Intake heat shield installed - impressions

[Rapidrezults]

Just finished installing the DSE Gen V Intake Heat Shield. As expected, excellent instructions and top quality craftsmanship. Took it for a little cruise and I can honestly say the car felt so crisp and responsive with no drop off. It may be all in my head but it just feels faster. Normally the car feels crisp like this right after warmup and then a slight sense of sluggishness sets in as the temps build. No more! Monitoring IAT's they didn't get above 83 in 70 degree ambient temp at a stop light. Most of the time they were hovering around 73-76. For a minute I thought something was wrong with the sensor as it stayed at 75 at the stop light.

All in all - worth it.

[Zybane]

Hm, I may have to look into this. Today in the DC heat my black Viper IAT was 126 C at a stop light. Almost $500 shipped is a bit pricey for a simple heat shield though!

[FLATOUT]

Doug has a lot of time on that piece and I think I've had three different versions of it on my Gen V's at this point. Glad you like it!

[FLATOUT]

Hm, I may have to look into this. Today in the DC heat my black Viper IAT was 126 C at a stop light. Almost $500 shipped is a bit pricey for a simple heat shield though!

It's not simple, 500$ is about as cheap as it gets for Viper parts, and if I were Doug I would have charged a bit more. It helps with a major problem and looks OEM.

[v10tt]

I installed mine last night, very nice piece. My only observations is I was not able to use the supplied (2) bolts that attach the air box with the shield and the fan shroud. Bolts are too short. I had to reuse the OEM plastic ones as they are longer and can reach.

On the picture posted above the center small lip of the shield should go above the plastic that covers the fan shroud.
Also the clips for the bolts that attach on the fan shroud to the air box are supposed to be removed and reinstalled on the new heat shield. The heat shield tabs go under the fan shroud and the plastic OEM bolts go through the air box, shroud and shield.

[SSGNRDZ_28]

Just finished installing the DSE Gen V Intake Heat Shield. As expected, excellent instructions and top quality craftsmanship. Took it for a little cruise and I can honestly say the car felt so crisp and responsive with no drop off. It may be all in my head but it just feels faster. Normally the car feels crisp like this right after warmup and then a slight sense of sluggishness sets in as the temps build. No more! Monitoring IAT's they didn't get above 83 in 70 degree ambient temp at a stop light. Most of the time they were hovering around 73-76. For a minute I thought something was wrong with the sensor as it stayed at 75 at the stop light.

All in all - worth it.

Thanks for your feedback. See below v10tt's comments on the install (sorry I missed your email).

I installed mine last night, very nice piece. My only observations is I was not able to use the supplied (2) bolts that attach the air box with the shield and the fan shroud. Bolts are too short. I had to reuse the OEM plastic ones as they are longer and can reach.

On the picture posted above the center small lip of the shield should go above the plastic that covers the fan shroud.
Also the clips for the bolts that attach on the fan shroud to the air box are supposed to be removed and reinstalled on the new heat shield. The heat shield tabs go under the fan shroud and the plastic OEM bolts go through the air box, shroud and shield.

Yes, the supplied thumbscrews are too short due to the spacers on the Gen V (they are more than long enough for the Gen IV), I'm looking into a solution for Gen V owners. In the meantime the OEM screws can be used. I'm wondering if even a small amount of foam could be used on the radiator to space the shield up and allow the screws to thread into the nuts.

[SSGNRDZ_28]

Hm, I may have to look into this. Today in the DC heat my black Viper IAT was 126 C at a stop light. Almost $500 shipped is a bit pricey for a simple heat shield though!

I agree, $500 would be expensive for a simple shield, but the design is anything but simple. There isn’t a straightforward part of the shield design as it has to surround the airbox and tubes yet not interfere with any of the other parts of the car (hood, radiator, crossbrace, tubes, airbox, hoses, etc.). You may notice several pockets, cutouts, bends and angles that are required to do so while achieving maximum shielding capability. The shield bolts on without modification to the car. Here are some additional facts regarding this product:

- Thousands of dollars spent in prototyping materials and costs (not including engineering / design time and access to expensive tools such as a laser scanner and FLIR camera)
- The two piece construction requires complex bends and welds and must be fabricated by experts.
- The design is compatible with both the Gen IV and V, eliminating the need for two designs and therefore reducing customer cost.
- The ceramic coating is very high quality, yet relatively cost effective and black in color. For the group buy the ceramic coater underestimated the time and material costs to sandblast and coat each shield. We will be having discussions regarding the future price (which has not yet been accounted for in the $425 price).
- Quantity is everything, which is why the group buy allowed the sale price to be cheaper. One shield could not be fabricated for $425 (not to mention ceramic coated). If I only get 10 made at a time the sale price would be $600. I’m investing thousands for a larger quantity in hopes I’ll sell them to keep the price lower.
- Since these are large parts, storage is an issue. Each kit can be safely stored in a 18” x 14” x 12” box, imagine the volume it takes to store 10, 20, or more of these.
- Since these are large parts shipping is expensive, especially if shipped to the west coast or outside of the US.

