GS Fender Spat Options?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 384
From: Williamsburg VA
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 786
Likes: 123
From: Northern VA
Please post pix when you get them installed. I haven't seen any body colored spats yet. Thanks.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 7,137
Likes: 3,176
From: Kannapolis MA.
It has come up before.I don't even notice them anymore.I think they blend in over time.I think if you change to a color they will be more noticeable.
You''ll be looking at them cause You changed them.Or just picking the car apart? Hmm,What can i change now?
Here is a couple pics on this link:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...y-install.html
You''ll be looking at them cause You changed them.Or just picking the car apart? Hmm,What can i change now?
Here is a couple pics on this link:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...y-install.html
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 786
Likes: 123
From: Northern VA
It has come up before.I don't even notice them anymore.I think they blend in over time.I think if you change to a color they will be more noticeable.
You''ll be looking at them cause You changed them.Or just picking the car apart? Hmm,What can i change now?
Here is a couple pics on this link:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...y-install.html
You''ll be looking at them cause You changed them.Or just picking the car apart? Hmm,What can i change now?
Here is a couple pics on this link:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...y-install.html
Last edited by Bob-G; Sep 21, 2017 at 03:56 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 384
From: Williamsburg VA
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 7,137
Likes: 3,176
From: Kannapolis MA.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,404
Likes: 418
From: Chester Virginia
Spats = looks like a Pep Boys add-on. As far as Tadge goes it's BS. If the spats are so much of and aerodynamic improvement over rounded fenders then why are they not on the C7-R's. Chevy was too cheap to modify the front fenders for the wider tires. They had to widen the rear fenders for the lower side scoops so no add-ons for the rear.
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,953
Likes: 12,364
From: NE South Carolina
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E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,953
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From: NE South Carolina
In fact computational aerodynamics is getting so good F1 has limited the computer time teams can spend using it as well as limiting wind tunnel test time since they were operating them 24/7 and increasing costs that smaller teams could not match.
Aero is not intuitive, takes data. I have found Tadge pretty straight with his answers. May not tell everything, perhaps skips questions he dos not wish to answer, but he was not justifying GM being cheap by using Spats with BS, IMO!
Last edited by JerryU; Sep 21, 2017 at 05:40 PM.
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,953
Likes: 12,364
From: NE South Carolina
Spats = looks like a Pep Boys add-on. As far as Tadge goes it's BS. If the spats are so much of and aerodynamic improvement over rounded fenders then why are they not on the C7-R's. Chevy was too cheap to modify the front fenders for the wider tires. They had to widen the rear fenders for the lower side scoops so no add-ons for the rear.
This is extracted from his statement:
"Naturally the question is, "If it is so important, why don't we see it on the C7.R race car?" The reason is that the race car sits so low to the ground it can take advantage of even more efficient aerodynamic features such as an "underwing" that sits beneath the front splitter. "
Tadge was even smart enough to know you were going to ask that question!
Last edited by JerryU; Sep 21, 2017 at 05:45 PM.
Race Director
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Is it me or is it the ones that make fun of the spats the most are the people that don't own C7 GS'S and Z06'S.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 7,137
Likes: 3,176
From: Kannapolis MA.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,778
Likes: 2,306
From: Central UT
I really do like the Carbon Fiber, Carbon Flash, and body color better.
But this still doesn't solve a bigger problem for me - the replacement spats still use the stock form and don't follow the radius all the way around the wheel opening.
This becomes even more pronounced for those of us who have installed the 'splash guards' in an attempt to prevent some stone chips. IMO, this is an even bigger issue with the spats.
If anyone knows of a solution that follows the radius all the way and incorporates the 'splash guard' effect, I'm in. The ones I've looked at follow the same pattern as stock. I get that it's a bit more complicated to incorporate the last 12 inches of the bottom/rear, but I'd accept a two piece solution that fit together perfectly too. Maybe I just haven't looked hard enough?
Just MO. Otherwise, I can't find a bad angle on these cars!
PS: my apologies - this post is also on the 'other' spat thread. I meant to post it on this one.
But this still doesn't solve a bigger problem for me - the replacement spats still use the stock form and don't follow the radius all the way around the wheel opening.
This becomes even more pronounced for those of us who have installed the 'splash guards' in an attempt to prevent some stone chips. IMO, this is an even bigger issue with the spats.
If anyone knows of a solution that follows the radius all the way and incorporates the 'splash guard' effect, I'm in. The ones I've looked at follow the same pattern as stock. I get that it's a bit more complicated to incorporate the last 12 inches of the bottom/rear, but I'd accept a two piece solution that fit together perfectly too. Maybe I just haven't looked hard enough?
Just MO. Otherwise, I can't find a bad angle on these cars!
PS: my apologies - this post is also on the 'other' spat thread. I meant to post it on this one.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 725
Likes: 235
I too have a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering and know something about aerodynamics and gas dynamics. What Tadge said is not BS. It makes perfect sense to me and I believe it. I like the look of the raw plastic spats on my Watkins Gray GS, but if you like them better painted, then have them painted. I would not replace them with an even slightly different shape. They've obviously given this thought, and they know what they are doing.
