Mrmerlin

Put in a fresh set of motor mounts and this will assist in the engine being up a bit more out of the way

worf928

Belly pans: good. Good for aero. Good for cooling.

Also good for keeping wet out of the engine compartment that would otherwise speed the deterioration of all my new or re-plated bits and pieces.

Leon Speed

+ 1

My engine temp drops a about 5 degrees from a hard drive when slowing down with the pans on, didn't do that before. In traffic, hot day, not so much difference.

Belly pans: bad for catching stuff you drop when working on the engine from above.

H2

That's what magnets on expandable rods are for. Works about 40% of the time on bolts lost on the pan!

Nice articles..Nice discussion...

Bill51sdr

I think I read somewhere that the S4 belly pan actually helps the top speed by cleaning up the bottom of the car aerodynamically. Other car manufacturers have done the same thing. There are 3 NACA-style vents molded into it which direct cool air to specific areas on the engine.

Hold On

Does my 1983 S have one pan or two? Right now there is nothing. I see a short front pan advertized for my yr. but not the larger full pan with vents. ???

David L. Lutz

Source??

shadowknight

I can certainly testify to metal over plastic. I purchased a plastic pan from the dealer two years ago it lasted all of a year before I wacked the front spoiler into a curb the pan broke in three areas. Learning my lesson I purchased a metal one for the same price as the plastic.

SteveG

Personally, I don't believe they provide much protection against blunt trauma. They do help keep sand and crap from being sucked up into the front of the engine. The spoiler just being there may warn you from a slow moving ride height problem to the A/C comp; but if you bottom out, you need something more robust. Carl's skid plates might save you.

Turbulence creates drag. The bottom of the later cars is definitely smoother (due to the pans) than the early cars.

.02 cents.

aggravation

I believe Carl has another product, a rod of some sort that I think is primarily to stiffen the geometry of the suspension/steering components that might provide some protection too but I haven't searched for it lately. He did announce it here, seems like about a year ago...

soontobered84

Even the short front belly pan (Hold on, that's what you would have) provides some protection from debris gettin kicked up into the alternator and the AC compressor. The PO on The Schwartz drove without one. Consequently, he ran over something in the road which kicked up into the AC compressor, which pulled away from the block just above the oil pan. Result: a 1" hole in the side of the block which dumped most but not all the oil onto the road.
Your choice.

Brett928S2

Hi

I recently bought BOTH pans for my S2 (86) From Roger at 928RUS...he also included the third part which is a plate that mounts the rear pan to the car (under the rack)

I did it for aerodynamic reasons and have noticed no temperature differences before or after...

But I did have a front lower shock bush wear out recently which dropped the ride height badly at the front and the 2 pans were regularly saving the bottom of the engine as it hit ruts and dips in the roads....bush done now and ride height restored (3 inches clearance) and I am glad i bought the pans from Roger

All the best Brett

Pierre Martins

Here's something I've written that may be of use -

http://motoring-projects.blogspot.co...nt%20splitters