If $425 is too expensive for the market (it may be, not sure), then those that now own them certainly will own a limited edition product.

[Rapidrezults]

I installed mine last night, very nice piece. My only observations is I was not able to use the supplied (2) bolts that attach the air box with the shield and the fan shroud. Bolts are too short. I had to reuse the OEM plastic ones as they are longer and can reach.

On the picture posted above the center small lip of the shield should go above the plastic that covers the fan shroud.
Also the clips for the bolts that attach on the fan shroud to the air box are supposed to be removed and reinstalled on the new heat shield. The heat shield tabs go under the fan shroud and the plastic OEM bolts go through the air box, shroud and shield.

I ended up using the original supplied plastic bolts as well. I just figured the others were for a Gen IV when I looked at the length.

[Rapidrezults]

One thing to note, while it does seem a bit pricey, I was very surprised at the level of detail and engineering that went into this piece. It may look simple in the pictures but I can tell you up close there is quite a bit that went into it.

[Unorthodox]

Hm, I may have to look into this. Today in the DC heat my black Viper IAT was 126 C at a stop light. Almost $500 shipped is a bit pricey for a simple heat shield though!

I've purchased several of Doug's items, including this heat shield, and I'm always impressed with his products. Initially, I thought the battery cover was priced on the high side; however, you do get what you pay for. If you want top quality and excellent customer service, you can't beat his stuff. Price is a moot point, for me, on his products now.

Michael

[darbgnik]

I agree, $500 would be expensive for a simple shield, but the design is anything but simple. There isn’t a straightforward part of the shield design as it has to surround the airbox and tubes yet not interfere with any of the other parts of the car (hood, radiator, crossbrace, tubes, airbox, hoses, etc.). You may notice several pockets, cutouts, bends and angles that are required to do so while achieving maximum shielding capability. The shield bolts on without modification to the car. Here are some additional facts regarding this product:

- Thousands of dollars spent in prototyping materials and costs (not including engineering / design time and access to expensive tools such as a laser scanner and FLIR camera)
- The two piece construction requires complex bends and welds and must be fabricated by experts.
- The design is compatible with both the Gen IV and V, eliminating the need for two designs and therefore reducing customer cost.
- The ceramic coating is very high quality, yet relatively cost effective and black in color. For the group buy the ceramic coater underestimated the time and material costs to sandblast and coat each shield. We will be having discussions regarding the future price (which has not yet been accounted for in the $425 price).
- Quantity is everything, which is why the group buy allowed the sale price to be cheaper. One shield could not be fabricated for $425 (not to mention ceramic coated). If I only get 10 made at a time the sale price would be $600. I’m investing thousands for a larger quantity in hopes I’ll sell them to keep the price lower.
- Since these are large parts, storage is an issue. Each kit can be safely stored in a 18” x 14” x 12” box, imagine the volume it takes to store 10, 20, or more of these.
- Since these are large parts shipping is expensive, especially if shipped to the west coast or outside of the US.

If $425 is too expensive for the market (it may be, not sure), then those that now own them certainly will own a limited edition product.

Yup, economy of scale applies to everything, and it's not like you're stamping them out, and pushing them out the door....... I'm not 100% sure I need this mod, but it isn't the price that's the issue. Thanks for supporting the community.

[ViperPete]

All I know is that i'll buy one when I can!

Living in FL the temps are usually north of 80 most of the year so a mod like this will be very useful.

[CarolinaViper]

The price is very reasonable for the limited number that will be sold. Has anyone tested it yet in temperatures 85 degrees and above yet. If so please, post the results both while driving, but more important why idling, like in the staging lanes at a drag strip.

