Plasic Underbody Panel Q's
 

Just making sure...

What are the vents for? I'm very tempted to make a new tray from the front opening to the radiator, to more smoothly flow to the oil cooler and radiator, and replace the plastic with something more encompasing and rigid.

The vents in the front bumper? Brake cooling ducts.

no...the vents in the plastic "skid plate" that covers the bottom of the radiator and oil cooler. it has a series of vents. not sure what they are for but i assume it lets cool air in?

I think they're meant for ventilation of some sort. Maybe to keep water from collecting in the panels.

Mostly to drain water - like the spray you get when you pass a truck in the rain..

Pretty sure they're drains. Otherwise water or other crap would build up in the spaces between the plastic reinforcements.

Yeah you wouldn't want to find dead squirls in there like all the ricers do in their bodykits wouldya?

I found two dead birds in my rad. Is that going to be a problem? :)

(i'm serious by the way :) )

So, no re-enforcments, no vents needed (even though I'll cut a series of thin ovals across it in the very front). Thanks.

I would put some louvers in it to act as drains.just my humble opinion

how the hell do u take the thing off? i cant get at the nuts on top for the life of me

I just ripped mine off.

Banzai, I don't think there would be a need, as I intend to make mine out of SS sheets (which I will also clearcoat), it won't have any flow-stopping bracing (as the plastic version does), and it will have a larger rake to it than the stock plastic, hugging the radiator and oil cooler much more.

I work at a shop which fabricates an aluminum panel system which is actually a thermoplastic panel, with thin aluminum on either side- I'm making a windage tray (I believ that's whta they are called) out of it soon.. CNC cut!

You need to send me that toolpath when you're done! Isn't CAD a wonderful thing?

Hehe, it sure is. It's so easy to make something like this. We have large "AXYZ" CNC multi-tool router tables, and to make a 2d path for somthing like this and send it to the table takes 5 minutes. I can even cut half-depth through the panel to create reliefs to fold the panal at- great for corners and such.

5 minutes? Damn, that's slow. I have access to a 4x8 router mill, which is what I'll be using to make the intake spacers. Uses .dxf format, converts it to an .sbp. what do you use to draft? AutoCAD, I'd assume.

You start by putting it up on jackstands.
The nuts are supposed to be captive.
If they are spinning - I feel sorry for you

Unless you want a ratchet wrench up your nose, of course :D

BamBam7: What would be involved in making me one (or several)?