986 Performance parts wishlist

[jhandy]

if a pan could be made from carbon fiber strong enough not to break, I think it would be price too high.
I feel that the cost would price it out of my hands. From my point of view, a sheet of material on the bottom of my car, that no one can see, that is designed to get hit and scratched, should be as cheap and practical as possible. A press formed sheet of stainless, I would think, cost less and would sell more.

[ryan@r2specracing]

I agree that a carbon fiber skid plate is not a good idea. That's a way too expensive material for a part that is supposed to absorb impact. A carbon underbelly could be useful on the race track, but not on the street. Someone mentioned a metal skid plate to a carbon diffuser. That is the only reason carbon fiber was brought into the discussion.

I like the stainless idea, but stainless is also expensive. Not only the material cost, but there is added machining cost. It's also heavy. The weight isn't a huge problem because of the location on the car, but it is a factor that must be considered.

[sparker]

Could I request that the skid plate be alluminium or plastic?

Would also be ideal if it were made up of relatively small pieces that dzus clipped together. (this would also make shipping much much more affordable!)

Sam

[Pat]

Originally Posted by ryan@r2specracing

I agree that a carbon fiber skid plate is not a good idea. That's a way too expensive material for a part that is supposed to absorb impact. A carbon underbelly could be useful on the race track, but not on the street. Someone mentioned a metal skid plate to a carbon diffuser. That is the only reason carbon fiber was brought into the discussion.

I like the stainless idea, but stainless is also expensive. Not only the material cost, but there is added machining cost. It's also heavy. The weight isn't a huge problem because of the location on the car, but it is a factor that must be considered.

You have valid points. That said, the pan on the B5 has a few vents in it, and it would not be easily made of metal. If someone really wants one made from the OEM mold, metal is not a viable option. We were going for OEM fitment and functionality. As for the cost, yes it is expensive. That said, we couldn't keep up with demand, so I was not concerned about it. Sellers don't determine prices, buyers do. Lastly, real-world testing and usage confirmed the durability was outstanding. Keep in mind the pan was not made like a carbon body panel. it was somewhat flexible, comparable to the OEM pan.

[BYprodriver]

Maybach 62S has a full length belly pan, material looks like FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic). Thin gage metal would be very noisy when rocks hit it.

[ryan@r2specracing]

We finally got the prototype in. I thought I would post a pic. Personally, I think it looks amazing. I still need to make sure the measurements are correct, and perform a couple more tests. Does anyone in the Dallas area have an engine we could perform a test fit on?

[sparker]

Looks great! If I was closer than Australia - I'd pop by for a test fit!

Sam

[RandallNeighbour]

Ryan, I've had an idea for quite some time and just don't have the money or energy to do it now, but I sure would buy it if you guys made it.

Someone needs to come out with some perforated & painted stainless steel rollbar inserts. A CNC machine should be able to do it without a hitch. The plastic ones break, get stolen if the car is left in a parking lot with the top down, or they blow off when you drive quite fast and your passenger reclines their seat.

The only fix is to zip tie them down and that looks like crap.

Just an idea since you asked for ideas for our cars.