[DeTomaso] GT5 Air Dam - scraping damage and rock ships

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/14/07 13:11:58, phavlik at pris.ca writes:

<< Second, I would like to modify the underside of the air dam so that 
some sacrificial material starts scraping first before the brittle 
fiberglass contacts the pavement. Has anyone done this, or know of 
some other solution to the problem? I just want to hear a warning 
scrape before I damage the fiberglass. >>

>>>Well, keep this in mind--fiberglass is cheap, and by definition, 
sacrificial, whereas what it is attached to is expensive.  Mad Dog made the mistake of 
reinforcing his air dam to make it very strong; when he subsequently whacked 
it, it transmitted the force to the car and bent his front fenders!!!!  So be 
careful of what you ask for....

I suppose you could put some sort of rubber strip etc. at the bottom of the 
air dam, but it won't change anything.  You will just hit the rubber strip 
first, then still hit the fiberglass under the same circumstances.

The real solution, of course, is to (DUH!) stop crashing into things!  Plan 
ahead, approach driveways with caution, and if the approach to a given gas 
station looks too steep, it probably is--just go around, or go to a different 
station.

I am in the process of fitting a GTS mini air dam to the front of my car.  It 
will have substantially greater clearance than you GT5 air dam has, of 
course, but it will require circumspection nonetheless since my car is fairly low.  
I have deliberately mounted it in a manner that will let it snap off, rather 
than warp the car, in the event of impact.  Fiberglass is cheap--metalwork 
isn't!

Mike<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> See what's free at 
http://www.aol.com.</HTML>