[PorscheDude]

90% of the time, once a car deviates from stock, the value goes down.

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[flash]

i understand - but, my position is not so much of a 180 from then, as it is having lived and learned - i have done this with a number of things (chips and exhausts come to mind) - i always choose the best thing available, and express my feelings about it at the time - those feelings change as something better comes up



at the time, i was still pretty new to the car (this was over 3 years ago after all) - i listened to others, and formed opinions based on information available at the time - also, i was only looking at front shots, just like everybody else, and really never had the chance or took the time to look at the side, which is where it really looks bad - i plopped my money down and bought one, just like everybody else, thinking it was the best thing going



from the front, all you see is the long line, and it looks ok, and not all that different than the one i have now - the side shot is a whole different story - i also had not had the benefit of actually driving with the thing to see the serious design flaw



after living with it for a while, i really learned to hate it - it absolutely made me crazy - nearly every time i drove the car, i banged it up - i couldn't even get out of my own driveway without scraping it - i even modified it to try to mitigate some of the design flaw - the only reason i left it on there was the performance gain - i am function over form, and if something works, no matter how it looks, i'll generally keep it - it did a good job of directing air into the radiator, as well as providing some front end stability at speed, so it stayed until i found something better



however, now that i have something better, i look back at it and it seems more like a prototype - ironically it looks more like the after market component and the one i have now looks more like a factory one



but, since the one i have is not available, and the strosek seems very expensive, the PU unit may be the only viable alternative for most people - i have no issue with that - i just don't want one my cars anymore, and would rather go without if i can't have one like i have now (or something better if that comes up)

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[biotechee]

I've had lots of emails back and forth with Strosek over the last few days....



The splitter itself is not expensive, relatively speaking. The quote I received was less than the cost of the OEM unit. The subsequent packaging and shipping are what hurts the deal- they quoted nearly the same amount for shipping as for the unit! Factor in the exchange rate, the Fred Opert's price of $790 shipped was spot on.



Strosek is working on getting me dimensions of the smallest package they can do... They estimate it to be around 7 kg! The 95 kg they told me earlier was the volume (should have been liters or cm3). So there was a miscommunication there... The splitter itself only weighs 3.5 kg and doesn't include any undertray replacement or such. It merely fits in the same way as the OEM one would.



Another facet was the shipping quote was for air freight. Air freight is way more expensive than sea freight, but happens much quicker. I would be in no rush to get the splitter so sea would work in my case.



So I am making progress. Stay tuned.

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[flash]

ah - so it would have the same danged edge the PU unit has, which would snag everything and cause damage - i'd like to see a shot of the unit uninstalled to be sure of that though



for me, if it was a "wrap under" unit, it makes sense - if it's a "lip" unit, while looking better from the side, it still is a design fraught with peril on my car, and no better than the far less expensive replicas of the PU unit, or even the PU unit itself



unfortunately i am not prepared to get a mold made of the one i have now, so there aren't many attractive options



bummer - i will have to have at least one more soon, and i am not looking forward to playing with the fiberglass again

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[PorscheDude]

I am sure most of you have seen this one? (pictured)

It from a RX7 FDS3 R2, These can be found for under $200.



And here is one from japan. Only $950USD + shipping. Seems to be molded to the body a little better.(not pictured)

http://www.gruppem.co.jp/en/product/aero/a...cation_968.html

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[biotechee]

The reasons I would scuff mine on my driveway when entering were, as I believe:



1) my coupe was lowered to ROW height

2) the OEM splitter sticks out (horizontally if you will) pretty far



So, as I would approach my driveway, the angle was such that the splitter would end up getting scuffed on the "steep" entrance ramp portion of the driveway. If the car was not lowered or if the splitter did not stick out as far, I wouldn't have had an issue. I am positive if my coupe was NA height, I would have never scuffed the splitter at all.



