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Front license plate. Drop it down a little lower and angle the bottom of it forward. It would help feet are up through the center hole in the valence and may help with some downforce. It's a big piece of square sail area you have to put on the front of the car anyway.
Not is SC. You can drive around with half the bumper off and the other half flapping in the breeze in the next lane of traffic! I've seen it. With a sign in your back window that says "Lost Tag" that is sun faded because it's been there for 6 years.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
I added a 4 inch spoiler over the top of my 68 stock plastic air dam for cooling efficiency. It improved my cooling and I did notice improvement over 100 mph with front end wandering....I rarely ever go that fast on the open road.....in the late afternoon.....with minimal traffic.....and no one watching......just for fun to see if the car could do it....not me
Looked at my bumper last night. Behind the license plate is a big piece of metal. No way for air to get through there. I think it's a replacement bumper. I'm not sure what is factory GM and what is aftermarket design.
73 and up the top Center hole was plugged up by battering ram. So then the air intake in the middle is behind that right in front of that little spoiler. My license plate idea with me for something 68 to 72. Like the maroon car you have posted although that is some kind of Oddball aftermarket fiberglass 73 Up Style looking front valance below what looks to be a correct 68 to 72 front bumper on correct nose.
I've bumped the nose a few times on the metal piece at the center, and a PO must have replaced the large fiberglass panel that directs air up into the radiator. Does your car have the rubber air dam? It matters for aerodynamics both for handling and cooling.
My thought is looking at his avatar that the bumper is original. Looks like Bike's and mine which I know is original as I've had it since new.
It's a very tough bumper too. I demolished the rear end on an Impala (the automotive kind) back in '84. Knocked his bumper half off, crunched in his trunk and one rear quarter panel. All I had was a couple minor fractures underneath which I have to this day not had fixed. All I can figure is the bumper squashed back with minimal paint damage and let the battering ram do its thing.
If the car is sitting at a slight nose down rake......the front end will not lift. For some reason, about half of these cars I see sit 1 to 2 inches too high in the front......which to some people is acceptable but to me it not only kills the lines of the car......it will cause the front to get light above 110 MPH......not to mention the handling benefits.
I cut a coil out of my 69' 427/400 Vert and lowered the front end about 1.5 inches.......made a different car out of it, looks, handling, control at speed.....
Jebby
I run about that amount of rake - front is lowered a lot more than the rear. Not sure of the exact values because I set the ride heights based off suspension measurements and not body dimensions. A good amount of rake, 80-82 rear bumper, stock front spoiler, and mono-leafs front & rear. Car has been to 125mph many times with no float at all.
The GM spoiler extension fits on the 73?-79 smaller front spoiler. Added one to my '75 and it really helped with cooling the big block. Got right at 3.5" of clearance.
220 mph Sundower Corvette that set the record in 1982.....of course, both this and the Greenwood spoilers were custom made.......note the Sundowner stance......and the 200 lb. lead weight up front.
I believe in the late 70's there was a lengthened "cooling spoiler" add on that pop rivited to the front that was offered by GM as an option, but was rubber and was more to help cooling than aero.
Jebby
At one time in one configuration I'm pretty sure the sundowner Corvette was running in the 280 range with Gale Banks power and was in the running for the world's fastest stock bodied car.
Pontiac approached Banks and asked if they'd like to go 10 M.P.H faster with the same equipment. They gave him an 88 ish trans am body and the Pontiac body performed as intended.
I wonder if the later C3 would have done as well
Those are some great pictures. I always liked the spoiler on the 78 pace car.
Mine is an 80. I think the front middle valance is for getting cooling air toward the radiator. I was wondering if anyone made that piece more structural to help pull it down. The turn signal light sections I don't think let air through or certainly don't help with down-force.
It had 550 lb springs on it that raised the front a little. I have cut those down a little. We will see where it sets once I get it on the ground. I might have to look into lowering springs and shocks. Not sure how that will work out.
Jebby, you mean that if the front end is low enough, the force on the hood and fenders is enough to keep force on the front end, correct?
The middle valance or chin spoiler does not direct air up into the radiator. It keeps air out from under the car to help create a lower pressure under the hood causing more flow through the radiator. If you look at a modern car, they have very few square inches of open frontal area ramming air into the radiator.
So you extend the chin spoiler down near the road. and it's about on the centerline of the front wheels so a speed bump doesn't present a problem. My 79 l-82 Spoiler Extension 79 only W/HD Cooling L-82 Eng
Derek and Vince, Yes I am talking about the car in my avatar. The front bumper cover is plastic instead of fiberglass. Not sure which year they switched. I assume the cover was changed because he told me the bumper was hit pulling it into the garage when raining. The valance was also tied up to the metal with a coat hanger. Also the valance doesn't have the split in the middle like I have seen on other pictures. The support metal that is supposed to hold the valance has been, I think because of where the valance lines up now. Not sure what the real issue is.
There isn't anything wrong with the front license place other than it's a big flat plate and I'm sure doesn't help with aerodynamics. If I were looking at trying something, now would be the time since it's already apart. Given the battering ram behind the plate, there isn't anything you can do unless you are going to start changing the metal. Not an option for me.
Seems like the louvers tot he sides of the license plate could be used to help a little, but note sure if it's worth trying something.
I just took a picture of my chin spoiler extension. I was under the car trying to figure out the QA-1 spring length. Anyway I have my collars cranked up 2 inches on the shocks to raise the front end for street driving and parking at curbs.
Top is angle aluminum, sheet metal, and then rubber. The gaps at the ends were for my 4 inch brake ducting. I busted up the front end for the last time at the track and removed everything.
If your doing this to race I can see doing it. Maybe for looks or a performance gain at "lower" speeds.
I was young once and had just come down a mountain hill on the highway, Applying the brakes to keep the car under 100.
Once on the flat I figured what the hey lets see what it'll do.
It took awhile to read the stupid speedometer, I should just have accelerated up to 150 as its easier to read but thats hindsight. 147 mph slightly in the redline on a 10 year old stock 1969 small block.
The front end was indeed a bit light. I've read that the reason for the vented side gills was to reduce the air build up that lifted the pre-production cars.
I don't know what speed or handling you want but the stock car is pretty much fine on the road.
That being said I too want to do something to my '68 but it isn't for such high speed reasons.
