'99 Lip Spacer
 

I've got the first prototype built and mounted, and will test it out later this month. Here's the back story:

Mine is a pretty serious street/track car, and I was looking for ways to increase front downforce without making it unusable for the street. First thought was the GTC bumper, but it's VERY low and fiberglass/rigid, meaning a liability in urban areas where I live. This ruled out splitters too—both from a liability perspective, but also the bottom of the '99 lip isn't flat so you'd have to make something to bridge the gap up front. I also looked at more aggressively shaped aftermarket lips. Again, I'm thinking $6-800 down the drain as soon the fiberglass/carbon fiber lip scrapes something.

SO, I wondered how I could lower the nose of the car, cut the amount of air that flows beneath it, and still maintain a durable front end. Then, I realized the shape of the top of the '99 lip was fairly flat—I could build a spacer that continues the shapes vertically, achieve the desired effect, and as an added bonus, get bigger brake ducts as well.

I'm still working ion getting the shape just right, and the mounting refined to be simple enough to provide reasonable instructions. The prototype is machinable nylon, water jet cut to shape. Once I get it right, I'll make some available to the community at a hopefully reasonable price (likely between $150-$250). Let me know if this is something people would be interested in.

Here are some construction pics

And just a few more:

Carbon Kevlar lol. I like it

That is a fantastic idea, looks very tasteful, looks, OEM-ish :icon_tup:

Cool :nod:

Next up a quick bolt on 99 fit GT wing :egrin:

The new brake duct opening now allows the full use of a standard bumper inlet duct for 3" hose available at most any racing supply store:

Single Bumper Duct - .270Lbs.

I used them before, but with a 1" bulb sealer strip along the bottom to make up the difference.

Just got back from three days of testing at VIR. Bottom line, this thing works. The additional stability at high speed is noticeable, and there's certainly more air getting to the brakes.

Needs some slight refinement in shape, and it would be great to machine in a little lip at the top front edge, to fill the gap between the spacer and the curve of the bumper, but I'm pretty happy.

What's the @#$%ing deal with the forum posting pics upside down now?!

I like it. Any chance of making one for the 93 R1 lip?

I don't have a '93 lip, so don't have any plans. Wouldn't stop you from doing your own. It's water jet cut from 1" thick machineable nylon from McMaster, you just need to get a good accurate vector drawing of the shape. Maybe once this one is really perfected, I could work one up if I had a lip.

I really like this! Great idea!

Vince

Great idea! Im impressed that you actually felt a difference. Def keep us updated as you further test the car.

Ill def buy one if you decide to sell them!

Wouldn't the lip scrape speed bumps and such now?

How about a rubber bladder that fills up with air when you are above 50 mph to lower the lip, like the Porsche Turbo?

This lowers the lip 1", so yes, the clearance is less. However, most aftermarket bumpers and lips (especially those that are effective on track, like the GTC) are also significantly lower than the stock setup, and they are fiberglass, so will break/shatter with contact. This maintains the durable ABS plastic OEM lip, and presumably also the urathane OEM or replica bumper, so it's much more durable.

I don't see any need for the complexity/cost of an expanding contraption. My car is VERY low, and this is still a livable setup. You've gotta pay a certain real world livability price for track functionality, and this offers very little compromise. And is fairly easy to reverse—you could theoretically install it for the track only.

I'd be in for one, maybe option to sell it with the brake ducts!

Nice idea. Makes the ducts a decent size, too :).

Definitely a very nice piece, someone should take the next step and just make an extended lip out of CF. oh yeah!

Odula, AutoEXE, Mazdaseed, Uras, and RE Amemiya all already make more aggressive carbon fiber lips. To me, though, these suffer the same potential durability issue as the aftermarket bumper.

Now, if someone could get this more aggressive shape injected molded in ABS, then we'd have something, but I'd bet it's cost prohibitive, hence this solution.

The creativity of the rx7 crowd never ceases to amaze me....I really have to troll more sections of the forum more often.

Do you have access to the water jet or was the cutting hired out?

Definitely did not know that, thanks for the info!

Very cool product!

nice in for future information

sub'd

What is the status of this item re: potential part for sale to other FD owners?

Thanks.

Wade

Hi all,
I've not had much time to devote to this lately, but should be back at it by spring. It definitely works and looks pretty good but I'd like to make one more refinement on the shape, and some decent directions before I'd ask for any money for it.

Sub'd

Thank you. I am interested for sure.

Subscribed.

Hi all,
I haven't had a chance to refine the prototype I'm running... it works and looks pretty good, could use some refinement in terms of how you attach the main undertray and the two pieces that go under the oil coolers and ultimately keep the fender liners in place.

I could sell 'em now as-is, but it would certainly be a "minor fitment required" sort of affair.

Suggestion:

Find a source for 99 spoilers and sell it as a package with lots of install pictures that resolve the fitment issues as much as possible...you can resolve some fitment issues with the spoilers you receive and make a little extra profit on the combo...

Do it...this will rock on the track!

Basically, it fits great with the '99 spoiler itself... making it any batter would require 3D CNC vs. water jet cutting... what I really need to do is refine the profile of the back of it, so that it's easier to attached the under panels, keep the fender liners off your tires, etc.

You've got a CNC machine in your garage right :nod:

Just picked up a '99 bumper from Fritz and need a lip

I owe you a PM, I have an extra lip.

I need a 99 spoiler and this kit...I am definitely in when u make the decision to sell...any dibs on ur extra spoiler?

Any Progress...

i need these lip spacers

Any updates on production? I would love to get a set!

Guys. I suck. I've been busy and haven't ramped this up, but will try to get it rolling over the holiday break.

cool, ill keep an eye on the thread!

still subscribed

Subbed!

any updates? :)

so is this dead in the water? I can get this brought to market via a plastics company I have very close ties with.

do ittt

Is this a go?

Are you going to make one for the FD R1 front chin spoiler? Just curious

how is this coming along I really like the enlarged air ducting.

i like the idea a lot, it looks really good & add some performance , shitty its dead...oh well another one in the book of 7 extinct

Hey everybody

Obviously I've been pretty lax in ever getting this off the ground, and that's for a couple reasons:

1. First (not fixable) is simply time/energy. I'm pretty busy career wise, and what time I do have is poured into modding/upgrading my own car.

2. The second is, the one I built for my car needed some finishing work... a bit of light sanding/smoothing, painting (not 100% necessary, it's already black), and hand fitting/assembly, including choosing hardware, drilling/tapping holes on the spacer itself, and on the OE undertray so it will still mount.

The end result looks great, and works well (I can tell you there's an honest to goodness aero difference, though I obviously can't quantify it), but it doesn't meet a very high standard as a finished "kit", and I've been in the RX7 community long enough to have bought plenty of "kits" that I've been pretty disappointed with as far as the bolt-on, finished quality of them. Being a creative pro myself, I just hate the idea of putting something out that isn't really well resolved.

That all said, I think there would be high demand for this based on other's assessment of the aesthetics, and the functionality. SO, I'm interested in how people feel about creating a product that requires some engineering and fitment on your part to make work the way it should, vs. a ready-to-bolt-on product.

Let me know your thoughts—and be honest. It doesn't take much for people to start ripping on a product, person, or company anymore, and so I don't need that kind of grief from a side project!