Neil, it may be too late anyhow but, I never could decide what cool and groovy shape to cut out of the front of my van for the lower opening, so I drove with it as aircooled, no opening. It never needed the extra air anyway.
At first I thought the fan ran more than it should, like at speed on hills, but from what others have said about vans that have the lower opening, they all do that. I live in New Mexico and have driven in some serious heat, and my temp. gauge stays put right above the led warning light. I am using the diesel radiator with a 2 liter jetta engine. I'm not sure of the various radiator capacities, but I don't imagine the diesel is larger than the others. I do not have AC however.
With the lower grille not there you are a stealth H2Oer, air cooled vanagons are rarer and rarer all the time.

Oh, and I'm wondering about those GLI recaros in the Doka. I have a pair and haven't imagined they would work on the westy swivel bases, and leave any headroom. Has anyone put them in their van??
Sam M.

Automatic digest processor <LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> wrote:

Date:    Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:22:12 +0000
From:    Chuck Mathis <cvmathis@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: WAS: lower rad grill size. NOW: D-OH! and question (PIC
 included!)

Neil N asked:

"I'm sure I can make this fit, but rather than repair the body and/or
alter a perfectly good grill.....

are there different sized lower grills for different years?