BTW, I have a circular driveway in front of my house that is surfaced with 1/4" decomposed granite. The back of my house, where I enter the garage, is pavers. I have to drive over the granite to get to the driveway. At first I was worried that I'd chip the crap out of my car as the granite comes off the sticky tires. But it appears they've done something right here. I drive slow for 200-300 ft out of my driveway to get rid of the loose rocks, and from that point on I don't have a problem. I haven't found a single chip yet.
BTW, I have a circular driveway in front of my house that is surfaced with 1/4" decomposed granite. The back of my house, where I enter the garage, is pavers. I have to drive over the granite to get to the driveway. At first I was worried that I'd chip the crap out of my car as the granite comes off the sticky tires. But it appears they've done something right here. I drive slow for 200-300 ft out of my driveway to get rid of the loose rocks, and from that point on I don't have a problem. I haven't found a single chip yet.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 786
Likes: 123
From: Northern VA
I really do like the Carbon Fiber, Carbon Flash, and body color better.
But this still doesn't solve a bigger problem for me - the replacement spats still use the stock form and don't follow the radius all the way around the wheel opening.
This becomes even more pronounced for those of us who have installed the 'splash guards' in an attempt to prevent some stone chips. IMO, this is an even bigger issue with the spats.
If anyone knows of a solution that follows the radius all the way and incorporates the 'splash guard' effect, I'm in. The ones I've looked at follow the same pattern as stock. I get that it's a bit more complicated to incorporate the last 12 inches of the bottom/rear, but I'd accept a two piece solution that fit together perfectly too. Maybe I just haven't looked hard enough?
Just MO. Otherwise, I can't find a bad angle on these cars!
PS: my apologies - this post is also on the 'other' spat thread. I meant to post it on this one.
But this still doesn't solve a bigger problem for me - the replacement spats still use the stock form and don't follow the radius all the way around the wheel opening.
This becomes even more pronounced for those of us who have installed the 'splash guards' in an attempt to prevent some stone chips. IMO, this is an even bigger issue with the spats.
If anyone knows of a solution that follows the radius all the way and incorporates the 'splash guard' effect, I'm in. The ones I've looked at follow the same pattern as stock. I get that it's a bit more complicated to incorporate the last 12 inches of the bottom/rear, but I'd accept a two piece solution that fit together perfectly too. Maybe I just haven't looked hard enough?
Just MO. Otherwise, I can't find a bad angle on these cars!
PS: my apologies - this post is also on the 'other' spat thread. I meant to post it on this one.
https://apsisusa.com/?page_id=3984
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,055
Likes: 269
From: Bucks County PA
I just looked at 50+ images using Bing & Google for "Porsche GT3RS" and only one showed a body colored spat which was integrated into the fender so well that it looked more like the fender than a "spat".
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,953
Likes: 12,364
From: NE South Carolina
I too have a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering and know something about aerodynamics and gas dynamics. What Tadge said is not BS. It makes perfect sense to me and I believe it. I like the look of the raw plastic spats on my Watkins Gray GS, but if you like them better painted, then have them painted. I would not replace them with an even slightly different shape. They've obviously given this thought, and they know what they are doing.
BTW, I have a circular driveway in front of my house that is surfaced with 1/4" decomposed granite. The back of my house, where I enter the garage, is pavers. I have to drive over the granite to get to the driveway. At first I was worried that I'd chip the crap out of my car as the granite comes off the sticky tires. But it appears they've done something right here. I drive slow for 200-300 ft out of my driveway to get rid of the loose rocks, and from that point on I don't have a problem. I haven't found a single chip yet.
BTW, I have a circular driveway in front of my house that is surfaced with 1/4" decomposed granite. The back of my house, where I enter the garage, is pavers. I have to drive over the granite to get to the driveway. At first I was worried that I'd chip the crap out of my car as the granite comes off the sticky tires. But it appears they've done something right here. I drive slow for 200-300 ft out of my driveway to get rid of the loose rocks, and from that point on I don't have a problem. I haven't found a single chip yet.
Seldom mention degrees as cars have been a hobby since I was ~12 and have been a reprieve from my business which involves welding! My current part time welding related business involves gas flow. I attribute much of my car knowledge to my dad, uncle and reading every issue of Hot Rod since a teenager!
Today I get a subscription not only to it, Super Chevy, Car & Driver, Road & Track, Autoweek, Street Rodder and a few others but also been getting an SAE mag for many years as well a sending for SAE tech papers when I find one of interest! I live in a rural area with lots of pebbles on the road edges. On the two mile road twisty road from a 4 lane highway to my home I pass an intersecting gravel road that pulls lots of pebbles onto our paved road. I hear those small pebbles hitting the underside my side skirts very time I pass! Installed side skirts on my 2014 Z51 to stop then hitting the rocker panels. The Grand Sport side skirts are a big help as well as GM air flow design around the front wheels
The ACS wider and deeper splash guards I added to the Grand Sport are an additional help. So far, no marking of the plastic GM put around the rear lower fender air duct.
Last edited by JerryU; Sep 22, 2017 at 12:43 AM.