1999 C5 Airdam - What's the point

So, having tagged a truck tire with my C5, the center section of the airdam
is buckled & I have to fit a replacement. It showed up today, thanks to UPS.

So, taking the airdam out the box, my impression is, it is so flimsy(?)
lightweight anyway, there is NO WAY that you can apply force on it, to
enhance the aerodynamic qualities of the car. The mounting brackets are so
slender, any force applied on them, would cause them to buckle very quickly.

As far as I can tell, the only point to the airdam, is to create airflow up
& through the radiator. If that is the sole reason for the airdam, is it
justified, living with hideous ground clearance, just so the Corvette
doesn't have to have a grille in front of the radiator ?

I love the shape of the front end of my 'vette. But I sometimes even scrape
my car driving along the street (there's a particularly bad dip on a
cross-street - Scottsdale, AZ where I can't do more than 3MPH (YES 3MPH - I
have found that out the hard way) or it scrapes).

Just a thought............Dave C.

1. It sounds like you haven't looked at the rest of the mounting
hardware under the nose.

2. Cooling and aerodynamics

3. Cross the dip at an angle.

DryHeatDave wrote:
> So, having tagged a truck tire with my C5, the center section of the airdam
> is buckled & I have to fit a replacement. It showed up today, thanks to UPS.
>
> So, taking the airdam out the box, my impression is, it is so flimsy(?)
> lightweight anyway, there is NO WAY that you can apply force on it, to
> enhance the aerodynamic qualities of the car. The mounting brackets are so
> slender, any force applied on them, would cause them to buckle very quickly.
>
> As far as I can tell, the only point to the airdam, is to create airflow up
> & through the radiator. If that is the sole reason for the airdam, is it
> justified, living with hideous ground clearance, just so the Corvette
> doesn't have to have a grille in front of the radiator ?
>
> I love the shape of the front end of my 'vette. But I sometimes even scrape
> my car driving along the street (there's a particularly bad dip on a
> cross-street - Scottsdale, AZ where I can't do more than 3MPH (YES 3MPH - I
> have found that out the hard way) or it scrapes).
>
> Just a thought............Dave C.
>
>

OK - forget the airdam - that's not the problem. I just took the old one
off - no big deal.

Behind the airdam is a cross-member carrying a couple of guides for the
airdam. They normally sit behind the airdam, about halfway down & orient it,
chin forwards, to direct airflow over the radiator. I can't get the
replacement airdam on, because that cross member has been pushed upwards
about 4-6 inches & the guides push the top of the airdam forwards instead of
the chin.

The bottom of the rear element of the radiator has been dinged - but
otherwise looks OK. But until the crossmember is back where it should be,
there's no way for the airdam to orient properly. DAMN !

Having no mechanical ability, this is going to have to go in the shop & it's
going to cost a bunch - I'm betting the crossmember can't be "persuaded"
back into position & replacing it looks like taking the nose off. Very time
consuming.

What do I need money for :-(


"DryHeatDave" > wrote in message
news:TiESf.660$PE.482@fed1read05...
> So, having tagged a truck tire with my C5, the center section of the
> airdam is buckled & I have to fit a replacement. It showed up today,
> thanks to UPS.
>
> So, taking the airdam out the box, my impression is, it is so flimsy(?)
> lightweight anyway, there is NO WAY that you can apply force on it, to
> enhance the aerodynamic qualities of the car. The mounting brackets are so
> slender, any force applied on them, would cause them to buckle very
> quickly.
>
> As far as I can tell, the only point to the airdam, is to create airflow
> up & through the radiator. If that is the sole reason for the airdam, is
> it justified, living with hideous ground clearance, just so the Corvette
> doesn't have to have a grille in front of the radiator ?
>
> I love the shape of the front end of my 'vette. But I sometimes even
> scrape my car driving along the street (there's a particularly bad dip on
> a cross-street - Scottsdale, AZ where I can't do more than 3MPH (YES
> 3MPH - I have found that out the hard way) or it scrapes).
>
> Just a thought............Dave C.
>
>

