| Author | Message | ||
| JRV (Jrvall)
Intermediate Member Username: Jrvall Post Number: 1008 Registered: 11-2002 |
>>>Make yourself for $40, save $100. << I've made up a few sets, still have a couple sets left, out of aluminum, cost more than $40 to machine them up though. | ||
| Dennis (Bighead)
New member Username: Bighead Post Number: 6 Registered: 2-2003 |
David, re your question about the 348 front spoiler: I used to have a 348ts. It drove me nuts -- the 348 scrapes a LOT more than the 355. The bigger problem is that it wasn't scraping UNDER the car; instead, it would scrape at the friggin' leading edge of the front spoiler! And the paint would chip off right at that edge, visible from 10 feet away. ARRGH. So, this is what I did. When I had the black lower plastic panels painted body color, I also had the rubber front spoiler lip from the Series Speciale installed. It looks pretty neat, but much more importantly, it causes the scraping to occur on the UNDERSIDE of the front spoiler lip. Can't see it unless you stick your head under the car. Something to consider.... vty, --Dennis | ||
| Dennis (Bighead)
New member Username: Bighead Post Number: 2 Registered: 2-2003 |
to Rob Schermerhorn: Thanks for the info on making it yourself -- very useful! I'm the cheapest man alive, so it does sound great, but I also have the mechanical aptitude of an eggplant, so making a pair myself is pretty much out of the question. There's also a difference in that the pieces that I bought have a lip to fit around leading edge of the factory undertray piece, and the plate's front edge is beveled. (I dunno if the ones you made have those properties; I can't even use a saw to cut a straight line, much create lips and beveling and such.) BTW, I also have a scanned copy of an early Forza tech column on how to make these yourself. If anyone wants a copy, let me know and I'll email it. Lastly, Frank, thanks for the kind words. And I *am* getting the paint film put onto my car after it gets painted. It'll save a lot of time in the morning of track events! vty, --Dennis | ||
| Rob Schermerhorn (Rexrcr)
Member Username: Rexrcr Post Number: 254 Registered: 11-2002 |
Taken from this past thread:http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/21/189882.html Make yourself for $40, save $100.  ***** Skid plates. You can make them yourself. McMaster Carr industrial supply. Take a piece of cardboard to make a template of the surface that rubs the ground. Drill and countersink #10-32 allen head screws to attach to your spoiler. Use nylocks and fender washers on the back to spread the load. This stuff cuts easily with a sabre saw. Have fun. Maybe a business oportunity for someone? http://www.mcmaster.com/ Part Number 8752K215 $19.81 Each Material Polyethylene UHMW Material Type Standard Polyethylene Material Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW) Form Sheets Length x Width 12" x 24" Select to change value 12" x 12" 12" x 36" 24" x 24" 24" x 36" 24" x 48" Thickness .5" Thickness Tolerance �.063" Length Tolerance +.063" Width Tolerance +.063" Opaque White Lowest Operating Temperature Below +45� F Highest Operating Temperature Above +100� F Operating Temperature Range -22� to +180� F Performance Characteristic Wash-Down Applications Tensile Strength 6300 psi Impact Strength Unbreakable by notched Izod test. Specifications Met Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Compliant Hardness Shore D: 67 | ||
| David C. (Worth_it)
Junior Member Username: Worth_it Post Number: 68 Registered: 10-2002 |
Looks great, but has anyone made this for a 348 Spider ?? I know a lot of people would buy this also. Would your guy condider the 348 as well ? | ||
| Mr. Doody (Doody)
Member Username: Doody Post Number: 794 Registered: 11-2001 |
welcome dennis - good to have you here at fchat. doody. | ||
| Frank K Lipinski (Kaz)
Junior Member Username: Kaz Post Number: 145 Registered: 11-2002 |
Dennis - Thanks for the post...will order a pair today. Also - I highly recommend the 3M clear bra. Just had my car done and it's fantastic. In addition to front end, kit includes mirrors, wheel wells, fog, turn and head lights. Besides chip protection, I believe that if you do bottom out that the material is so strong that it would prevent a hairline crack spidering up the bumper, as in your pictures, or at least make it nearly invisible by holding together like a cast. The key is a good installer - mine took over 9 hours to complete. Good Post  | ||
