TR Skid Plates

First a pic of someones experiment in nose protection that failed, notice the caved in belly pan.



The TR's are going to present some very special and difficult problems because they lack any real areas of support to mount the Skid Plates. I'm really going to have to put my thinking cap on for these.

Ok, Somebody please tell me the skateboard wheels were not factor original.

Having bought a TR new in 88 and driving it 115k miles I'm amazed at how hard it was to keep the nose from scraping. I never entered a driveway except at an angle and still it scraped. The distance that people should measure is from the center of the front wheel to the tip of the nose. The longer it is the harder to avoid scraping.
How about trying an air shock that could raise the front at parking speeds? I know it wouldn't be original but it might work.

That's for sure, Jim...

I have to be very cautious when navigating over bumps, curbs, dips, etc. A very SLOW and ANGLED approach is the safest bet. My first lesson was unloading the TR from the enclosed car hauler right after purchasing the car. The front spoiler lip started to scrape, so I had to raise the ramps a little.

JRV...that pic with the skateboard wheels/axle is hilarious...Like Jeremy, I got a good laugh out of that one! (No offense to the owner, of course).

Looking forward to seeing what solution you come up with.

I've considered purchasing one of those SpeedLingerie bras for the TR...would rather chew up the bra than the actual spoiler. In the meantime, I just use either Griots bumper conditioner/dressing or black touch-up paint.

All are in agreement about the angled approach to avoid lacerating your TRs chin, HOWEVER, did you ever think about the windshield as you feel/hear the body flex? It scares me every time I take an angled approach, as I can just picture a crack propagating through the glass. Not an unheard of consequence of too much flex, too little (glass) flexibility.

Jim S.

Good point you brought up, Jim S. -- have noticed/heard the slight body flex as well.

"Enough flex to crack the windshield".....WOW!

While I can see this on a convertible, or GTS model, I would be VERY surprised to see this on a TR (not top-chopped, of course). I have not had a problem with this in my TR........YET. If I did, then I think, it would be time to sell the car.

They HAVE to be stronger than that......I would hope!

I've seen a couple of cracked TR windshields, very pricey, but I can't say if they were due to body flex.

Regards, JRV

There is concern, when jacking up the car, that you do not lift from the corners. The factory jack point is midway between the wheels, minimizing flex. I have heard of owners cracking their windshield when placing a jack under one suspension member and raising the car.

When going over drainage channels when entering a driveway (common in Southern California) I can feel the windshield frame flex relative to the windshield. To try this, open the side window, place your palm on the pillar and your finger tips on the glass and pillar junction. The amount of movement is impressive.

Jim S.

I had my TR for 6 years now, and am very familiar with scrapes of the front valence. Fortunately, it is made of fiberglass, thus, easily repaired. I had it fixed and painted once, and am now ready to have it done again. Cost was $100-$200 from the local no-name repair shop.

RE: While I like the idea of skid plates.........from what I see of other skid plates they add about 1/2 inch thickness to the valence, bumper.....thus they decrease the clearance to the ground by that amount, resulting in more often scrapes. I can't help to think that the extra force, due to the decreased clearance, may drive the skid plate into the body of the car.....just like those wheels pushed in the belly pan, in the first photo. It would be better if they where flush with the body part they protect.

I really don't mind having the valence repaired, every few years.