Pace Car front spoiler mod by Bee Jay

[Bee Jay]

I got tired of getting my body color Pace Car front spoiler painted almost annually, twice this year. I decided to add a splitter to protect the paint and maybe add some performance. I started with 1/4" plywood and came up with this. If this works good, I can use this as a pattern and cut one out in aluminum sheet. I drove it to church today and the plywood already protected the spoiler twice. What do you guys think?
Bee Jay

 

[DeeVeeEight]

You need to quit using your chin spoiler as a curb feeler!

The plywood is rather unobtrusive and seems to be effective - I say well done! :thumbs:

Looks like it is time for some new tires.... those front skins look thin.

 

[Bee Jay]

You need to quit using your chin spoiler as a curb feeler!

The plywood is rather unobtrusive and seems to be effective - I say well done! :thumbs:

Looks like it is time for some new tires.... those front skins look thin.

New 275/40-18s going on the front today. Tire Rack had them for $86 each.:thumbs:
Bee Jay

 

[mrvette]

I dunno BJ, be MY damn luck to hit that damn man hole cover in the middle of a main drag here, and tear the whole friggin' thing off.....
instead of just damaging one spot.....

best of luck....

:sos:

 

[BBShark]

I kinda like the splitter look and I can see where it would protect the paint.

You can buy a 1/4 (24 x 48) sheet of 1/8 thick black polyethelene for ~$35. That stuff will take a beating without breaking.

 

[Maymyvetteliveforever]

Look'in good Bee Jay I have the same spoiler therefore I can relate, I wonder how the wood would hold up in the rain. Or maybe you don't drive in the rain?

 

[Bee Jay]

Look'in good Bee Jay I have the same spoiler therefore I can relate, I wonder how the wood would hold up in the rain. Or maybe you don't drive in the rain?

Rain? What's that. Nope, I don't drive in the rain. That is what the truck is for.
Bee Jay

 

[DeeVeeEight]

You need to quit using your chin spoiler as a curb feeler!

The plywood is rather unobtrusive and seems to be effective - I say well done! :thumbs:

Looks like it is time for some new tires.... those front skins look thin.

New 275/40-18s going on the front today. Tire Rack had them for $86 each.:thumbs:
Bee Jay

I am a BIG FAN of Tire Rack. Great prices and fast delivery too....

 

[saudivette]

I like that idea Bee Jay, I was a bit worried about the spoiler I have to bolt onto mine.

I do like Larry's idea though:

I kinda like the splitter look and I can see where it would protect the paint.

You can buy a 1/4 (24 x 48) sheet of 1/8 thick black polyethelene for ~$35. That stuff will take a beating without breaking.

Although I have absolutely no idea where I would get that stuff out here! Larry, do you have a web page link?

 

[BBShark]

Wayne, Yeah materials like this are probably pretty hard to come by in your neck of the woods. I doubt if there are industrial supply places like Mcmaster-Carr in SA but here is a listing for a half sheet of black UHMW:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#85705k25/=3jy3ls

 

[Bee Jay]

I don't know anything about polyethelyne. That link has it for $61. I'd like to give it a try. Is it as stiff as the plywood? Can I cut it with a scroll/jig saw? how much does it weigh? I only have Home Depot aroung here.
Bee Jay

 

[BBShark]

It is listed as Shore D65 which is pretty hard. An 1/8 sheet is going to be rigid. I would say about the same a 1/4 plywood. The stuff cuts easily but leaves a ragged edge that is difficult (but not impossible) to dress down.

I'll bet there is a plastics supplier close to you or try Mcmaster. They should be able to get you a quote over the phone.

 

[Blackfinn]

If you have any boat manufacturers close by you could probably get some scrap "Starboard" from them. It comes from1/4" to 1" thick. I actually have a bunch of black 1/2 " stuff that is around 4 ft long and 2"+ wide if you could use two seperate pieces. It all cuts best with a router or you can DA the edges and scrape with a straight box/razor blade to smooth it up.
Cheers

 

[Bee Jay]

I'll have to find some of these alternatives locally. Maybe I'll do something about this parachute rear end also.
Bee Jay

 

[phantomjock]

Thought I posted -- but musta been NOOBie-ITS. Is there a cure?
Looks great - I'll probably incorporate - but may use "bendy-ply" aka doorskin and fiberglass. There are some club racers in OZ that say", "If you still have it after 2 races -- You aren't trying hard enough!"

Starboard is heavy -- even in 1/4 inch, and expensive. How about using some of the window substitue plastics at HD? Light weight - smoked or clear, should be rigid enough for the front end.

For the parachute -- You gonna cut the bumper up? Or build an underbelly diffuser?

Cheers - Jim

 

[Bee Jay]

Thought I posted -- but musta been NOOBie-ITS. Is there a cure?
Looks great - I'll probably incorporate - but may use "bendy-ply" aka doorskin and fiberglass. There are some club racers in OZ that say", "If you still have it after 2 races -- You aren't trying hard enough!"

Starboard is heavy -- even in 1/4 inch, and expensive. How about using some of the window substitue plastics at HD? Light weight - smoked or clear, should be rigid enough for the front end.

For the parachute -- You gonna cut the bumper up? Or build an underbelly diffuser?

