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

[Peter Havlik]

Thanks, Thomas. Yes, I had thought of using curb feelers, but they 
would inevitably be visible and look incongruous on a sports car. I 
associate them more with Grandpa's '59 Buick.

Good thought, though.

- Peter

At 11:21 15/05/2007, Tomas Gunnarsson wrote:
>Peter,
>
>Have you considered getting some curb indicators like the ones you 
>see on old classics? You could probably either mount them behind the 
>dam so that they protrude the correct amount forward/down or modify 
>them to suit your needs.
>
>http://www.mooneyesusa.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=755&osCsid=019383a018ac2e10913fa81db56cf9f0
>
>Tomas
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Peter Havlik" <phavlik at pris.ca>
>To: <MikeLDrew at aol.com>; <detomaso at realbig.com>
>Sent: den 15 maj 2007 19:36
>Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] GT5 Air Dam - scraping damage and rock ships
>
>
> > Mike:
> >
> > I take your point, but I'm still wondering if there is not something
> > I can do that will give me an audible warning just before I start to
> > scrape. I'm not intending to make the air dam stronger, because I
> > agree it should have as much flex as possible.
> >
> > The rubber (or Teflon or aluminum or whatever other sacrificial
> > material) strip will start to scrape first and, because I'm usually
> > going slow when approaching gas station entrances or steep driveways,
> > I should have more than enough time to stop before the fiberglass
> > hits or starts to bend much. That's my theory, anyway.
> >
> > Also, I have to wonder just how cheap a GT5 air dam is to replace.
> > First of all, from the look of it, not all aftermarket air dams are
> > the same as the factory ones (and the factory ones are prohibitively
> > expensive - if you can find one). Second of all, one still has to pay
> > for installing and painting the new air dam, which is not cheap
> > either. And, at the rate I'm going, this will be an annual event!
> >
> > I just can't believe that no one out there is having the same problem
> > as I am, and that there isn't some kind of a solution. We have enough
> > engineers, fabricators and general geniuses on this list that I'm
> > convinced the answer is out there somewhere!
> >
> > - Peter
> >
> > At 10:06 15/05/2007, MikeLDrew at aol.com wrote:
> >
> > >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>
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