Oil cooler rule interpretation

I currently have my oil cooler mounted in front of my radiator behind the standard grill opening. I would like to move the cooler to the lower portion of the front valance. This will require cutting a rectangular opening in the valance to let air past. The rule reads: "Oil cooler(s) may be added or substituted. Location within the
bodywork is unrestricted".

The cooler would be "within the bodywork" by being inside of the valance. Or is it just plain not permitted because the rule does not say that you can create the opening?

You can't cut a hole to get air to it.

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Originally Posted by itmanta

The cooler would be "within the bodywork" by being inside of the valance. Or is it just plain not permitted because the rule does not say that you can create the opening?

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You can put it anywhere within the bodywork that you'd like.... but you can't cut a hole for air to get to it. Kinda limits the functionality with no airflow ;)

I copied a layout of the radiator/oil cooler from a drawing of a IMSA RX7 back in the day. From the right side of the car think of an "L" with the bottom of the "L" being the oil cooler. You need to completely duct off the air coming from the air dam so that all of it has to pass through the radiator/oil cooler.

The radiator is pretty far back in the RX7 so there is pleanty of room to fit a large (6 x 19") oil cooler between the frame horns. It works great in the heat of the summer and almost too well when the weather is cool.

Exactly right - ducting is key in the efficiency of any such heat exchangers... allows you to make the most of either an undersized cooler, or a poorly-placed cooler (due to restrictive rulebook).