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Mod - Front Lip Spoiler


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Several people have been asking me about the front lip spoiler I put on my car recently. So instead of telling each person sepperately, I thought this would be more helpful.

 

Here's what I did, a small foam-rubber lip around the out side corner edges.

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5488988253_392ceb9aac_b.jpg

 

I bought it from this eBay seller for the low price of $18 plus shipping. He has lots of pictures on his site of this product on various cars.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220674656219&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT

 

Edit: This rubber lip is actually a garage door seal that is also available at many hardware and home improvement stores. I found the exact same product at a Lowe's for less than $10 for a 9ft section. I feel a little embaressed by this discovery. Oh well, the effect is still the same and I still like it!

 

Installing it was a bit tricky at first, but I'll give you the run down on what I found to be most effective. It actually doesn't take much to install these rubber strips.

 

If you do end up buying from that listing be awere that the length of that rubber lip is only 7ft. Our cars need at least 8ft to make a continous lip spoiler. I had already started the project before I discovered that I didn't have enough to make it from one wheel well arch to the other in one strip. Doh!

So that's why mine is in two pieces. But after stepping back from doing the work, I like this look! And it was easier to do it this way.

 

So to start, you need to raise the car up on jack stands so that you can get your mellon head under ther to see what's going on as well as you drill with bit installed.

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5138/5495539512_b2b93fffce_b.jpg

 

I started at the back edge by the wheel arch and worked around toward the center.

This product doesn't come with double side tape like some of the other eBay offerings. I figured that with the temperature extremes that this car will be exposed to the tape just wasn't going to hold up in the long run. So I used self tapping screws and washers to lock the lip down.

 

This is the front left spoiler looking from the middle of the car to the left side.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5133/5494947135_9fc338f05d_b.jpg

 

The foam-rubber is a very flexible and bendable product. Before I discovered that the 7ft length wasn't going to make it all the way around I had the lip spoiler attached to just after the center of the car. So will a little finessing it will form to that bump from the outside edge to the center section. Notice the extra holes in the second photo. Oops!

You can't see that unless you get down on your hands and knees and look up under there.

 

The hardest part is forming the rubber around that almost 90 degree bend from the side to the front. There you will be using at least 3 screws to hold the rubber into the proper shape and form. The washers on the screws really help hold the rubber in place and give it lots of support. Other wise, without the washers, the rubber could pull right over the screw head.

 

This is the right spoiler looking from the right wheel arch toward the front of the car.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5292/5495539460_5f9186d65b_b.jpg

 

The spacing of the screws isn't even because you will need more screws and washers in certain areas to get the rubber to hold the form of the bumper skin.

 

To set the screws I used a drill with a 1/16th inch bit to create a pilot hole through the rubber and the plastic bumper skin. Doing it this way aligns the rubber to the bumper skin. And it makes the proccess very easy. I just placed my thumb under and behind the rubber and used my other hand to move the rubber to the desired depth and then locked it down with the first thumb and placed the drill bit just in front of my thumb edge and drilled.

 

NOTE: Please make sure that you are very careful doing this technique. Check the location of the drill bit and drill slowly. the plastic that Subar uses on these bumper skins is soft and not a lot of presure is need to drill through this stuff. Double check that if you drill through the plastic that you won't also drill through the front edge of the bumper skin too. Or worse, your thumb!

 

Check twice, drill once! Measure twice, cut once.

 

In the end I was really pleased with the over all look of the lip spoiler. It wasn't what I had in mind when I bought it, but now that it's installed, I love it. It really helps the front end look!

 

Now about those headlights... :spin:

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5298/5493266551_c39640a906_b.jpg

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Have you seen this same product at HD before? It's pretty thick and not like a door seal that I've seen before. If it is just a converted door seal then I'd like to see the door that it seals. It must be huge and heavy!

 

This stuff should wear very well over time. It seems very rugged and tough.

 

But I also didn't want a front lip spoiler that looked like it could easily be found on the front of DTM racer or a Fast & the Furious ricer car either. This is just a simple design that seems to work for what it is. Door seal, Spoiler... what's the differece? :confused::p:lol:

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Well that's useless info pre-dent. If in fact it is available at a retail outlet, then where and what's it used for?

 

I'm not saying you're wrong, just a little more detail would be good. Also, have you actually seen, held, felt what I have shown here and compaired it to what you are claiming?

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Nice job ChasWG. I liked the photos in the other thread, and this write up with detailed pics is even better.

