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And if you do, you find that 'jury rigged' is not only an older term, but more apropos in this instance as it's a temporary measure.

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/9245

The term is "Jerry-rigged". As Casey said, you could look it up.

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You know, In case some of the passengers smell like curry.

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That brings up images I wish I hadn't thought of.

I wish I'd known about this with my old TurboDiesel, that thing had a rough time in the winter.

Getting soft there Cory, I was just concerned. You always hear stuff after the fact especially with these busses such as "this could have been prevented" Perhaps I was overly concerned the cardboard through me off. Also thanks monroe for the quick lesson on the rig phrase. I was linking it up with something else from the oldtimers but same idea. I'll let it go for now.

The only way to be sure is to go to the next Captains meeting. It should be entertaining, because I don't think he was kidding.

I'd like to think Heights was joking. Please, God, let me be right.

I should have used one years ago driving in VT during a brutal cold spell (early 90's). It was -28 oF when I headed out in my Oldsmobile. Even with the heat on full, the snow in the foot well never melted during the entire trip. My 3.8L V6 engine became 'air cooled'. The temperature gauge never budged.

The common term for these things is "winterfronts"

http://www.truckersmall.net/winterfronts.html

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BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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Blocking off part of the radiator has zero to do with in cabin ventilation.

Many vintage cars had contraptions, like Venetian blinds or adjustable shrouds, to achieve the same thing. Here's a British car, a Jensen 541, with such a device.


https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&si ... img..1.16.846.WveL3NxonM8

And 'jimmy rigged'?? The term is jury rigged, and it has nothing to do with Hague like politics, it's a sailing term for a mast repair.

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It's really not necessary to report this. It's as tried and true a solution as putting chains on your tires or bags of sand in your trunk. It doesn't pose any danger to the passengers.

Just another jimmy rig contraption. They would not pass inspection with this concept. I will bring this up at my next Captain's meeting to see if they are enforcing this critical issue. That area should allow for ventilation especially is passengers are present.

The internet is your friend.

From NPR's Car Talk...

Dear Tom and Ray:

A group of us get together at a diner for coffee most mornings. Recently I made a critical error and told the guys that I had put a piece of cardboard in front of my radiator for the winter. So, when it's 20 below zero, my Toyota warms up quickly. And instead of the temperature gauge sitting near the "cold" mark all day, it comes up about a quarter of an inch on the gauge. Well, the responses ranged from "Have you lost your mind?" to "You're going to ruin the engine," to "It won't do any good." My friend -- our resident pseudo-engineer -- explained that the thermostat in the cooling system handles all that stuff, and that any participation on my part, by adding cardboard, is completely unnecessary. He convinced the group that he was right. But is he? -- Joe

TOM: No. He has his head up his radiator hose, Joe. In extreme cold temperatures, like when it's 20 below zero, your cooling system may work too well.

RAY: Here's a basic description of how the system works. Most engines run most efficiently at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. So the coolant just stays inside the engine -- and does not get sent through the radiator -- until that temperature is reached.

TOM: Then the thermostat opens, allowing some of the hot engine coolant to flow through the radiator, where it gets cooled off by the cold air blowing through it. By opening and closing like that, the thermostat keeps the engine in its most efficient temperature range, and allows you to have hot air blow on your tootsies.

RAY: But here's the problem. When the ambient temperature is very low, it takes longer for the engine to reach operating temperature. And then, when the thermostat finally opens and allows the coolant to flow into the radiator, the ice-cold coolant that HAD been sitting in the radiator then gets pushed into the engine, lowering the engine temperature far more than necessary. So, the engine spends a lot of time BELOW operating temperature, fighting to get warm enough.

TOM: So when it's bitterly cold out and you cover up the grill with cardboard, you're preventing the frigid outside air from blowing through it, and keeping the coolant inside the radiator from dropping to the temperature of the outside air. You're also allowing some of the radiant heat from inside the engine compartment to warm it as well.

RAY: That's why you see a lot of big diesel trucks with roll-down shades on their front grills. It's not because the engine is doing something private. They're blocking the airflow to the radiator, just like your piece of cardboard does. And when the temperature rises, they roll up the shade and let the thermostat do its job.

TOM: And by the way, if anybody's looking for cardboard for their grill, I still have the box that my most-recent ex-wife left me to live in.

Makes sense. Thanks!

It's an old school trick for keeping the warm air in your engine bay since you don't need to cool your radiator when it's this cold.

Just curious...