I never actually "hit" anything with the splitter while out driving. Never had any problems with speed bumps, curbs, etc. So I am not sure how it would get damaged (a fiberglass knockoff for instance) in normal driving where I live. It was just my damned driveway. I thought about putting a 2x4 or something in front of the entrance, but that would be looked down upon by the neighbors for sure. Can't say that I would like it either.



For me, the solution is simple- my cab will not be lowered. Looks low enough with the roof line as it is, and I am more than accepting of the distance between the wheel arch and the tire. I will do my best to get the Strosek splitter. I am 99.9% confident that there will be no issues going into or leaving my driveway from that point on...



Hopefully I will find out for sure.

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[flash]

yup - driveways were the problem - not just mine though - i nailed it at a LOT of places - commercial driveways were the worst - frequently not as wide, often steeper, and almost always unable to get the right angle to prevent damage



the ride height will make a huge difference though - clearly i had the worst combination of circumstances

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[biotechee]

UPDATE: Well, I ended up purchasing the Strosek front splitter directly from Strosek. Picked it up last Friday.



The whole process was technically simple, just a little laborious to eventually get it in my hands. Shipment is a pain due to the size- it is (see below) bigger than the OEM version. And it is a good thing I am relatively close to the Philly Intl Airport.



Anyway- the splitter looks very nice, appears to be well made/molded and is a bit more substantial than the OEM PoMoSport polyurethane one.... You'll see what I mean when I take some piccys.



Here's hoping mounting it to the car is relatively easy!



And, for those interested, dealing with Strosek was very pleasant. Marita, the woman with whom I dealt, was very good. I am happy I have (so far, pending fit up!) it. I think it will look very nice when painted and installed.



Watch this space for pics....

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[biotechee]

PICS of the Strosek splitter (not painted obviously, or installed, also obviously!!!).

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[flash]

that's pretty close to what mine looks like - one thing i found to be a weak design component was the very end (where your hand is in the last shot) - that is the spot that is supposed to catch the nut, and it cracks easily - i would use some reinforcing piece to prevent that



another thing is that it looks like you don't have any way to actually get a tool in to attach that to the car - you will likely need to drill through the bottom at the screw locations - then you will need to use washers and spacers to prevent the unit from collapsing and cracking on impact



also, you will notice that the 3 holes that catch the middle pan are missing - after drilling those, you will need to use fender washers



but it should look great installed

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[biotechee]

Yeah-



I'll have to figure something out! But I will wait until it is warmer....

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[flash]

the next time my car is up in the air (about 2 weeks) i'll snap some pics of the install

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[biotechee]

Cool! Thanks!



Very much appreciated....

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[redbaron]

Biotechee,



Look forward to seeing your Strosek splitter at Hershey. Rich Tokar, the fellow who had his Speed Yellow Cab totally modified by Strosek will also be coming. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Since you live in Pa, will you be able to join us for the 968 Caravan Saturday at 7am at the Holiday Inn?



Don

dhassenbein@comcast.net

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[biotechee]

Hi Don-



If I am able to make it to Hershey, it will only be for the swap meet- I'd drive out early morning, probably with my neighbor who now owns a nice 944.



As for the splitter, it won't be on the car in time for Hershey unfortunately. And there is a chance the cab won't be there period! I need to get some stuff done on it and depending on scheduling and such, she might not be ready.



We shall see!

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[Ryan]

Flash,

I saw your post on the fresh air vent and you had your car up in the air with a camera. So did you snap any of the splitter install? NO...

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[flash]

i didn't - however, i did take not of it, and unless you are going to install pem nuts or something like it, my install won't work for you - i literally drilled through the splitter and ran long screws up into the nuts that are pressed into the bumper cover

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[Ryan]

Could you remove the bumper cap and install it from the top down? This way you wouldn't have to drill up through the spitter. Then reinstall the cap?

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[flash]

it would be very tough, due to the way they built everything - trying to get it to fit over all the junk would prove quite the challenge - if you did manage to get it on there, i'm not sure you could get up to the bolts that hold the bumper cover to the fender

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[PorscheDude]

You would also then be in for bumper removal for under car maintaince.

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