McGuillicuddy
Veteran Member
Just wondering what the consensus is around winter fronts for the MKIV. Do they noticeably help warmup times in our climate? Worth the ~$100 investment? Any drawbacks?
Winter front helpful/necessary? (for MKIV)
- Thread starter McGuillicuddy
- Start date
DumpInfo
Veteran Member
Interesting...anyone know?
I just put some foam pipe insulation that you can buy at home depot, here's the thread
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=160835
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=160835
DumpInfo
Veteran Member
^^ Now that is great! Thanks for posting!
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deflux
Veteran Member
I have the winter front covers that Brian sells. I think they are replicas of the ones VW used to sell. I honestly haven't really noticed any difference. This will be my first winter with a frostheater so I guess having the covers might help keep the heat in.
scorpion
Active member
McGillicuddy; on my 06 JETTA TDI I covered the lower grill completely [cardboard & tag ties] The upper grill openings I used Velcro strips to hold the cardboard on,so I can easily remove them if necessary if it ever gets too hot here in northern ont . I should mention I have after market honey comb grills [ps-I painted the covers so moisture will not screw them up]
maxmoo
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2011
- Location
- Lakefield, Ontario, Canada
- TDI
- 2000 golf, 2001 golf, 2000 beetle, 2003 wagon, 2004 golf, 2004 jetta, all diesels
^ This works really well and makes a significant differance when its really cold out, especially at higher speeds.
yatzee
Top Post Dawg
yup, I've used them in the past - they seem to really help when you're on the highway and it's effing cold outside.
Slowrvr
Veteran Member
I don't think they're really necessary until it get's really cold (like -20 cold). Last Christmas on my way back from the East coast it was crazy cold, -32 or -33 at one point in Quebec and the car would not heat up. There was a crash on the highway at sitting still at idle the temp plummeted. Same at high speed. But that is uncommon around here.
McGuillicuddy
Veteran Member
I spend the vast majority of my time at 80-120 km/h on the highway, so it sounds like it might be helpful in my case.
Cogen Man
Veteran Member
Necessary ? No. Do they help in winter warm up times. Yes. I did the 1/2" foam pipe insulation trick and it worked a bit. Last winter before the polar vortex hit I had a winter front from IDparts for my 2011 Golf TDI. Worked and looked a lot better than the insulation. No drawbacks. I have the lower portion on my rig now.
http://www.idparts.com/catalog/inde...n&filter_sess_year=2003&filter_sess_vehicle=9
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dlb
Veteran Member
YEP ... another vote for the pipe insulation ... works great and its cheap as hell - I like that
!!!
amit9
Veteran Member
+1 for this. I use it and find that it does make a significant difference in the warm-up times during the morning drive.
Purch
Veteran Member
I used corrugated plastic found on the side of the road, compliments of a local mayoral candidate. I cut the plastic to fit behind the upper and lower grills. You can't even tell its there, does a fantastic job and doesn't cost a penny.
DarthTDI
Active member
I've also got the winter front on my mkiv from IDparts.com and it so far seems to help. Mind you it's been less than a week, and I've only seen -4 degrees Celsius so far but it's much easier to keep this thing warm in town so far.
That foam trick is neat but just a little too ghetto looking IMHO
That foam trick is neat but just a little too ghetto looking IMHO
DarthTDI
Active member
That's just me, I'd rather pay the 84 bucks to have something look nice than save 80 bucks and have something that works just as well. The fact that I spent close to 200 bucks on detailing supplies just for this car should tell you what's wrong with me haha.
DarthTDI
Active member
Some of us are Ballers on a budget, I dig it
nkgagne
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2010
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario Canada
- TDI
- 2015 Sportwagen 6M, 2006 Golf GLS TDI (sold)
YEP ... another vote for the pipe insulation ... works great and its cheap as hell - I like that
+1. Dirt cheap and effective (you may pay more for the cable ties to secure it on).
I didn't put any on last winter until too late, when it quickly became too cold outside to put it on. (I'm not playing with pipe insulation and cable ties in an open parking lot in -20 C!) Did I ever miss it! My commute also became temporarily shorter during that time and I had a bunch of traffic lights, plus it's hard to generate any load on polished ice because it was too cold for salt to melt anything. Heat? ROFL...
Real ghetto ballers do it without zip ties. Cut the outside edges at the appropriate angle and be extra legit. I have never lost one in three winters. Maybe cuz I get mad respect in my hood!
And Im a deep shiny mirror like zaino freak too
And Im a deep shiny mirror like zaino freak too
Aviator69
Active member
Liking the low buck idea with the foam pipe insulation... for extra security you could probably strap it on with a a few ty-raps [zip-ties]...
DarthTDI
Active member
Mad respect dude
After cleaning my jetta I realized how much I miss rust, faded paint, and not giving a crap about my wagon. You can't buy character like that in a bottle.
I can only compare the way we care for our cars in respect to how to care for a horse. Many times the first thing a horse will do after a wash is to go for a roll in the dirt. Some cowboys and especially some cowgirls get pretty frustrated. I say you don't wash a horse to keep it clean, you wash a horse to take care of it. I still do a two and a half hour wash/wax twice a year. I don't do it because my 11 year old car has immaculate paint. I genuinely like taking care of it. I keep saving for a badass turbo but i keep spending it on others things. Anyway, the paint and clear coat aint peeling. Although lots more new teeny chips and other little things I notice every time I finish with the clay bar. My car has that weird galactic blue/purple paint, .I added lots of black accruements. So the pipe insulation looks alright to me. Although I do have the leather setup for the lower grill. I get mad respect to any and all here who take care of their ride. I have learned a ton ;-)
nkgagne
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2010
- Location
- Kitchener, Ontario Canada
- TDI
- 2015 Sportwagen 6M, 2006 Golf GLS TDI (sold)
I also zip-tie on my hubcaps to my steelies when I'm running them (and make sure I have snips in the spare tool kit), so I guess I like making sure things don't fly off the car. Too much? Well, better safe than sorry, right?
Decivox
Veteran Member
I have the winter fronts and honestly didnt notice a huge difference. I think the foam/cardboard home made jobs would be more effective as the winter fronts dont cover the entire grille.
craig01b
Top Post Dawg
They do work, nothing worse than driving into a traffic jam on the 401 at midnight coming home from work, and watching the temp gage dropping as you idle along in January.....-12 overnight here in Quebec.....it's coming!
DarthTDI
Active member
Yeah, I know exaclty where you're coming from. I enjoy driving a car that even though it's not immaculate, it's protected from all the crap that normal road use does to a paint job. I'd rather go wash a car once and have everything come off and look nice than have to wash it a bunch of times and still have an ugly beat up paint job after it all. My wagon, yes I don't really care about the paint job, but I did wash it weekly rain or shine, and I have show pictures to prove that all the original chrome is still immaculate. In the salt belt doing something like that goes a long way to keeping rust from happening over the long term, or even getting worse over the long term.
PS: Sorry for the accidental thread hijack all hahaha