I already have a front chin spoiler and I'm planning on making a detachable addition.. a front splitter.

Here's a picture (photoshop):



I'll probably get a few "rice" comments or something, but whatever, I want the challenge of building it, and see what it turns out like.

What I'm looking for is ideas on what material to use to make it from. I would rather not work with carbon fibre, its expensive. I've never worked with fiberglass but I'll consider it. Otherwise, what kind of material do you guys think is fairly light weight and rigid enough to work as a splitter? Where could I get the material from?

Thanks!

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Your idea is very simuliar to the one we use on our gt1 race car. Yes carbon fiber is nice, fiberglass is kinda hard to work with. Since the one on the race car is used more like a skid pad we use a 1/8 thk piece of wood. It would be simple enough to make it out of wood, get to fit how you want it thenremove it and put a layer of glass over it. I would consider using a few more turnbuckels though for support.

I think you should make it out of solid gold.

If it were me I would attach it just enough to hold it up. If it hit anything I think I would want it to rip off. If you make it very rigid and mount it real good and you hit it on something (leaving a driveway or something) It may take your whole bumper with it. Its a cool idea but having something that strong and rigid doesn't seem like a good idea to me. I would try using the urethane parts of the car to make it. To make it more flexible.

Ryan

I'm also in the process of designing / building air splitters for my custom nose. My idea is to use something that can hold its shape even in high winds (i.e. fast driving), but flexible enough to bend when the nose bottoms out. I first tried 1/8" thick polyethylene. But it started to warp after a couple days in the sun. I think I'll try ABS plastic next.

Fiberglass will be my last resort, if I can't find a suitable plastic.

I'm looking for a rigid material so that it does not flex from the wind while driving like blacktree said...

I am not going to attach it to the chin spoiler, I want to mount it to a solid part of the car/chassis so if it gets hit, the splitter breaks or distributes the force to a solid part of hte car and not the bumper

[This message has been edited by doublec4 (edited 07-08-2008).]

quote Originally posted by doublec4: I'm looking for a rigid material so that it does not flex from the wind while driving like blacktree said... I am not going to attach it to the chin spoiler, I want to mount it to a solid part of the car/chassis so if it gets hit, the splitter breaks or distributes the force to a solid part of hte car and not the bumper

Makes sense. I thought you were going to mount it to the chin spoil based on the pic. You may be doing some repair work every once in a while with it though. Good luck.

Ryan

Might look into this, I dunno how wide the front bumper is though.... http://www.raceonusa.com/in...VIEWPROD&ProdID=2818
You have a lot of good ideas, the hood vent, and the side scoops, as well as the front splitter. It seems I share very similar ideas, so + for thinking like me

quote Originally posted by mrjohnishome: Might look into this, I dunno how wide the front bumper is though.... http://www.raceonusa.com/in...VIEWPROD&ProdID=2818 You have a lot of good ideas, the hood vent, and the side scoops, as well as the front splitter. It seems I share very similar ideas, so + for thinking like me

I'll measure tonight.. thanks!

quote Originally posted by doublec4: I am not going to attach it to the chin spoiler, I want to mount it to a solid part of the car/chassis so if it gets hit, the splitter breaks or distributes the force to a solid part of hte car and not the bumper

In that case, you might want to take a look at R Runner's IMSA car. He has an air splitter that mounts directly to the frame.

quote Originally posted by Blacktree: In that case, you might want to take a look at R Runner's IMSA car. He has an air splitter that mounts directly to the frame.

I've sent a couple pm's to him about it. His is a little... well, a lot more than I'm looking to do.

How do you plan on attaching yours?

I plan to bolt the air splitters to the bottom lip of the nose. They'll do double duty as scuff guards for the bottom of the nose (so I'm not continually repairing the fiberglass). And they won't be as large as your "spatula" concept. So unfortunately, I don't think my project will help you much.

Instead of going with something as obvious as a splitter, you can go with skid plate material at the corners/front of the fascia. this will take the occasional abuse of a curb or high driveway. Downside is it is a little expensive. Depends on your tolerance to price I guess:

http://www.pegasusautoracin...asp?GroupID=HARDWEAR

hth,

-jeff d
198? Fiero GT/V8
1973 TVR 2500M/SBC V8
1977 Puma GTE

quote Originally posted by doublec4: I've sent a couple pm's to him about it. His is a little... well, a lot more than I'm looking to do. How do you plan on attaching yours?

I'm here..

Depending on the size you are going to (IMHO) secure it pretty well. I would try to put some bracing to the frame. At highway speed there could be quite a bit of force on the front (like there should be) and it needs to transfer the weight to the frame to make it effective.

Again, if I can help, I will be glad to.

quote Originally posted by R Runner: I'm here.. Depending on the size you are going to (IMHO) secure it pretty well. I would try to put some bracing to the frame. At highway speed there could be quite a bit of force on the front (like there should be) and it needs to transfer the weight to the frame to make it effective. Again, if I can help, I will be glad to.

