How Do I Stop Cold Air Coming From the Emergency Brake?

Most likely the tunnel access cover is missing from behind the front beam assembly...

If so, you can fabricate one easily and the installation is a piece of cake with the car on jack stands.....

Behind the axle beam there should be a oval inspection cover, sometimes these are missing allowing air into the tunnel. Also check at the rear of the tunnel at the trans for a 2" rubber seal that seals the nose cone to the chassis

Make sure that the shift rod coupler inspection cover is in place, too.

Also go buy a rubber vw safety brake cover and install under the VS cover. 

Thanks all, I'll check these three items.

Here's one that Alan mentioned -

 

Hmmmm?  Just wondering if that access hole could somehow be used to funnel that cold air through the tunnel to the engine compartment?  What's at the opposite end?

Ahhhhh Ram Air 

Troy - only the shift inspection plate and the rubber trans nose gasket mentioned --- hopefully its not rust out causing leak.

 

Exactly!  Just attach a large oval scoop under the nose and funnel all that air through the tunnel to the engine compartment.  All our over heating problems would be solved and that would end all of the "mental masterbat***ing"about it.  

That is brilliant! Why didn't the Germans do that?

I've done heat in the tunnel.....roasts you out

 

 

Troy, you're a trouble maker, aren't you?

 

Yeah, Troy; where's the fun in that?

LOL.  Just to be clear, I don't think there has been any "mental masterba***ting" going on in that other thread.  I appreciate all the comments and the work that has been put in to solving our overheating problems (which I currently have) as well as all our other issues.  Thank you.

The only 2 vent locations at the rear of the tunnel are the tops of the frame horns and the shifter access panel. Putting big holes in the frame horns won't do their structural integrity any favors and ducting from the shifter access would have interfered with the rear seat. Plus there would be concerns about wind noise inside the tunnel and cold air in there would make cabin heating even more problematic.

Ram air from the horn grilles to the heat ducts and out back to the heads?

I'm doing something every close, but not to the heads.  Instead, the air will flow into two grills located just in front of the air cleaners.

 

I think Terry Nuckels did almost the same thing, with the flow enhanced by a bilge blower, but if I recall, he said even that had very little effect on engine temps.

 

Here in California's central valley, I usually overheat before the engine. When it's over 85 out, an open car in the midday sun is not where I want to be. Now is the best Speedster weather of the year. Highs in the mid-seventies and no rain yet.

 

In mid-summer, I drive the Speedster early mornings and am off the road by 11 am.

 

 

 

 

.....Putting big holes in the frame horns won't do their structural integrity.............

 

I have done this a few times boring a 1.75" hole on top of the frame horns,  useing heavy wall pipe welded in as the heat port connection, the pipe acts as a gusset allowing the frame horn to remain solid.

Pictures of your project Ron!

Alan, is there anything you haven't tried? U da man!

Picutures coming in a couple of weeks.....I hope.

I'm out on the road trucking 13 hrs and 450 miles a day...my mind wanders coming up with some off the wall ideas hence, sometimes I try it out.

Latest doable idea ( that I will not do) is a Harley themed speedster (Harley guys will buy anything with Harley on it) with many Harley interior parts . For the motor a wrecked Harley bike using the cut down bike frame frame to still house the motor making mounting points off the VW chassis large frame horn bolts....

Now where did I leave my Bong ~

Here's another idea.  How about if we first use Alan's method of routing the heat directly from the heat exchangers to the interior via vents in the tunnel or behind the seats.  Then repurpose the heater tubing, that runs along the rocker panels, to funnel air from a long, low profile, oval shaped scoop placed near the beam.  Then extend those tubes directly into the engine compartment.
Even at speeds as low as 20 miles per hour, that would direct one heck of a lot of ambient temperature  air to the engine compartment.
WOW!  This "mental masterb***ation stuff really feels great.

I would think putting a scoop towards the rear under each rocker panel cavity would work as well without needing more than 3-4 feet of tubing per side. Ie, you use the fiberglass and frame of the cavity as the top and sides, close off the bottom of the cavity with like a 6 inch long piece of flat material to form the scoop, and attach the tube at the rear of that. It wouldn't have as much ram-air effect as a front scoop, but I would think it would pull in a decent amount at speed.