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Repairing underbody panels

The plastic panels that are under the Boxster take a beating and those on my 2000 S are no exception. I had pulled the 3 rearmost panels off for an engine swap so I spent some time fixing them.
I do the repairs using fiberglass, which is not perfect because it does not bond that well with the Boxster's plastic, but I have worked with it in the past and it is what I have on hand. It does seem to do the job.
The small panel that covers the fuel and power steering lines under the left side door just had a couple of holes in it so was easy, (before the repairs).

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1691827358.jpg

... as was the middle panel, just some cracks down its center so it was straight forward to reinforce the affected areas.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1691827414.jpg

The rearmost panel, that goes from one side to the other, was more of a challenge. All of the mounting points were either missing or broken. I used thin aluminum to approximate the necessary shapes then fiberglassed them on both sides. Pop rivets were then added to strengthen the bond between the fiberglass and the plastic and to hold it in place in case of delamination.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1691827718.jpg

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1691827769.jpg

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1691827812.jpg

With a coat of black paint the panels are far from lovely but should be functional.

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgyqc (Post 655178)

I do the repairs using fiberglass, which is not perfect because it does not bond that well with the Boxster's plastic, but I have worked with it in the past and it is what I have on hand. It does seem to do the job.

Grant, I have used the same technique to repair plastic parts, but to help the fiberglass stick, I first carve a 'diamond shape' on the plastic with the dremel as this helps the epoxy to bond into the plastic
.

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgyqc (Post 655178)

Grant, did you check eBay? I've seen belly panels for sale at extremely reasonable prices.

Talking about the underside panels, yesterday while helping my youngest kid to replace his brakes I ran into the rearmost bottom panel that was left from my 987CS (in perfect condition), if someone needs it please let me know as it is free you just need to pay the shipping.

Also I have the right side (passenger) front radiator mounting frame (brand new) that I bought but never install it also free.

PS: Please let me know if you want the P/N's