DryHeatDave wrote:
> OK - forget the airdam - that's not the problem. I just took the old one
> off - no big deal.
>
> Behind the airdam is a cross-member carrying a couple of guides for the
> airdam. They normally sit behind the airdam, about halfway down & orient it,
> chin forwards, to direct airflow over the radiator. I can't get the
> replacement airdam on, because that cross member has been pushed upwards
> about 4-6 inches & the guides push the top of the airdam forwards instead of
> the chin.
>
> The bottom of the rear element of the radiator has been dinged - but
> otherwise looks OK. But until the crossmember is back where it should be,
> there's no way for the airdam to orient properly. DAMN !
>
> Having no mechanical ability, this is going to have to go in the shop & it's
> going to cost a bunch - I'm betting the crossmember can't be "persuaded"
> back into position & replacing it looks like taking the nose off. Very time
> consuming.
>
> What do I need money for :-(
>
>
> "DryHeatDave" > wrote in message
> news:TiESf.660$PE.482@fed1read05...
>> So, having tagged a truck tire with my C5, the center section of the
>> airdam is buckled & I have to fit a replacement. It showed up today,
>> thanks to UPS.
>>
>> So, taking the airdam out the box, my impression is, it is so flimsy(?)
>> lightweight anyway, there is NO WAY that you can apply force on it, to
>> enhance the aerodynamic qualities of the car. The mounting brackets are so
>> slender, any force applied on them, would cause them to buckle very
>> quickly.
>>
>> As far as I can tell, the only point to the airdam, is to create airflow
>> up & through the radiator. If that is the sole reason for the airdam, is
>> it justified, living with hideous ground clearance, just so the Corvette
>> doesn't have to have a grille in front of the radiator ?
>>
>> I love the shape of the front end of my 'vette. But I sometimes even
>> scrape my car driving along the street (there's a particularly bad dip on
>> a cross-street - Scottsdale, AZ where I can't do more than 3MPH (YES
>> 3MPH - I have found that out the hard way) or it scrapes).
>>
>> Just a thought............Dave C.
>>
>>
>
>
GM has been using similar airdams on many of its cars since the '80s.
An occasional scrape is part of life and it always lets you know where
the concrete block is on a diagonal parking place before you screw up
something expensive. Sorry about the crossmember. I hit a steel truck
bumper @ 65 mph with the C4 last week and made out better. Just a front
end alignment and a new right front tire.

I think the C5 airdam is an improvement over what we had on the C4 as
the low speed cooling on the C5 seems better than the C4. I'd put it on
the checklist of things to have done--might save you an alternator. As
Bob Ireland says, cross the big dips at an angle.
--
…PJ
’89 HookerCar, ’02 E-blu 6-spd Coupe

"DryHeatDave" > wrote in message
newsrHSf.662$PE.85@fed1read05...
> OK - forget the airdam - that's not the problem. I just took the old
> one off - no big deal.
>
> Behind the airdam is a cross-member carrying a couple of guides for
> the airdam. They normally sit behind the airdam, about halfway down
> & orient it, chin forwards, to direct airflow over the radiator. I
> can't get the replacement airdam on, because that cross member has
> been pushed upwards about 4-6 inches & the guides push the top of
> the airdam forwards instead of the chin.
>
> The bottom of the rear element of the radiator has been dinged - but
> otherwise looks OK. But until the crossmember is back where it
> should be, there's no way for the airdam to orient properly. DAMN !
>
> Having no mechanical ability, this is going to have to go in the
> shop & it's going to cost a bunch - I'm betting the crossmember
> can't be "persuaded" back into position & replacing it looks like
> taking the nose off. Very time consuming.
>
> What do I need money for :-(
>
The mount for the air dam is removable/replaceable, part number
10400765 and costs $148.69 plus shipping. It is also repairable by
most any bodyshop/muffler mangler or someone that wants to get out and
under. It is held on by 4 bolts but it obviously is not were you can
pick it up and put the new one on without some additional work. Never
are the parts you want to replace on the top of the car waiting for
you to brush them off and lay the new one down. It is relatively thin
wall square tubing and could be pulled into shape using a h0ome made
puller with a 2X4 and a cross "J" bolt through a hole drilled through
the 4" (actually 3.5") direction to pull it back in fair shape. I'm
sure I could change or repair it in less than an hour but then I have
the tools and a lift to do it the easy way.

No, the front end does not have to come off, maybe some skirting
underneath but not much. It takes 6 and 8MM bolts, small and easy to
work with.

Bob G,

You need a 1998 manual, all three books and I'll throw in a CD
assembly manual for $65 shipped? Some greasy finger prints already
installed and a dog ear here and there but it's still a very
serviceable set. They are the full version, not the preliminary set.

--
Dad
05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51
72 Shark Black/Black/4spd

>
>Bob G,
>
>You need a 1998 manual, all three books and I'll throw in a CD
>assembly manual for $65 shipped? Some greasy finger prints already
>installed and a dog ear here and there but it's still a very
>serviceable set. They are the full version, not the preliminary set.

Dad....

SOLD !
e-mail me (Rg327@Adelphia. net) with your home address and I'll drop
a check ...not rubber, in the mail...

Bad morning but I can not remember even asking if anyone had a
manual... was going to look in Carlisle in April

Bob