[Abarth]

Well after 4 months of work and three prototypes we finally tried to fit the V3.0 on and found that there is really no good place to attach it properly. So I'm back to the original Version of just making the existing Aero lip in Carbon Fiber. Before I venture this direction, does anyone have a Aero Lip I could borrow? This piece will be a direct bolt on piece using the OEM mounting points.

Tim

 

[brace up]

can you post some pics of the v3 lip? i dont see why it would be difficult to mount it..you just have to drill some holes on the bottom of your bumper

 

[Abarth]

can you post some pics of the v3 lip? i dont see why it would be difficult to mount it..you just have to drill some holes on the bottom of your bumper

You have not looked under there. There are not hard points. Sure you can use the way you suggest but at speed the down force will rip it off along with what ever you attached it to.

 

[brace up]

You have not looked under there. There are not hard points. Sure you can use the way you suggest but at speed the down force will rip it off along with what ever you attached it to.

i havent looked, but i also dont own an 03-07. my bumper is 1 piece.

however, coming from the vw scene, i know a lot of people who have done this with both abs plastic and cf lips without any issues. they just used easily removable bolts/clips. never heard of a lip flying off on the freeway. so im guessing if theres space to drill 4 or 5 holes below the bumper, it would be fine.

if you dont think itll work for your 07, maybe itll work on my 08. thats why i asked for some pics

 

[brace up]

after a quick search here are the directions i found for installing the seat cupra R front spoiler. granted its abs plastic on a 1 piece r32 bumper, but you get the idea of how these things are mounted..

• had the car up on rhino ramps for an oil change and decided to install the Cupra lip
• removed splash shields from under the car
• cleaned up the filthy bottom edge of the bumper and the engine bay side of the splash shields
• cut 50% of the height off the lip's center posts and dremelled them smooth
• heat gunned and molded the lip to more closely approximate the curve of the bumper
• drilled a small pilot hole in the middle of every tab on the Cupra lip
• held the lip centered, and drilled through the underside of the bumper at the pilot hole in the tab closest to the splitter, driver's side
• secured said tab with a screw like the T25 torx jobs under the car (very low profile, broad heads)
• repeated above for the passenger side near tab
• continued outward from center, positioning, drilling and securing the lip with said screws

(Here is the only part that may end up being unlike what I've seen before...)

• I've never liked how there just doesn't seem to be any satisfactory way to make the lip-ends follow the curve of the bumper--not where the bumper turns the corner heading rearward, mind you, but rather where the bumper curves downward immediately before the wheel arches. It seems that most people are cutting off only the part of the lip-end that actually intrudes into the wheel-well, but I decided I would cut the lip-ends off immediately after the penultimate tab (about three inches before the wheel-well). Naturally, that tab itself got a pilot hole, bumper hole, and securing screw.

• I also angle-cut the side of the lip at that point, in an effort to effect an acceptable transition from lip to bumper.

• Lastly, I replaced the splash shields with above mentioned screws at all original clip locations (I had also pilot drilled through the bottom of the Cupra lip in the few places where it was obscuring the splash shield clips).

* This install was not really difficult at all (i.e. I feel 100% confident that I could replicate this process on another car, without a hitch), but it was time consuming (2.5 - 3 hours), because it was the first time I had installed a lip, because I'm ultra-anal about getting it *perfect*, and because, although I was using a Dewalt cordless drill for the pilot holes, I was driving the securing screws in by hand, with a screwdriver. One drill for the pilot holes and another for driving the securing screws (at a *low* torque setting, to eliminate the potential for stripping out the bumper pilot holes) would have expedited the job significantly.

 

[cjhutch]

There are mounting options and hard points. One thing I would suggest is using the bolts where the lower air shield connects. Cut the lower shield at the point and then mount the splitter there. Another option that I have done personally is mount the splitter with tabs in the wheel well arches. I made a plywood splitter for my old M3 and had no way of mounting it. In a pinch I made some tabs out of thin ABS plastic and then screwed those to the underside of the splitter. I then marked the spots I would need for mounting in the wheel well liner and drilled the holes in the support tab. Used the screws for the liner and attached it. It was ghetto, but didn't look bad and held up for two track days which included me going off track a couple of times.

 

[Abarth]

I don't do 'Mickey Mouse'! I want a clean OEM look, not a ricer add on. One that will withstand time and abuse.

 

[kanundrum]

What about if you took our TurboX Lip and tried attaching it to an aero? Then make a CF Version of that?

Or is that what your talking about?

 

[cjhutch]

I don't do 'Mickey Mouse'! I want a clean OEM look, not a ricer add on. One that will withstand time and abuse.

What I described is far from a ricer add-on. The idea I got from using the wheel well liner came from a mounting design I saw on a Lotus. In addition the Ford GT500 KR has a similar mounting. Notice how the front splitter goes up the side a little into the wheel well. When I made mine

 

[brace up]

im not exactly sure of what youre referring to when you say "mickey mouse" as everyones suggestions have been legitimate oem-style installation procedures...

