My vents got installed in February. I live in the NKY/Cincy area and we get plenty of rain, sometimes alot for days at a time. I have the drip pans and, like alot of others, drilled one small hole in the outer front corner of each. When you've driving the rain barely enters the vents at all anyway. When it pours and your car is parked it really doesn't accumulate nearly as much as you'd think and IF it does some, with the drilled holes it will drain out to the front sides of the engine, and no, it's not much and doesn't get on belts or anything. You can barely ever notice that any water has gotten into the engine bay at all and I'm pretty anal about the looks of alot of chrome items I have under the hood.

Hex Vents
 

Hi HPE brought two sets of hex vents one black set, one white set just can't get myself to drill that first hole....lol Looking forward to that free install ! Bob.:w00t:

I have asked steve the same question via phone and not got a good answer yet...I need to keep debris from a trop storm out from the top...the water drains are only part of the problem. I was thinking of add'l powdercoated plates that would cover and snap on with small 1/8 in magnets

I bought a set tonight off the hex website. Will let you know how I solve this....my body shop are wizards with stuff like this....

I don't think magnets will work holding any covers on since the vents are aluminum.
Also, trust me as I used to worry like you, but FAR less crap or water gets into the vents from outside than you're thinking will. I've had the drip pans installed for weeks at a time and drive 50 miles round trip/day to work and park outside while there in all kinds of weather and the last time I took the pans off I found one solitary dead fly in one of them and a little dust, that's it.

thanks but I WILL will get crap in them...I used to live in cincy/dayton and know your area well. In a florida tropical storm, which we are having right now, for the last 2 days, it rains crap sideways and the trees drop all their foliage - it's not all palm trees here. I would cement small nasa magnets to the alum - I know alum is not magnetic...but I think I have a solution using weighted plex acrylic...stay tuned...

So, 1/2" hose drain/holes/plugs at both ends of the drip trays. Two per tray. Leading down past the engine straight to below the car ... lengths with slack, cable tie's inc.
Any colour pipes you want, Red for me plz :-)

Maybe another finer mesh below the current pattern grilles too!

Simple covers seems like the best approach. Ashley, you guys should consider that. A simple snap on piece of plastic

Maybe the inside could slide to close, like a camera iris ?!!

This is what I'm working on...a hex vent going to my plastic fabricator tomorrow - should have some pics next week....simplest way is a plate with squares that fit the vent on the undersdie and keep it in place. Gravity makes it work. Made out of black starboard each plate should weigh a few lbs and be wind proof....this is what I have to keep out - it's all over my car this morning. I'm going up to Steve's for the install before the C5fest and he'll have seen it.:
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...s/null-727.png

Ug :-(
A gentle Plastic Vac Form process should get results :-)

We are actually considering that. A lot of our customers have said that it would be a great product, and I agree. We're looking for ideas for new products, and this is definitely one of our top choices. We would like some opinions from customers on the general design.

18007567107

A plastic vacuformed piece would be great...It should clip on so you could drive with them on, I think, is best. I just need night protection from flying crap, so I fabricated a temp design until Steve gets one made - a few things, the vents are curved so a plate does not sit perfect. I baked mine to get the curve right. I took a piece of 1/4 in plex and cut to shape and fabbed some 3/8 inch plex blocks that attach underneath and make it a drop-in piece - all I need. The look great and work perfectly. Whole thing wrapped in 3M Di Noc CF:
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../null-1022.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../null-2251.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../null-1806.jpg
Ashley - I PM'd you on another situation and will bring them when I see you and Steve on friday.

I live in Sarasota, Florida and I have had Hex vents on 2 different Camaros for a year and a half now. My car sits outside everyday in the rain and the only water that gets in my engine compartment from the pans are where the drain holes allow the water to flow to. Which is towards the front radiator area on my car.

If you drive your car in the rain, you are getting water all over your engine.

The water doesn't fall down on my engine at all from rain and as I posted in my photo thread I may get a few drops on my engine cover when I spray the pressure washer aggressively, but only a few drops.

GM knows that water sprays the engine compartment from under the car as well and from the grill when you drive in the rain. So they have rubber seals on all the wiring harness connections. I understand your worried about a flood of water coming in and flooding the pans, but that just doesn't happen. Even in the hardest of downpours my drains handled the rain and flowed out through the holes.

If you live close by, you are welcome to come see my car any time.

Just message me