Building custom front spoiler

[sgernon]

I decided rather than purchase a stock replacement spoiler for my Gen 2 Camaro I wanted something different and am going to build my own. I have welded in my subframe connectors, build a small console for my car and adjusted my trans tunnel but I am in general very much an amateur. that said I only learn by doing so I'm jumping in.

I made a paper version to get an idea of the overall shape and form. Most likely it will look like this with the exception that the sides will be more rounded off and not square. Thinking to go functional race style but I also just looked at the one on Professor and really like the overall design of it too.... Most likely race style will also be easier so I'll probably go that route.

In the design my thoughts were to give air a path to flow to the sides of the car rather than under it and also to cover up the tires as best I could. Let me know if I am thinking about this wrong.

I also want to be sure I can get over speed bumps and such without looking like all the Ricers with the smashed body kits. My thought was to give the car 4.5" of clearance. Should this be adequate?


As of yet I have not done too much real work but it has taken me a lot of time. I only bent a 1/4 rod to fit the lower front valence and added tabs to bolt it on. It took FOREVER for me to get all the contours correct.

I'm thinking the next step is to bend the outer structure and some supports between the 2 so I can lay the sheet metal over later. I'm pretty much making it up as I go... Hopefully I will get some more done this week but it's hard to say since I also need to install LCA bushings and ball joints so I can hit the track Friday.

If anyone has any input on how to build it better or changes to the design I'm all ears.

Steve

64503645066450764505645046450864509645126451664515 6451464513645116451064517

[lineberrcasey]

i love the fact you are jumping in head first and building you own man kudos to you!!!!!! just throwing this out there but wouldn't it add more down force with a bit more forward facing splitter incorporated with your design then you could have your cake and eat it too! i look forward to seeing the finished product 64523

[sgernon]

Thanks for the encouragement and feedback.. After laying out the paper I decided to give it a little more forward angle. I'm thinking it will look similar to the spectra one but have flares incorporated by the wheels something like the Gen 2 TAs have. Honestly it's hard to say what the finished product will look like as much as I change my mind but we'll see.

[lineberrcasey]

haha your welcome, good luck i don't think you could go wrong with this at all, like i said cant wait to see the end result , can i get any more info on that 2nd gen ive always wanted one as a sister project to my impala

[SS PUNISHER]

A lil shorter, some forward angle then add a splitter. I think it'd look great.

[lineberrcasey]

A lil shorter, some forward angle then add a splitter. I think it'd look great. am i right or am i right haha

[sgernon]

Since I'm not affraid to ask stupid questions, what do you mean by a splitter. I group spoiler, splitter and air dam all together but really don't know the difference. I suppose at this point I should get a better understanding before I get too deep.

As far as the car it's a 72 I bought as an empty painted shell. Engine is a 10.8-1 377 ci with trick flow heads and a decent size solid cam. Trans is now a t56 mag linked to a 10 bolt with 3.54s. Suspension wise I boxed the LCAs added Delrin bushings. Have PTFB UCA with long ball joints and QA1 coilovers with 550 springs. Rear has Hotchkis leafs with QA1 shocks. Brakes are C5 front and rears are LS with hydroboost off an astro van. Tires are 245 front and 275 rear.

[lineberrcasey]

a splitter faces forward paralleled to the ground it allows air to catch it and put down force on the front of the vehicle(I.E. the forward lip on the spectre's spoiler) the air dam itself i guess helps block the air from flowing under the car whichh can hurt traction and aerodynamics , and the factory spoiler well i dont even know if they have much benefit to anything lol , and that's a nice setup you got i love a good ole fashioned sbc i bet it's a great driver haha :)

[SS PUNISHER]

splitters are them flat things on the front of a nascar....

They look cool and are functional... Lolz

[sgernon]

Thanks for clarification on the splitter/dam/spoiler. I was thinking to have a smaller splitter out of metal as part of the overall design and the ability to bolt on a larger dam/splitter potentially made out of ABS or something that is longer and tighter to the ground for track days. I'm going to try to build it with the ability to bolt it on if needed but will test out the design I come up with first to see how it works. Probably way ahead of myself thinking of next steps when I haven't even come close with the first rev.

[lineberrcasey]

your welcome the best thing you CAN do is plan ahead haha ive got my car drivable but i havent even touched the motor(except rebuilt the q-jet and headers its numbers matching) or suspension yet but im planning ahead so that everything flows together and the idea of making it removable is genius! keep up the good work dude, im keeping my car strictly bolt-on for the sake of progression in my ideas of it :)

[sgernon]

Did a little more work tonight on the front. I tacked some struts all the same length to the bar I made and set them up 5 1/4" off the ground using a random block I had sitting around. Doing this made the spoiler match the contour of the front end. I also hot glued a hanger to the end of the rods and a 1.5" paper splitter to the ends so I could get an idea what it will look like. Not sure how I feel about it or if it will work well this way. I like it but also feel it may look too much like a bolt on.

646196462064621[/ATTACH]64623646246462564626646276462864629[ATTACH=CONFIG]64622

[lineberrcasey]

sweet man loving the progress and that angle is perfect lol and i see your dog wants to help every time i get under my car the short legged beagles want to crawl under too haha

[sgernon]

Thanks for the feedback. He loves to help me but it does get a little frustrating with the torch and welder. Good part is he is always there to help clean my face when I'm laying on the ground with my hands full

[lineberrcasey]

i feel you no matter where i go out side they follow i love them to death but like you said sometimes your working on something and it can get to be a handful i started a build thread on my impala you should check it out and tell me what you think and opinions are welocome its not as nice as your camaro but it gets the job done https://www.pro-touring.com/showthread.php?92824-1970-Chevy-Impala-quot-L-enfant-Sauvage-quot

[SS PUNISHER]

Nice cow catcher!

It's looking really good, I'd probably bring the sides down to about bumper height instead of the bodyy line...

KEEP IT UP!

[lineberrcasey]

any updates on the splitter:D

[SS PUNISHER]

Update?

[prosuperstar]

Looks like I was too late to to tell you to halt this little project, I just don't wanna see another 2nd gen muffed up looking pudding down the street with "custom" parts all over the place

[jlcustomz]

To anyone who wants a good laugh, here's an old pic of a (temporary) front spoiler I once used for about 6 years. No one ever really insulted it????
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/10/DSC00074_zps7047bfd4-1.jpg

[ProTourGSX]

To anyone who wants a good laugh, here's an old pic of a (temporary) front spoiler I once used for about 6 years. No one ever really insulted it????
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/10/DSC00074_zps7047bfd4-1.jpg

At first glance, I thought this was a Smokey & The Bandit style T/A!
You may get some criticism from others, but I just think it's cool how you use available materials to come up with creative designs, anyway. "Redneck"? Perhaps. "Artistic"? Depends on one's perspective, but I'd say so.
Thanks for sharing, for inspiration/encouragement, either way! ; )

[jlcustomz]

Like I said< I posted this& actually built it just for laughs, I do live in north florida. One idea that could be taken from this spoiler, It has a frame, 2 sides,a center & 2straight sections with a lower stiffening flange all held together with stainless allen cap screws. You damage one section, you remake one section. Actually before this was smooth aluminum outers & center with acrylic plastic straight sections, Painted of course. I didn't want to redo the black shaded into silver, so the diamond plate was suggested kinda as a joke.

I replaced it in dec 09' with my 2010 camaro nose conversion.Artistic? yes Redneck? who cares