 

 

Some DIY mods come out a little um, ghetto, but this speckled rubber looks really good! Especially for 18 bucks!

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I don't like to see people get taken advantage of.

 

This product retails for half what you paid for it and you can get it at your local hardware store.

 

@ Chas

I think hes talking about the original mad ghetto Home Depot front lip...

 

You can search it up on the forums and I must say, hes right lol.

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Well that's useless info pre-dent. If in fact it is available at a retail outlet, then where and what's it used for?

 

I'm not saying you're wrong, just a ittle more detail would be good. Also, have you actually seen, held, felt what I have shown here and compaired it to what you are claiming?

 

It has already been mentioned, it is garage door trim.

 

Yes I have used it for this same purpose. I also work at a hardware store that sells it.

 

This is not new a idea for a lip, it's been around a while. There are multiple threads about it on various forums.

 

I didn't intend to offend you. I just think it's ridiculous that people are selling this on ebay and making a profit.

 

Prepare to be awed. http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Garage+Door+Lip

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Sorry, I wasn't awed. I want to see a close up picture like what I posted to be sure. Some of those images I looked at seem fairly simular, but the shots are too wide to tell for sure. And none were lit so saying that they are the same isn't fair yet.

 

I still have a chunk of it left over and plan on visiting HD and Lowe's and checking out the garage door isle. I'll let you know what I find.

 

If it is a garage door seal, then so be it. I may have paid too much. I didn't know. But now that it's on my car, cut and screwed in, it is no longer a garage door seal. It's a Spoiler and that's fine with me.

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Its not that bad to have overspent by $10, meh... But its good to hear that there are cheaper and similar or better materials out there.

 

If you spent $100 on that then I'd be throwing a fit for you. 10 bucks, who cares.

 

-Rogeu77`

I'm just here for the mods.
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Looks good, and I like the styling... props. ^^ Agreed, $10 wouldn't have stopped me either, there's been lots of times I've spent more then that to avoid waiting.. :)

 

I'm pretty sure it's the same stuff though. I've got it on my car, attached the same way, and while it's possible it's slightly different material, it looks EXACTLY like mine, even to the wrinkles from the screws. It's pretty sturdy (for foam sealer), but it's not stiff.

 

With that said, still a nice writeup...

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Thanks for the kind words. Yeah $10 isn't a lot to overpay. Anymore and I would be pissed. There were others on eBay that were asking $30 for this stuff. Sheeeeesh!

 

Yes, it's a garage door seal. I found it at Lowe's for $9.27 for a 9ft section. The same rubber, the same form, everything. Oh well. If others plan on doing this, they should buy this stuff from a local hardware store and save the money.

 

I plan on changing the original post above to also reflect this knowledge.

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It doesn't look bad. Hell, I had it on my car two different times.

 

Agreed $10 is not a ridiculous amount to overpay, but like you, some may not realize what this product is and spend that extra money when they could get it same day locally for half price.

 

I am a proponent of ethical business and I think everyone has a right to know what they're buying is all.

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I totally agree. Thanks for helping to point this out. I posted this thread not really to show off and say, "Hey, look at my badass self!" But more to show others how I did it because a few people were asking some questions. I have gotten lots of help from forums like this one over the years with all my previous cars. Forums like this are an invaluable wealth of knowledge. I was just trying to help another person along.

 

I was never offended, just embarresed a bit. Thanks!

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  • 6 months later...
i checked this stuff out, and am concerned that it is too soft...i feel like if i go over 40 mph it will be bending and maybe rip off... it looks good while parked, but i dont want it flapping in the wind while im driving... any ideas on how to stiffen it or something?
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I just add my 2 cents...

I thought about this mod too, but for scratch protection.

 

In the end I went for a double layer of transparent adhesive film, basically adapting a trunk protector. Something like Rvinyl, just to get the idea.

But You could also have used Plasti-Dip or something like that.

 

Plus is You don't see it, make no holes in the bumper, it won't bend, flex or change air flow.

Con is the minor thickness of the film obviously gives less protection. But ok, You can't have them all ;-)

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  • 2 months later...

Mines glued on with 3M multipurpose adhesive spray. I took it off once to redo it and it held on pretty good, but left a lot of the rubber behind. But if I ever want to take it off with some goo gone it'll come off easy. It held up on highway speeds. Plus I didn't want holes in the bumper.

 

You actually bolted that foam crap to your bumper? :rolleyes:

 

No options lead to dumb choices?

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