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A skid plate on a 2 wheel drive Corvette That's a first!
!!
Maybe you are thinking skidplate, as in Jeep rock crawler, but in reality, I was originally making these for the Ferrari and Lamborghini crowd. (and charging way more for them!!)
They have actually become a pretty mainstream modification for the late model exotic cars.
Adding another layer between vehicle and ground won't reduce scraping, it only changes the surface being scraped.
This is like a heal or toe anti-scuff pad, it protects your shoe's sole but is a wear/friction item and will need to be replaced at some point. This protects the factory surface but will need replacing.
I agree, with one thing to add.
You will never wear them out, or we will replace them for free.
Plus the High Density Polyethylene material is super slippery, and will reduce the pulling stress on the bumper mounts during a scrape event.
Do you leave it down all the time? Or just get it out to drive the Vette into the driveway? I feel like someone would come along a take it if I just left it there.
leave it.....there's a better version you fill with sand so someone would have to reallly work for it.....it also has a pipe running through it to let water pass
leave it.....there's a better version you fill with sand so someone would have to reallly work for it.....it also has a pipe running through it to let water pass
I'll admit I do like it....
But skid plates work at the grocery store, and the gas station... they are there always, just in case.
Do you want it higher because you prefer the way it looks, or because you are scraping it?
Yes I do scrape at times, but also find it very difficult to park near curbs any where in this area due to the height of the curbs when you open the door.
Good you would be replacing them for free but you have added thickness to the clearance of the car!!! When you hit some thing its not only the bottom of the car that takes the scratches but every part that supports the front end. What good is preventing scratches if you crack the structure behind it???? And you drill holes which further weaken the body panels and create stress points. One of those screws hits some speed bump and it good bye front fascia.
Like most things in life AVOIDING if possible is the best alternative. Better driving skills, even better driving choices should be part of ones skill sets, not an alternative to drive as you like.
Last edited by Greg00Coupe; Mar 3, 2017 at 12:52 PM.
Good you would be replacing them for free but you have added thickness to the clearance of the car!!! When you hit some thing its not only the bottom of the car that takes the scratches but every part that supports the front end. What good is preventing scratches if you crack the structure behind it???? And you drill holes which further weaken the body panels and create stress points. One of those screws hits some speed bump and it good bye front fascia.
Like most things in life AVOIDING if possible is the best alternative. Better driving skills, even better driving choices should be part of ones skill sets, not an alternative to drive as you like.
You ask what good is preventing scratches if the structure is cracked ? If I'm not mistaken there were never any claims that the product adds to structural integrity but your post seems to imply that it should. The product claims to prevent damage by scraping, which it does. At least it has for me since I installed it. The product, for me, is fulfilling all claims made by the manufacture. Is there another product the you can bolt on to that area that DOES prevent cracking, that you can cite as representative of what this product should do ?
Here's a question back to you : Greg00Coupe, why are you adding on functional requirements that the manufacturer has not intended ?
If you think it is a deficiency in the design then this is an opportunity for you to step in and fill a neglected market segment by designing, building, and marketing your superior product.
Yes I do scrape at times, but also find it very difficult to park near curbs any where in this area due to the height of the curbs when you open the door.
Yea, we have that in my neck of the woods as well. I can't imagine why they need to install a 10" square curb on a residential street...
Good you would be replacing them for free but you have added thickness to the clearance of the car!!! When you hit some thing its not only the bottom of the car that takes the scratches but every part that supports the front end. What good is preventing scratches if you crack the structure behind it???? And you drill holes which further weaken the body panels and create stress points. One of those screws hits some speed bump and it good bye front fascia.
Like most things in life AVOIDING if possible is the best alternative. Better driving skills, even better driving choices should be part of ones skill sets, not an alternative to drive as you like.
Hey Greg, thanks for the questions! Ill try to answer them all, without making too long of a post here.
Good you would be replacing them for free but you have added thickness to the clearance of the car!!!
