moldable/cuttable plastic for DIY projects
 

So I'm looking for a type of plastic I can source at home depot / lowes etc... that is somewhat moldable and cuttable. Think the thickness and denesty of our airbox. Also willing to explore online purchase options.

I'm trying to create a block off "plate" or cover for my oil cooler in the winter.

any suggestions? have some other various ideas that such plastic would be useful for as well.

Plexiglass and sugru. Keep in mind that radiator might get quite toasty.

http://www.mcmaster.com/ anything you can imagine, and all kinds of plastic sheet:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-pl...sheets/=nur0kd

You can also pay Tap Plastics a visit. I've used HDPE sheets from them for under body cladding, I'm sure you can use thicker sheets for your application.

umm if you're going to put plastic in the engine bay, please look at the temp range before you do so. Off the top of my head, two plastics that work well under the hood are delrin and phenolic.

I find the plastic of soft-drink bottles handy. Very tough and light weight, heat resistant, see-through, areas cut out are often the shape you already want, ducting, tubes etc. , crimp, secure with duct tape . Lasts for > 17 years in engine compartments.
Dunno how to glue it successfully yet.

Look into kydex. It's a thermo plastic used a lot in the firearms industry among other things. Heres a few things i've made with it:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...a/_MG_5202.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...a/_MG_4873.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...a/_MG_4877.jpg

This won't work if the radiator is over like 150* F.

Why does it have to be plastic? Sheet metal at the thickness you're talking about is still very light and easily shaped. Clean it good and coat it with some high temp paint.

doesn't have to be plastic, guess I'm just more scared to shape/cut metal. What sheet metal would you recommend that is readily available? Does home depot carry aluminum sheets that are small?

I'm pretty sure they have small pieces of the same stuff they make ducting out of.

I am using blue tape right now.

I'd switch to cardboard and duct tape for below freezing temps but I won't be driving my BRZ once the roads start getting salted.

The main thing is blocking air flow through the fins. Your car is still going to cool oil more than a stock car because of the extra pathway it is taking.

I wanted to do something like this as well, but I just ended up taking the thermostat completely out of the sandwiched plate and now oil temps are find in -10C (coldest its been so far, but I am expecting to see -35C) to doesn't take much longer then with no oil cooler to warm up and it runs at 190 under normal driving

Used this for wheel wells....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HDPE-High-D...72.m2749.l2649