BT Skid Plate installed--summary

Awesome. I don't remember seeing that sort of gap in the prototype pictures.

 

There was no gap in the photo posted in the PC shop...... check it out. I wonder if that is a result of a difference in the year model????

 

My first prototype had a designed seperation between the front chin spoiler and our skid plate of aprox 2.4" I wanted there to be a space in between and not have it physically attached to the main skid plate.

I am having our machine shop make up a longer version of the chin spoiler to decrease the gap to less than 1/4" I am going to send one out to Evan and see how he likes that version. If it goes over well, we will make this available to those that have already purchased their skid plate.

Please note that the picture that Evan posted was taken with a wide angle "fisheye" type lens so the spacings that you see are exaggerated quite a bit compared to what it would look like in person.

 

Drag racers use a "diaper" in there engine bay to sop up any oil that might otherwise spill onto the race track. You might be able to use this material as a sound dampener for your skid plate.

Here is a link to Summit Racing.

RCI 7809B - RCI Engine Diaper Replacement Pads - summitracing.com

 

Evan, I am thinking of using some RAAMmat sound insulating material (similar to Dynamat) on the engine side of the skid plate. RAAMmat web site says it is stable to 300 degrees..... Do you think this would work to insulate sound and temp?

If I get a break tomorrow, I will craw under and reconnoiter a bit. When I install the plate, I will take photos and post them like I did with the Strut tower brace install.hoto:

Lee

 

Dr,
I looked at your pictures & threads with great interest. If I may make a suggestion? Pick up some rubber mats at Home Depot. There very handy to use everywhere in the home. Come in all colors. There cheap. They are about 2 x 2 ....1/2 inch thick..come in interlocking ends so you an make a carpet of them if you'd like and with 2 of them on top of each other you can lay on them under a car all day without any misery. And there washable. I have our laundry room floor lined with them and there a pleasure on the footsies. I own about 20 of them. The thought of my old a** laying on that plastic sheet of your's on concrete for 3 hours made my back spasm. You must be a young stud!!! There even a lot more comfortable than a mechanics creepy crawler sled. Good Luck!!

 

Yes there quite easy to slide around on. On side is grippy the other side is slick/washable. I like to build a little carpet of them..then I slide that carpet under the car and when I'm done I slide it out that way I can see/find all the screws & washers I lost.

 

Brian, what is the latest on the longer version of the chin spoiler?

I might take a stab at installing my skid plate on Saturday, but could wait for the new piece.

Lee

 

The longer version of our chin spoilers should be here by mid/late next week.

 

I haven't got to the install yet. Brian, will the larger chin piece be shipped automatically, or do I need to request it?

Lee

 

Hello Lee,

I have made a few of our longer chin spoiler but before I offer them, Evan is going to test one for me to make sure that everything fits perfectly.

 

So I haven’t looked very carefully underneath my car yet, have a lot of people had trouble with road trash coming up through the plastic parts under the engine compartment? This isn’t a problem I’ve seen discussed in the short time I’ve been browsing around PC….

Jeremy

 

I just installed the forward engine deflector shields on the Zhang Heng. With the help of fellow Prius owner and car aficiando Frank Goodyear, we we able to do the install in 2 1/2 start to cleanup. Evan's instructions and photos were a great help.

The front antigravity generator bars had to be moved to where the deflectors would not cover them. I am going to stay with the short chin piece, since that allows an area for the lights to shine through.

The only minor hassle was getting things to line up. As it is, the middle bolt hole of the front five does not line up at all, so we just left that bolt out.

 

In my opinion, any mechanical interference issues with the skidplate ought to be, for sure, cleared up ASAP. Unless I missed something, it appears that Evan's plate does indeed contact that mount thingie in the center of the car (despite his efforts to make adjustments); personally, I wouldn't be comfortable leaving the plate in place for an extended period of time under those circumstances.

Perhaps that specific skidplate is an early unit that isn't exactly to regular production specs, or something like that, I don't know...?