rougeben83
08-10-2008, 12:44 AM
Problem: I couldn't use my old skidplate after swapping so the underside of the enginebay was pretty much left exposed...not only is it more vunerable to small debris and such, but I'm guessing it wasn't helping air flow underneath the car having all those structures left hanging freely in the path of the air.
On top of that, I wrapped my stock manifolds, so I wasn't looking forward to seeing what direct contact with salt will do to them during the winter.
Experiment:I got some sheetmetal (actually, it's HVAC ductwork from Home Depot :lol: ) and bent/cut up a bellypan/underpanel. I made some brackets and spacers and bolted it in place in 6 places. The sheetmetal I got was also big enough to cover the gap in between the front bumper and the FMIC, so I suppose it's helping direct more air through it rather than underneath it.
Results:Does it work? It's not as tough as the 3/32" thick aluminum plate I used to have, but at least there's something equivalent to the old plastic splashguards under there. I noticed less wind noise while on the highway, but as far as actually doing some work to help with downforce...who knows.
For $20 and about 4 hours of my time dicking around under the car it looks pretty good. I think it's worth it just for the placebo effect :lol:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2008/08/P1060702-1.jpg
On top of that, I wrapped my stock manifolds, so I wasn't looking forward to seeing what direct contact with salt will do to them during the winter.
Experiment:I got some sheetmetal (actually, it's HVAC ductwork from Home Depot :lol: ) and bent/cut up a bellypan/underpanel. I made some brackets and spacers and bolted it in place in 6 places. The sheetmetal I got was also big enough to cover the gap in between the front bumper and the FMIC, so I suppose it's helping direct more air through it rather than underneath it.
Results:Does it work? It's not as tough as the 3/32" thick aluminum plate I used to have, but at least there's something equivalent to the old plastic splashguards under there. I noticed less wind noise while on the highway, but as far as actually doing some work to help with downforce...who knows.
For $20 and about 4 hours of my time dicking around under the car it looks pretty good. I think it's worth it just for the placebo effect :lol:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2008/08/P1060702-1.jpg