a tire warmer. Square tires don't turn so well. :hillbilly:
 
Thanks for sharing your thoughts guys. John, you're probably right about the thermostat. I know in 300D, it also takes awhile for the engine to warm up, but once warm, it more or less stays between 90-100 deg C. I also know that when the Merc thermostat fails, it will fail in full cooling mode and temps will be at or below 80 when it does.

How does the Cruiser behave in fail mode? The same? Also not sure of what the actual temps are. I suppose I should break out the IR temp gun. I just guessed that it should stay about the middle.

Anyway, I really like my grille cover. It's just zip tied at the top and held at the bottom with magnets. Come summer, I'll just cut the ties and roll it away for storage. Or maybe Velcro it to the dash as a cover :D
 
canucksafari said:
Mark, I concur with the rest. That looks like very neat workmanship. However, the current temps in the Lower Mainland rarely - if ever - require a rad cover. If it is taking a long time for your Cruiser to warm up at -2C to 8C, I would suspect that your thermostat is shot. The daytime highs would have to be below -15C before I would bother with it. I use to run my diesel Rabbit at temps between -30C and -42C (not factoring in windchill) without a rad cover. The coolant always got hot enough to keep the car warm. What I really needed was a tranny oil warmer and a tire warmer. Square tires don't turn so well. :hillbilly:
Click to expand...

John

Great info but where were you last year when I asked when I should run a cover! :D

Mark

Whats that spare do to temps in the summer?

Tony
 
Hi Tony, I've only owned the Cruiser for couple of months so no idea what the spare's effects are to temps during summer. I've seen movies with NATO Cruisers (or were they UN ones) that were running around in Africa or some such hot place with their spares up front, with seemingly no ill effects.

A buddy of mine loved the look and called it a 'safari' look. I don't mind it at all.
 
canucksafari said:
However, the current temps in the Lower Mainland rarely - if ever - require a rad cover. If it is taking a long time for your Cruiser to warm up at -2C to 8C, I would suspect that your thermostat is shot. The daytime highs would have to be below -15C before I would bother with it.
Click to expand...

Personally, on my 3B, it will not heat up around town when it's in the 30's and 40's F (0-10 C). On the highway, it warms up just fine. I had my thermostat out a few weeks ago and tested it in boiling water. Opens and closes just fine. Dunno. But, after I put some cardboard in front of the radiator, it works a lot better.

:cheers:
 
My 1985 BJ60 has a roll down rubber blanket in front of the rad that appears to be factory. I just squeeze my hand in there and it rolls out to cover the surface area of the A/C with the rad right behind it of course.

Id love to take a pic but this dial up is slower than most dial up and it would take half the night to do so.
 
FF LC FREAK said:
Personally, on my 3B, it will not heat up around town when it's in the 30's and 40's F (0-10 C). On the highway, it warms up just fine.
Click to expand...

If it isn't coming up to running temp within 15-20 minutes of driving around town, then perhaps you have the wrong thermostat in there and it is opening too soon. I know for my TD4.2 there are 3 OEM thermostats to chose from depending on the climate you normally operate in. Its a good idea to make sure you have the right thermostat in there. Not only will it help your fuel economy; but, it will also keep your engine running cleaner.
 
markthemenace said:
Thanks for sharing your thoughts guys. John, you're probably right about the thermostat. I know in 300D, it also takes awhile for the engine to warm up, but once warm, it more or less stays between 90-100 deg C. I also know that when the Merc thermostat fails, it will fail in full cooling mode and temps will be at or below 80 when it does.

How does the Cruiser behave in fail mode? The same? Also not sure of what the actual temps are. I suppose I should break out the IR temp gun. I just guessed that it should stay about the middle.

Anyway, I really like my grille cover. It's just zip tied at the top and held at the bottom with magnets. Come summer, I'll just cut the ties and roll it away for storage. Or maybe Velcro it to the dash as a cover :D
Click to expand...

Atleast in my cruiser temps sit bit above the first line always, only time I managed to push the meter into top half was when i was trying to pedal trought really wet swamp in low range :grinpimp:
 
Ive got one of those stock curtains as well. I love it. I pull it 4/3 down and my electric fan never comes on unless im in town in stop and go traffic.
Truck warms up alot faster and will maintain 190F temps as oppose to going as low as 170 if im on the freeway. I pull mine down as soon as it gets around freezing and forget about it all season unless im heading into the mountains. I have always done this as I found that the stock fan can move a ton of air even when the fluid clutch isn't grabbing (before I switched to electric). I always run new tested 88C thermostat.
 
Nice cover Mark! Love the artwork ;)

BTW, does anyone have pics of this OEM curtain? Just curious...
 
FF LC FREAK said:
Personally, on my 3B, it will not heat up around town when it's in the 30's and 40's F (0-10 C). On the highway, it warms up just fine. I had my thermostat out a few weeks ago and tested it in boiling water. Opens and closes just fine. Dunno. But, after I put some cardboard in front of the radiator, it works a lot better.

:cheers:
Click to expand...

My 3b is the same way seems like the heater hardly ever blows warm but I attribute that to short drive cycles and city driving. (Has a new thermostat) I work five miles from home so it never even gets to operating temp. I know this isn't good for the engine. I was thinking of this the other day actually and think it would be neat to make a sliding door so to speak behind the grill with a cable connected to it so you could open and close as needed from the pilot seat.
 
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