chiffonade

Hey all -

Just bought a white 07 GT3 and I'm having a pretty fun time driving it around... unfortunately the front splitter is just TOO damn low for street driving around here in west LA... the splitter fell off during some cornering and driving around - had to run out into the street during a red light to grab it! Kind of embarassing...

Anyone, does anyone else run this way without a splitter, and is this safe for freeway speeds < 100 mph as far as aero is concerned?

I'm also concerned about scraping things down there - I am willing to deal with a little depreciation/collateral damage since the car is something I intend to drive and drive often, but is there anything that can get permanently damaged down there if I scrape without the splitter installed?

Thanks,
chiffonade

carrering

how did you knock off the splitter while cornering? did you jump a curb? I drove the exact same car in LA for 2 years and only occasionally scrape the lip on a driveway or doing the crab maneuver up steep speed bumps. the splitter is cheap. just replace once its scraped up pretty good. keep the messed up one for track where it gets pelted by everything spit up from leading cars running gummy tires.

running without it on the street you then risk the chance of scraping the front bumper cover, it would be more expensive repairing that versus just buying another cheap plastic splitter. also, the lip that holds the splitter on is most exposed and damaging those could affect being able to even place a replacement splitter on requiring you to have to buy a new bumper cover.

chiffonade

Well, it sort of just fell off as I was driving (in a straight line the exact moment it fell off)... I think I'll give it another go, I think the dealer installed a new one when I bought my car and the technician may have forgotten to fasten it or something like that.

Thanks for the advice though. I'll probably end up getting this fixed.

Oh, and... did I end up with your car?!

carrering

its press fit into the bumper and has one screw on each side. would have been noticeable if it was installed in such a way that it would just fall off while driving straight! make sure the tabs that hold it in place are in tact. I think not since my 997.1 has found a new owner here in Germany. We took both cars to Leipzig together and had a blast. enjoy the car! take her to the track. buttonwillow is fun and nearby.

Larry Cable

buy the cheaper cup front splitters ... while they are lower they are cheaper ... its cheaper to replace these than it would be to repaint the bottom of the front bumper ...

you could also get the car corner balanced with the ride height set higher too ...

or install the bilstein front lift kit ...

mooty

The front lip is not too low for LA. my sits lower than factory, i have no prob in E LA, Orange County, Westwood, Downtown LA.

your spoiler was not installed right if it fell off on straight line. the spoiler is sort of hooked on a "channel" and it is such that it gets tighter if the car is moving forward, if you scrape it backing up the car, it may fall off even if the two screws are one. but going forward, it should NEVER come off. take the lip off and get under the bumper to see how the lip is hooked on then you will understand. you can drive the car into a wall, the bumper will come off, the lip wont, if you hit it straight on.

Glock Guru

Hell just blame it on George Bush, everyone blame him for everything else.

-Troy

911SLOW

+1 on the lift kit, most useful mod I did the past year.

John

OldGuy

This is real life experience albeit in a 996 GT3. I drove without the front splitter. The 996 one was really flimsy. I put it on at the track, took it off otherwise. I was traveling between here and Edwards AFB and decided to hit 160 and i got hit by a gust off the right fender. Almost lost it. I had to stop and pull over.
I was so shaken. Under 100, probably pretty safe.

Larry Cable

the 996 cup front splitter was MUCH better/stiffer ...

mooty

must not have daylight b/n bmper and lip.
else.....

Larry Cable

good point, usually sealed via two-sided tape as I recall

911SLOW

So it is true stiffer IS better. good to have it confirmed Mr. Blue.

chiffonade

Thanks for all the input guys. I got on my hands and knees at lunch today and pressed the badly scuffed splitter back on after examining it. Seems like it caught on something pretty aggressively and one side tore out from the screw that was holding it on. Then I *think* what happened was it got caught under the wheel so it was "pulled" off by the car running over it.

A few of the tabs were bent but other than that it went back on fine. The thing is scraped up but the body of the car is perfectly fine - even the screws are still in. Looks like the splitter did its job exactly as designed. I'll probably get a new one when I'm getting my oil changed.

Thanks!

Larry Cable

get the cup splitter, its stronger and cheaper...