Don't worry, I know you're still around

I'm just still just searching for the best material I guess... I've run into some unexpected repairs so this may not even happen this season, but I wouldnt mind drawing up some solid plans for it.

quote Originally posted by doublec4: Don't worry, I know you're still around I'm just still just searching for the best material I guess... I've run into some unexpected repairs so this may not even happen this season, but I wouldnt mind drawing up some solid plans for it.

I figured this thread was to get a collection of ideas. Since you and I had already talked, I thought I would kinda' stay out of it so you could get more opinions.

Another idea with some corvette ZR1 side skirts/splitters

I just priced out a piece of 3/16" ABS plastic big enough and it's pretty expensive... any other ideas?

Foam core and aluminum?

quote Originally posted by doublec4: I just priced out a piece of 3/16" ABS plastic big enough and it's pretty expensive.

That's why I went with the 2-piece splitter idea. I can cut two boomerang-shaped pieces from a single 24x48" sheet. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos yet. So far, all I have is a template drawn on fiberboard and a nose with a bunch of raw fiberglass on it. It's still in the early development stages.

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 07-10-2008).]

quote Originally posted by Blacktree: That's why I went with the 2-piece splitter idea. I can cut two boomerang-shaped pieces from a single 24x48" sheet. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos yet. So far, all I have is a template drawn on fiberboard and a nose with a bunch of raw fiberglass on it. It's still in the early development stages.

Not a bad idea, maybe I'll consider something similar...

I was at an autoparts store today and it probably sounds cheesy... BUT, if you look at ABS plastic mudflaps... they're pretty much already a certain shape ,and some of them are very rigid...

where did you get your plastic from?

www.mcmaster.com

There was a good article on how to make a carbon fiber splitter in Modified magazine a while back. It was on a green project civic they were building. Can't remember the month, but it might be on their site.

carbon fibre would be nice and great looking, but expensive. Also, my front end sits 4.5 inches off the ground as it is now.... carbon fibre in that location will surely get ruined and it would be lots of money down the drain..

I am thinking of doing the same thing. I plan to use black plastic mudflaps for an 18 wheeler. They come in 24x24, 24x30, and 24x36 and are not expensive. I am still undecided about what to use for the sides(under the rockers).

Where can you get those?...

bump.... and I might go try some plywood in the next few days... I'll take some pictures..

I don't know if this will help, but Tractor Supply sells a 4" wide 2 ply rubber belt material that might work.
Take a look,
http://www.tractorsupply.co..._?rFlag=true&cFlag=1

I hope this proves helpful.

Good Luck.

~Bob

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"Its nice to be important.
Its more important to be nice."

The truck mudflaps are at just about any heavy truck parts store and dealerships at about $5 to $10 each.

Here are a couple photos, so you can at least visualize what I'm doing. In the first photo, you can see the underside of the nose. I made a 2" wide lip around the front edge. The splitters will mount to that.



And here you can see the nose sitting on the template. This gives you an idea what the splitter will look like when installed.



I think I should re-iterate that this is an R&D project. The design may or may not work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

You might try FRP, fiberglass reinforced plastic, available at your local lumber yard/home center. Usually $30-$45 Per 4'X8' sheet. It is less than 1/8" thick and fairly rigid, yet flexible. It has a pebble textured finish on one side, but is fairly smooth on the backside. I use 1/4" plywood for the base of my one off nose project and it is attached to the bottom of the radiator bracket at the backside. I do have to be careful about bottoming on slope and such. My nose is about 4 1/2" off the ground, but the bottom 1 1/4" is a flexible rubber skirt.

quote Originally posted by bjc 350: You might try FRP, fiberglass reinforced plastic, available at your local lumber yard/home center. Usually $30-$45 Per 4'X8' sheet. It is less than 1/8" thick and fairly rigid, yet flexible. It has a pebble textured finish on one side, but is fairly smooth on the backside. I use 1/4" plywood for the base of my one off nose project and it is attached to the bottom of the radiator bracket at the backside. I do have to be careful about bottoming on slope and such. My nose is about 4 1/2" off the ground, but the bottom 1 1/4" is a flexible rubber skirt.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone... and thanks for the pics Blacktree

do you have any pictures of this set up?

I do have some pictures, but never figured out how to post them. It is not set up as a splitter style, the plywood was used as a base for the whole nose. It was on the "show your custom nose" thread a while back, but the pictures are no longer hosted.

you can send them to my email and I'll host them

doublec4@hotmail.com

These pictures are being hosted for bjc 350

Its hard to tell from the pictures but I think he built an under tray for the front bumper he custom made, and then there may be a very subtle splitter or lip under the bumper...