Cheers - Jim

I figure some sort of undercar belly pan, but I guess I could put a rear license plate grill like I did up front. No front plate and no rear plate. Figure I'd get pulled over then? Maybe a flip up plate. Hit a switch, and the rear plate flips up to vent the rear end. When your in traffic or being followed by the Highway Patrol, hit the switch and lower the rear plate.
Bee Jay

 

[mrvette]

Thought I posted -- but musta been NOOBie-ITS. Is there a cure?
Looks great - I'll probably incorporate - but may use "bendy-ply" aka doorskin and fiberglass. There are some club racers in OZ that say", "If you still have it after 2 races -- You aren't trying hard enough!"

Starboard is heavy -- even in 1/4 inch, and expensive. How about using some of the window substitue plastics at HD? Light weight - smoked or clear, should be rigid enough for the front end.

For the parachute -- You gonna cut the bumper up? Or build an underbelly diffuser?

Cheers - Jim

I figure some sort of undercar belly pan, but I guess I could put a rear license plate grill like I did up front. No front plate and no rear plate. Figure I'd get pulled over then? Maybe a flip up plate. Hit a switch, and the rear plate flips up to vent the rear end. When your in traffic or being followed by the Highway Patrol, hit the switch and lower the rear plate.
Bee Jay

almost a foot of rear panel between top of plate and top of spoiler flip, no?? lots of chute left....still thinking of those holes in the panel....

:lol::lol::hissyfit: one thing for sure, can't ruin the paint job.....:hissyfit:

 

[1Michel]

I'll have to find some of these alternatives locally. Maybe I'll do something about this parachute rear end also.
Bee Jay

Maybe something like that to redirect the wind flow.

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/9071/ferrarienzoyn4.jpg

 

[phantomjock]

Yessss - a great diffuser and belly pan -- another good reason for SIDE PIPES!

Probably want to get the ram air out from behing the rear wheels too. Something like the "classic" Ferrari GT350 back in the 60's or the original Grand Sports.

Cheers - Jim

 

[saudivette]

Thanks for the link mate but that would be a PITA trying to get a whole sheet delivered out here/ I'll have a look around next time I'm in town and see if I can't pick something up :thumbs:

 

[vette427sbc]

I figure some sort of undercar belly pan, but I guess I could put a rear license plate grill like I did up front. No front plate and no rear plate. Figure I'd get pulled over then? Maybe a flip up plate. Hit a switch, and the rear plate flips up to vent the rear end. When your in traffic or being followed by the Highway Patrol, hit the switch and lower the rear plate.
Bee Jay

Instead of having the plate move up and down on a switch, why not hinge it so that in traffic and slow driving it will stay down, and when you start moving at highway speeds, the air pressure pushes the plate up to open up the vent.

 

[Bee Jay]

Hey, I found this old Saleen S7 picture. I guess my splitter isn't so tacky afterall. It sure works great. Not one new blemish on my painted spoiler since install. Still trying to find a suitable material to replace the 1/4" plywood.
My oil cooler is mounted flat in the middle panel behind my bumper. The spoiler forces air up thru it. Works great. My tranny cooler is my AC condenser in it's stock location. Works great too.



Bee Jay

 

[MYBAD79]

hmmmm....

 

[Bee Jay]

Splitter II
My plywood splitter has been doing a great job of protecting my painted pace car spoiler, but at speeds above 100mph, the splitter tries to split from the spoiler. So I cut out another plywood spoiler but now with a 1 1/2" extension instead of the original 3/4". This allowed me to put two bolts thru the nose of the splitter up to the frame. I also made the splitter longer, it now extends almost to the lower a arms. It's the original length in front of the front tires. I haven't driven it yet, but the splitter, and as a result, the spoiler are now mounted very solid. I could almost jack the car up by the spoiler. With the longer splitter, it's going to be a bear to drain the radiator. I'm glad I'm experementing with plywood before I make it out of something more exotic.

 

[saudivette]

Looking good mate, I'm waiting to see what you end up with as I may do something similar.

...I'm glad I'm experementing with plywood before I make it out of something more exotic.

Don't use Mink... :smash:

 

[JPhil]

.... Still trying to find a suitable material to replace the 1/4" plywood.

How about big truck mudflaps? They are thick, strong, stiff yet flexible. You would have make it a two-piece unit, but with some stiffeners/braces.....And it won't look as pretty, but you'll be able to hit a parking block and it will fold instead of breaking....

Just a thought.

I experimented with those before I found the HDPM commercial roof reinforcement pad I used for my air dam. The mudflaps were a little too hard to deal with and I did want more flexability than they had for the application I was doing...

 

[phantomjock]

Wow - I like the approach - Getting better I'd say.
I am just wondering if the trailing edge will "pump" -- ok, move up and down -- and maybe wear the urethane attachment points.

That (of course) would eventually tear the fittings out of the spoiler before the plywood lets go.
Maybe a strut (like the one you have forward -Threaded rod?) to the TE would help stabilize.
There is a lot of supporting frame work you could tie to -- Unless that went in a weight loss program.

Looking Good!
Cheers - Jim

 

[enkeivette]

Looks clean.

 

[saudivette]

How's this going Bee Jay?

 

[Bee Jay]

How's this going Bee Jay?

I haven't driven it much since I put the second splitter on. I've been in Seattle. Great weather, no rain, I could see Mt. Ranier clearly. I also blew the Porsche engine, so that is going to get a little more attention for a while. I'll drive the Vette next week and post. I need to find a local source for Delrin or the other materials suggested here.
Bee Jay