racerx520

iTrader: (1)

hey guys, i'm just finishing up with all the body work and getting ready for paint on my 87 trans...as anyone knows with these cars they scratch a whole hell of a lot...now my idea was to go to the local ducting company (right down the road) get a big piece of thin sheet metal and cut it out for theunder side of the bumper (not going to make a lip or anything coming up) do you guys think this will hold up against scratching? my dad thinks that my problem will be with if the metal catches and bends and such and someone else suggested undercoat, but i think that may be a little too ghetto for me...anyone have any ideas?

Apeiron

I can't see it doing much, besides maybe interfering with airflow through the rad if you make it too large. You'd be better off learning to park more carefully.

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

Parking wouldn't be my issue. The chin spoiler BEGS to eat dirt when you're leaving any raised parking lot. I'd never be able to go to circle k, wal mart, or half of the restaurants around here if I painted my car.

Apeiron

Is your car lowered?

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

No, the springs are saggy. But that wouldn't help me over some of the bumps around here, they're just freakishly steep.

dr1

then you will have a peice of metal underneath that will get scraped up and look silly, whats the point exactly?
like a nose bra, who cares if your paint looks awesome underneath (even if that were true) noone ever gets to see it anymore

neagan

iTrader: (7)

Havn't you heard of the popular clear peel & stick plastic that will save your bumper area paint? Any automotive store should have access to it. Even the car dealers have caught on and I was able to get a prefit kit that covered the entire front clip and mirrors of my Infiniti G-35 3 years ago..... Plus, be sure to use enough 'flex' when you're mixing the paint materials to the bumpers and spoilers. Nitro

racerx520

iTrader: (1)

my car isnt lowered...in all actuallity its raised with the bigger tires i put on all around...and it does scrape, every driveway and soemtimes bumps in the road it'll scrape...the metal would cover just the bumper cover itself and on the underside, no where else, it would not interfere with the air dam or anything of that sort...and i did not know about this stick on plastic protective...do you know exactly what it is called (i think the people at my napa are inbred and wouldnt be able to figure out what it was)

neagan

iTrader: (7)

Clearmask and 3M are a couple makers of this material. Here's a link: http://www.automotivearticles.com/Clear_Bra_3M.shtml

I understand about the sagging springs. I'm just about to pop in a new set of progressive Hotchkis on mine to stop the nuckle dragging issue. Hope the link works correctly. Good Luck! Nitro

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

If the roads are that bad, maybe you should buy a 4x4 for a daily driver. My IROC is lowered and I've never scraped anything with the front of the car. You just need to be familiar with where you're driving, and approach steep entries/exits at an angle to keep the front end happy.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

JamesC

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

We do have parking lots that are four or so feet higher than the road they exit into, so a 4x4 wouldn't be bad. There are speedtables here 14 inches high. There's a few others from Tucson that compain about how easy it is to bottom out. Hell, even Willie's driveway is steep enough to scrape if you have a lowered car and don't go in at an angle.

And angling isn't always possible during a busy day.

neagan

iTrader: (7)

Hey, what a great idea! Let's take a guy we don't know and start telling him how to drive or that he must be so bad at it he needs to get a truck, or maybe even have his mama drive him around.......Sheeesh, what is this? Family Thanksgiving Dinner conversation?
Nitro

racerx520

iTrader: (1)

i can approach stuff at an angle, but soemtimes thats not always possible...i dont know about your iroc, but my trans must be lowered then because i scrape eveything, not to mention i have a longer nose than the iroc's, that extra 2 or so inches does make a difference believe it or not, and about the 4x4, i'm 20, putting myself through school, and am only able to work part time jobs...i wont be able to afford the gas, the maintenence, the vehicle, or even the insurance (i'm in jersey and it sucks)...i wish i coudl get a 4x4, ive been wanting one for a while but i jsut cant afford it...all i was saying was that a piece of sheet metal under the nose (where you cant see it) may prevent my bumper from giong to crap in 2 weeks after paint....i do appreciate the idea with the clear tape, i may have to get some...thanks for your input guys

CommieTerrorist

I remember reading somewhere that they make little wheels for corvettes to help with scraping. I never saw a picture but I thought it was like a small caster wheel that was under the bumpers. I thought about doing something like this as my car scrapes every once and a while too.

Edit:
CHeck this out:
http://www.corvetteguys.com/gms-corv...er-savers.html

racerx520

iTrader: (1)

yeah, it does seem nice, but it says the cost $999?? thats a bit outta my reach haha

CommieTerrorist

Yeah, thats crazy expensive, I posted it more as an idea for fabricating something. Plus they are for a corvette and probably would NOT fit our cars.

racerx520

iTrader: (1)

this is true, i can try to make something at mydad's shop...they make eveyrhting there lol (he converts cars to run on propane and natural gas...even john deere gators lol) i'm sure we can make something up there like that....good idea lol