| Omar (Auraraptor)
Member Username: Auraraptor Post Number: 355 Registered: 9-2002 |
Welcome to the site. Looks interesting what you got there. Maybe if one day I have a 355... | ||
| Dennis (Bighead)
New member Username: Bighead Post Number: 1 Registered: 2-2003 |
Howdy! A handful of you out here might know me from the FerrariList, where I've been posting for some time. I just posted the following, and wanted to post it here as well -- I'm pretty excited, as I've wanted skid plates for my 355 for some time now. thx, Dennis (who actually washed a car OUTSIDE today in Boston, two days after a massive snowstorm) ========================== Ok, I just bought something pretty cool for my 355, and wanted to share with fellow 355 drivers out here. If you've ever scraped the front end of a 355, you'll know what I mean -- under the "nostrils", there is a pair of black fiberglass undertrays with semi-circular leading edges. On most front-end scrapes, it's this black undertray that takes the hit, and NOT the painted surface on the bottom of the "nostrils". It usually gets scraped and chipped and hit, but not really that big of a deal, right? After all, who's going to see it, way down there on the bottom of the front of the car? Check out these pics to get a better understanding of just what the heck I'm talking about: http://www.photoaccess.com/share/guest.jsp?ID=AB806926154&cb=PA Anyway, in the fall, while leaving a gas station, I drove over the filling lid for their underground storage tank -- those things that look like minature manhole covers. At this particular station, the lid protrudes fairly significantly up from the ground. At just the right height, at just the right angle, it caught the leading edge of this undertray, and caused a tear in it. Not a big deal? Well, this tear also happened in the front bumper cover... up and around the driving light and the turn signal. D'Oh. Well, the car is going into the bodyshop this week to get the front end touched up (way too many stone chips from too many track events), and this gash repaired. Again, see the pics to understand what I'm rambling about. So, after it's painted, what do I do to prevent the next scrape? Scrapes HAPPEN, after all -- I use my car pretty damn frequently, and sometimes it just can't be avoided. I've seen other owners make skid plates out of plywood, out of lexan, and out of aluminum. Well, I found the answer today. My mechanic (and good friend) John Tirrell, of Independent Ferrari Service in South Easton, MA, had some customers who were complaining of this problem. He's also concerned about scraping his personal 355 Challenge. One customer came in with a well-used 355 Challenge, and it had a pair of ratty looking plywood screwed into the bottom. John decided he could do better. He ended up having a machine shop make a pair of skid plates out of aircraft nylon -- flexible, with a high degree of "lubricity". The front/leading edge is beveled, to help avoid situations where the plates catch. The plates are machined to match up to, and cover, the factory undertray pieces, EXACTLY. Installation requires a drill and a screwdriver, taking even mechanically challenged nincompoops like me only a few minutes to put on. Here's the procedure: fit plate over undertray piece; drill holes in the undertray, using the plate as a guide; screw it in (using these little screw backing plates or whatever the hell professionals call them on the other side). Voila -- now your 355 has added protection against scraping, not to mention the ugly situation I face, where the scraping causes a lot more damage. He ordered a run of a dozen pair, and is selling them to his customers for $139 (plus shipping), which includes the installation hardware. I was pretty excited about this, and told him that I'd post it to the F-list if he'd offer a discount. So, if you call him at 508 238 4224 and tell him that you're an F-list member, he'll knock 10% off. I think Al Chelini had a shop that made these out of Lexan, for $100 a pair, a few years ago. These have to be better - they're nicely machined, contoured, and beveled. DISCLAIMER - I have no pecuniary gain from any potential transactions, do not remove tag under penalty of law, return your trays and seats to the full upright position, product may settle during shipping, closed roads with professional drivers, never try this at home, etc. Good luck! vty, --Dennis |