Front Valance

#1

I was looking at that clean large bumper car on the home page and realized (I think) it has a late style valance with and big bumper. Do they go on easily? I am struggling putting on a old style plastic lower valance onto a early big bumper car. All the mounting brackets are broken etc. and it is a real PITA to fabricate new ones. Any ideas?

#2

Lets make sure we’re talking about the same thing. For late cars the valance is part of the air dam. THey just fasten a lip on the valance and viola, air dam. For early cars the valance is the sheetmetal behind the plastic air dam. This isn’t what RealOEM calls the parts btw, but I think it’s the common usage.

It sounds like you’re talking about the early air dam. The OEM solution is a framework that attaches between valance and airdam, but few racers use that. I think that most guys have just imagineered their own solutions to fasten the plastic air dam on.

My solution was an attempt to fasten the plastic air dam on just firmly enough that it would stay in place, but not so firmly that it would get ripped up if it took a really hard whack. That is to say, if the air dam is going to exit, try to exit in one piece so I don’t have to buy another.

I used 3 pieces of metal 10x2" to make a little shelf under my bumper. There is maybe 1/4" gap between the pieces of metal and the underside of the bumper. The top of the air dam slides right into that gap. Then I use 4 zip ties in front and 2 on each side to hold the air dam in place. So the whole thing is held on by 8 zip ties.

The solution has worked pretty well. The air dam has never left me on the alter, but it has exited cleanly many a time when hit good and hard.

#3

If we are talking about the cow catcher, I drilled four holes in the bottom of the diving board and then drilled one hole on each side where the bracket that is glued onto the valance goes and used a bolt instead. So I have six bolts holding it on and it has taken quite some beatings, and has never come off. This is the cow catcher:

#4

Yes the cow catcher, was trying to duplicate the original brackets (have most of one left) but that is a pain. Have several late style valances around but haven’t tried to make one fit. Anyone have any luck with an aftermarket front that is race worthy?

#5

Throw the original brackets as far away from your shop as possible. Get #10 self drilling/tapping screws with fender washers and use about 4 through the top lip of the dam into the bumper.

#6

Just bolt on a late model valance, and sell the cow catcher!!

#7

Yeah I’ll buy the brackets and the cow catcher from u!

#8

I originally thought about reproducing the no longer available plastic brackets in metal. I even remember someone on e30tech or r3vlimited was talking about producing them, but then I came to my senses. The OEM mounting method is overly complex. Just bolt it on so it won’t come off or do like Ranger so it does come off but stays in one piece. I personally love nothing more than the diving boards and a cow catcher front end on an E30.

#9

After giving up the original mounting hardware, it went on easy. Agree that its a good looking front, too bad not many have made it through the years. It reminds us that our cars are getting old.