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

Ganey

I used a small strip of aluminum, flexible about 1" wide in the center.

3JsVette

I think it looks great but then again I really like your car anyway. We need a high speed road test and full report though.

'75

Bee Jay, I love that car, kind of partial to the color too. So the plywood or aluminum is used as a stiffener so the spoiler will hold it's shape at speed and stop the flexing that damages the paint? I'm thinking it's a good idea. Do you think it will help force more air throuth the valance with the more stable shape. My 75 isn't getting enough air at speed, runs a little hot despite all my attempts. That spoiler and stiffener looks like an improvement over the 75 design and may be in my car's future if it's a bolt on.

Bee Jay

Thanks '75! No, the main reason I did this was to stop tearing up the paint on steep driveway ramps, tall speed bumps, and curbs. The spoiler doesn't flex that much, so it's not a problem, but this does significantly stiffen and unitize the spoiler. Splitters are added to race cars all of the time to increase the effectiveness of the spoiler, so maybe that will be an added benifit. I ran the car for a while without the front spoiler earlier this summer and the water temps soared. With this and the front lisence plate mod, water temp issues are thing of the past.
Bee Jay

Alan 71

Hi BJ,
From above, it looks like it belongs there!
GOOD IDEA.
Maybe you could make one out of carbon fiber, like the ZR-1?
Regards,
Alan

Ganey

Bolts on.


The Indy ft. spoiler designed for our Vettes w/ wind tunnel scoops up air for cooling, cleans up airflow underneath & sweeps the airflow around the front tires.
Rec. for all performance 68-79 ! I put factory 3 piece on as soon as possible, so early that the paint matches & it appears original.

wer2xu

that just lowered the front end by a 1/4 of an inch, so technically that would make your rubbing problem worse.

Are other people rubbing your car on curbs and driveways?

gkull

Nice spitter!

Is it Pos camber eating up you front tires? I took the guesing out of the alignment settings and use the shops IR temp gun

Bee Jay

The problem was agravated when I lowered the car so that the 275/40-17 tires filled the wheel well. The painted Pace Car spoiler is almost two inches lower than it was designed for. Yes, I made the problem 1/4" worse, but I can touch up the plywood plank regularly with a small paint brush. The yellow urethane spoiler should go untouched and not need painting so often.
Bee Jay

Bee Jay

Hi George. That was happening with 0 camber. I now have 1 degree of negative camber now. Problem solved. I put new front tires on this morning.
Bee Jay

Aggitated Monkey

That is a great design! Could be be made out of urethane PVC or a hard rubber composit?

fauxrs2

I've taken to wrapping the bottom edge of my spoiler with black duct tape - which is easily replaced - but I like this solution tons better. I'm gonna have to rush out and do something similiar - I like the aluminum idea - as it can be kept natural and touchups would be a thing of the past.

exactly where are you attaching it?

I like a lot - 1st step - yet another repaint of the spoiler

Bee Jay

I mounted it using the same mounting holes the center spoiler piece uses. I got screws 1 1/2" long, and 1" nylon spacers. The screws go thru a washer, thru the splitter, thru the spacer, thru the spoiler center section, and then into the mounting holes. I'll try to take a picture from the backside next time I have the car up on the lift.

Bee Jay

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

Gordonm

Carbon Fiber!

A man of your means should be able to fab one up made out of carbon fiber.

Bee Jay

Right after I get my Titanium rotors.

Gordonm

OK you win. Lets not go the titanium route again.

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.

MN-Brent

Once you have the shape perfected, see if you can get it made out of Delrin plastic, in black. Then you dont have to worry about touching up the paint of the plywood and the Delrin may even be lighter.

Find a plastics machine type shop and have them cut you a pattern same as your plywood or just get a blank stock sheet, 1/4 thick and do it yourself.

I think it would look worlds better than plywood.

Brent.