That ia a valid point, and one we have addressed as much as possible with the design of the parts. while anytime you add something to the underside of the bumper, you will reduce ground clearance, (approach angle, it how that it typically measured) the plates themselves ore only 3/8" thick, and are made with a beveled edge, that just matches the contour of the OEM front bumper. As a result, the reduction in ground clearance is extremely minimal. I have never had a customer report an issue with striking in places where they didn't before
When you hit some thing its not only the bottom of the car that takes the scratches but every part that supports the front end. What good is preventing scratches if you crack the structure behind it????
the plates don't distribute stress to any part of the car that wasn't already getting damaged. these parts bolt to the bumper cover, which is designed to flex.
And you drill holes which further weaken the body panels and create stress points. One of those screws hits some speed bump and it good bye front fascia.
The front fascia already has holes in it, where it bolts to the radiator support, and we utilize these factory mounting points and hardware for the majority of the fastening of the plates. we do drill a few additional holes, to help hold the plates tight against the bumper, but they are strategically placed, and we back them up with a large diameter washer, that combined with the plates, helps prevent cracking. Also, all of our hardware is deeply countersunk into the plates, so they will never hang up during contact. in fact, eveything about the design and material selection is focused on reducing the stress on the bumper during a strike event.
Like most things in life AVOIDING if possible is the best alternative. Better driving skills, even better driving choices should be part of ones skill sets, not an alternative to drive as you like.
I 100% agree with you on that. ProTEKt skidplates are not a substitute for careful driving, and they will not convert your car into a battering ram. With that said, for those of us who want to drive our sporty car on a daily basis, it is not always possible to avoid every scrape. Steep intersections, driveway exits, and speedbumps sometimes sneak up on you. If you only drive your Corvette on sunny weekends, or the the Show and Shine, you likely can get away with no protection, but if I can make it a bit more practical for folks to drive their Corvette more often, then i will be pretty happy.
FYI, it looks like I have a car coming in this week for development of our Skid Plates for the cars with the GM stage 2/3 splitter!! Keep an eye out for updates, and I'm hoping it should come in around $200 MSRP.
Do you leave it down all the time? Or just get it out to drive the Vette into the driveway? I feel like someone would come along a take it if I just left it there.
I have the same Bridjit Curb Ramp. Its made out of recycled tires. The pieces weigh about 50 lbs each. They bolt together and there is a channel inside the pieces that allows water to flow through so runoff doesn't back up. I have had the ramp in front of my driveway for over a year. At 150 lbs and 12' long nobody is going to walk away with it. Almost completely solved the scraping of the splitter on my 2011 ZR1. My driveway comes down at angle into the rolled curb so its a pretty severe transition. Even with the ramps I sill need to come in and out on angle. Before I installed the ramps I ruined a $2200 OEM splitter in about 2 weeks. I first tried a length of 12"x2"x12" lumber but it floated away every time it rained.
I 100% agree with you on that. ProTEKt skidplates are not a substitute for careful driving, and they will not convert your car into a battering ram. With that said, for those of us who want to drive our sporty car on a daily basis, it is not always possible to avoid every scrape. Steep intersections, driveway exits, and speedbumps sometimes sneak up on you. If you only drive your Corvette on sunny weekends, or the the Show and Shine, you likely can get away with no protection, but if I can make it a bit more practical for folks to drive their Corvette more often, then i will be pretty happy.
thanks,
Mitch
You're right Mitch what do I know?? I am a waxer. Just drive on Sunday but yesterday was not Sunday..........
Here's my Z at work yesterday in sunny Ohio. Sits in that same spot 5 days a week its a daily driver.
I look ahead for problems and have had 2 C7s and neither had a scrape with 50K miles between them. Now a 13 GS Nothing could help that car!
Last edited by Greg00Coupe; Mar 4, 2017 at 12:20 PM.