 

[r3awak3n]

I alsi love how there has been 3 prototypes and 0 pictures. Come on
This thread is worthless without pictures

 

[Abarth]

I requested help and have received nothing but grief. It was an idea I am doing, I don't see anyone else trying to do this. Why do you want pictures, for pieces that will not be sold because they will not work? If this is the all the support I receive from the 'group' then I'll continue this for myself, which was were I started in the first place. I'll provide pictures when I'm done on this trek. This piece will be produced from two separate molds and put together to replace the Aero bottom lip valance piece using the OEM mounting points. It will be a custom one - off piece.
Here are a few pictures of pieces I have made in the past for Saleen Mustangs:

Trust me I do know what I'm doing.

 

[r3awak3n]

Im a visual guy, i like pictures. They also show the progress from v1 to 2 and then 3. Pictures are better than text. I like carbon fiber. I like pictures, oh wait i said that already.

 

[cjhutch]

I see some of that as well. I wasn't giving you grief, but just trying to provide alternative solutions to your problem. Honestly I really wanted a front splitter at first, but I don't want one made of carbon fiber because it would just get trashed using my car as a daily and if it were to break or split it would be pretty expensive to replace.

We (myself and two other guys) just finished making a splitter for my old Corolla that will be on the track most of the time. We used 1/4" ABS sheet and cut it to shape. It was really easy to work with and it's been proven to be very durable. It's also cheap. I was going to go the plywood route again (super cheap and really easy), but it seems that over the last few years many tracks are not too fond of what happens when someone breaks one and wood is scattered all over the track. One of the guys who helped out works for a building/contractor surplus company and we had our choice of almost whatever we wanted. We even made an aluminum one for his Supra. The initial template was made using foam core.

For anyone wanting to make their own I would suggest not using Fiberglass or Acrylic. Fiberglass is really fragile and when we tried the acrylic it kept cracking and when it finally did hold up to the drilling of the holes when I went for a test drive I scraped the side of it entering my driveway and it cracked.

 

[Gs04aero]

People are getting too defensive on this forum lately. If you post up projects like this people are going to have their input. If you're going to get offended then maybe you shouldn't post it. I really haven't seen a negative post in here. Only posts trying to help you mount the lip. People love to be visual on forums and actually get to see work that people are doing. I know I jumped in here the other day because I was hoping to see pics of the prototype work. Not sure how that offends you. Trust me, I know that a carbon lip is top of the list of mods for a lot of people on here. People just want to help you get it in production. Hopefully you don't take this as me attacking you, not my intention. Your work looks absolutely great.

 

[9-3gotboostAERO]

OEM mounting points will not only help people who aren't fond of working with tools, but still look cleaner then making new points.

Keep at it you still have everybody here lined up for your CF lip

 

[04_Aero]

OEM mounting points will not only help people who aren't fond of working with tools, but still look cleaner then making new points.

Keep at it you still have everybody here lined up for your CF lip

No offense to you or the OP, but as much as I would love a CF OEM style aero lip, there is no way in hell I'm going to buy one. I scrape the bottom of my lip at least 2 times a day and that's being as careful as I possibly can. There are a lot of steep driveways/entrances to businesses where I live and a CF lip wouldn't last a week before it cracked.

I will be making a splitter out of ABS plastic (mostly to protect the Aero lip) when I get a chance to run over to the local plastics shop. (2 hour drive)

 

[Abarth]

No offense to you or the OP, but as much as I would love a CF OEM style aero lip, there is no way in hell I'm going to buy one. I scrape the bottom of my lip at least 2 times a day and that's being as careful as I possibly can. There are a lot of steep driveways/entrances to businesses where I live and a CF lip wouldn't last a week before it cracked.

I will be making a splitter out of ABS plastic (mostly to protect the Aero lip) when I get a chance to run over to the local plastics shop. (2 hour drive)

FYI, if you mount the splitter to the bottom of the AERO lip, the next time you you bottom the lip out as you noted happens already, you will not only tear it off but more than likely rip off the AERO lip or break the inter-wall bolt on points with the inner wheel well at the front mounting point. I might suggest that if you want to protect the AERO lip you purchase a piece of balsa wood, fit it to the exact bottom foot print, not extending it forward of the lip allowing this to be the 'rub' point. The wood is soft and will give. Just an idea.

 

[04_Aero]

FYI, if you mount the splitter to the bottom of the AERO lip, the next time you you bottom the lip out as you noted happens already, you will not only tear it off but more than likely rip off the AERO lip or break the inter-wall bolt on points with the inner wheel well at the front mounting point. I might suggest that if you want to protect the AERO lip you purchase a piece of balsa wood, fit it to the exact bottom foot print, not extending it forward of the lip allowing this to be the 'rub' point. The wood is soft and will give. Just an idea.

Incorrect... When I do scrape the lip i'm always going 1-2mph. I've never hit the spoiler at speed, and if I did it wouldn't matter if there was a splitter or not. The OEM aero lip is urethane and very flexable, carbon fiber not so much. Again no offense ment, but a CF aero spoiler on a lowered car is not a good idea IMO, and while I'm sure you'll sell quite a few, it's going to crack way to easily for my taste.

 

[9-3gotboostAERO]

its for people who dont daily drive there cars in rural areas...