Thx

Jeff

[Zybane]

I agree, $500 would be expensive for a simple shield, but the design is anything but simple. There isn’t a straightforward part of the shield design as it has to surround the airbox and tubes yet not interfere with any of the other parts of the car (hood, radiator, crossbrace, tubes, airbox, hoses, etc.). You may notice several pockets, cutouts, bends and angles that are required to do so while achieving maximum shielding capability. The shield bolts on without modification to the car. Here are some additional facts regarding this product:

- Thousands of dollars spent in prototyping materials and costs (not including engineering / design time and access to expensive tools such as a laser scanner and FLIR camera)
- The two piece construction requires complex bends and welds and must be fabricated by experts.
- The design is compatible with both the Gen IV and V, eliminating the need for two designs and therefore reducing customer cost.
- The ceramic coating is very high quality, yet relatively cost effective and black in color. For the group buy the ceramic coater underestimated the time and material costs to sandblast and coat each shield. We will be having discussions regarding the future price (which has not yet been accounted for in the $425 price).
- Quantity is everything, which is why the group buy allowed the sale price to be cheaper. One shield could not be fabricated for $425 (not to mention ceramic coated). If I only get 10 made at a time the sale price would be $600. I’m investing thousands for a larger quantity in hopes I’ll sell them to keep the price lower.
- Since these are large parts, storage is an issue. Each kit can be safely stored in a 18” x 14” x 12” box, imagine the volume it takes to store 10, 20, or more of these.
- Since these are large parts shipping is expensive, especially if shipped to the west coast or outside of the US.

If $425 is too expensive for the market (it may be, not sure), then those that now own them certainly will own a limited edition product.

Oh don't get me wrong I'm not knocking the product it looks really well designed. Maybe more or less mad that I missed the group buy lol. I guess I never thought to check all of the sub-forums here.

It is amazing how hot these cars engine bays get. I thought my GTR with it's twin turbo's got hot but this is right up there. The heat rising from the six vents on the SRT hood is quite startling. My own high IAT readings and your IR imaging swayed me. Order placed.

[SSGNRDZ_28]

The price is very reasonable for the limited number that will be sold. Has anyone tested it yet in temperatures 85 degrees and above yet. If so please, post the results both while driving, but more important why idling, like in the staging lanes at a drag strip.

Thx

Jeff

The product should excel at the staging lanes at a drag strip. That is where it will be most effective. I hope to collect some additional data soon but also expect some of my customers will collect their own and begin to post shortly.

Oh don't get me wrong I'm not knocking the product it looks really well designed. Maybe more or less mad that I missed the group buy lol. I guess I never thought to check all of the sub-forums here.

It is amazing how hot these cars engine bays get. I thought my GTR with it's twin turbo's got hot but this is right up there. The heat rising from the six vents on the SRT hood is quite startling. My own high IAT readings and your IR imaging swayed me. Order placed.

Thanks for your order, sorry about missing the group buy but I had to draw the line somewhere!

[SSGNRDZ_28]

It's not simple, 500$ is about as cheap as it gets for Viper parts, and if I were Doug I would have charged a bit more. It helps with a major problem and looks OEM.

One thing to note, while it does seem a bit pricey, I was very surprised at the level of detail and engineering that went into this piece. It may look simple in the pictures but I can tell you up close there is quite a bit that went into it.

I've purchased several of Doug's items, including this heat shield, and I'm always impressed with his products. Initially, I thought the battery cover was priced on the high side; however, you do get what you pay for. If you want top quality and excellent customer service, you can't beat his stuff. Price is a moot point, for me, on his products now.

Michael

Thank you all for your kind words!

[esm_viper]

Is this available to purchase on your website?

http://dougshelbyengineering.com/Viper.html

[SSGNRDZ_28]

Is this available to purchase on your website?

http://dougshelbyengineering.com/Viper.html

Yes there are links on the left side of the page for US and Canada shipping.

[esm_viper]

Awesome! Just ordered one, it's always hot in South Texas.

[ViperPete]

Thanks for being an innovator.

Now, make some better exhaust heat shields so my wife doesn't complain about the heat!!!!!!

[Rapidrezults]

Thanks for being an innovator.

Now, make some better exhaust heat shields so my wife doesn't complain about the heat!!!!!!

Add me to this list! I'm tired of the yellowing on my white paint!

[Zybane]

Thanks for being an innovator.

Now, make some better exhaust heat shields so my wife doesn't complain about the heat!!!!!!

And a oil catch can solution for the GENV.

Thanks for being an innovator.

Now, make some better exhaust heat shields so my wife doesn't complain about the heat!!!!!!

I wonder if there is enough room in the sills to do this on a GEN V:

https://theviperstore.com/Viper_Side...Directions.htm

[ViperPete]

And...proper...beautiful Valve covers! Not those plastic covers for the valve covers! But beautiful aluminum valve covers!

[RPM9000]

I got mine yesterday and will install it tonight. It looks like a quality piece.

[SSGNRDZ_28]

Gen V catch can - going to measure for it soon, many have been asking for a solution. All other things mentioned will be evaluated. Thanks for the ideas.