I 100% agree with you on that. ProTEKt skidplates are not a substitute for careful driving, and they will not convert your car into a battering ram. With that said, for those of us who want to drive our sporty car on a daily basis, it is not always possible to avoid every scrape. Steep intersections, driveway exits, and speedbumps sometimes sneak up on you. If you only drive your Corvette on sunny weekends, or the the Show and Shine, you likely can get away with no protection, but if I can make it a bit more practical for folks to drive their Corvette more often, then i will be pretty happy.
thanks,
Mitch
You're right Mitch what do I know?? I am a waxer. Just drive on Sunday but yesterday was not Sunday..........
Here's my Z at work yesterday in sunny Ohio. Sits in that same spot 5 days a week its a daily driver.
I look ahead for problems and have had 2 C7s and neither had a scrape with 50K miles between them. Now a 13 GS Nothing could help that car!
Ha Ha that is awesome! we are pampered here in California, but I am originally from Omaha NE, where I had a C4 that I drove year round as well, and we got quite a bit of snow there as well. (with some pretty aggressive snow tires, it was actually pretty OK!)
Overall thought, I'm not sure what point you are making. Are you saying that because you personally don't need the parts, that no one needs them?
This feels a bit like the guy that leaves a negative Yelp review of the local Japanese restaurant that he has never eaten at, because he hates sushi.
BTW, I'm in the shop as I type this, working on the prototype skid plates for the C7 GS cars...hit me up if you are interested!!
Last edited by ProTEKtMitch; Mar 4, 2017 at 01:44 PM.
We have an update on the ProTEKt Skid Plate kits for the C7 Corvettes with the Stage 2 / 3 Aero front lip kits (so it will work for you guys with the Grand Sport and Z06's)
I have just gotten the first set of prototypes made, and will be getting them into production next week, and I anticipate shipping Monday March 13.
We are super excited about this new kit, as the Stage 2/3 aero has plenty of factory mounting locations, so this kit will not require any drilling, and there is no need for adhesive tapes or glues. Installation will be far easier than any kit we have produced to date, as all that is needed is to remove the factory screws, place the plates, and re install the fasteners. !
As a thanks to all the Corvette Forum members who have lent their encouragement to our product and company, we are offering a limited quantity of intro priced kits.
The MSRP for these parts will be $195.00, plus $15.00 shipping, but here is a Paypal link to purchase them for the intro price of $175.00, with free shipping and no tax, for a savings of $35.00!!
It might might not be a giant deal to the forum, but going through the Amazon seller process was hugely challenging, and I think we can be rightfully proud of this particular milestone.
I got the test fitting done today for the C7 with Stage 2/3 Aero, and everything looks perfect! I will make the first production sets this weekend, and they will ship on Monday.
Just a reminder, I am offering a special intro price of $175.00 with free shipping, exclusively to you guys here at Corvetteforum, to say thanks for all the kind words and encouragement.
This PayPal link will get you your set for a $35 discount from the website price and shipping, so if you are interested, now is the time.
This discount will expire at midnight Sunday March 12 , PST.
Also, here are some pics. (sorry about the quality, I took them with a potato)
C7 Stage 2/3 Aero overall installed
C7 Stage 2/3 Aero detail installed
C7 Stage 2/3 Aero layout
C7 Stage 2/3 Aero ground level
I am super happy with these parts, as they are the easiest install of any kit we have ever made, simply back out the factory bolts, place the Skid Plates, and screw the factory bolts right back in!!
There is no drilling, no tape, and no glue required.
I used similar hardware from ZL1 add ons for my old car. 2012 CTS-V coupe lowered with Eibach springs and APR splitter.
Thanks cvp33 for the post! always really liked the Cadilac V cars.
I'm not totally sure what you are referencing, though. from the pics you posted, it looks like the bolts are sitting on a cone shaped finisher washer that actually protrudes downwards, and is closer to the ground than the surface of the splitter.
I am using all the stock Torx flange bolts, and they are deeply counter-bored into the material, so they will never strike the ground or catch on a seam or crack in the pavement.
That's a first!
