Airdams for E9 that attach to the valance

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EJ333

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I presently do not have an Airdam on my 1971 2800cs. My intention is to purchase an Airdam and leave the front bumper intact. My desire is to have an Airdam but have the option of returning to original with the least amount of alteration as possible. I noticed that there are 9 mounting holes at the rear ( flat) edge of my coupe' s valence that were already in existence. Are there any Airdams that are designed to be mounted that take advantage of these mounting holes of the valence ?There's also 2 mounting holes in the front bumper as well.
 
my airdam (635 style) does not attach to the bumper. it attached to the top of the valance - behind the bumper.
 
rsporsche,
Do you know if your 635 airdam could utilize the existing holes on the rear most edge of the valence for attachment ? Thanks
 
Not totally certain, but those holes referred to are probably for the mounting of the factory pressed fiber board shroud for the engine underbelly. Personally, I'm a bigger fan of the lower valance mounted Alpina air dam than the factory CSL front dam.

This is Duane Sword's beauty with the Alpina front air dam.
3721885585_211b068ffe_o.jpg
 
H&B chin spoiler

I am building another Coupe and I decided to go with H&B's knockoff of the Alpina chin spoiler (not the CSL one). The cost was $300 and freight was approx $38 shipped to SoCal paint/body shop. They were in stock but sometimes are not.

Their tel # is 510 549 1515 in Berkeley, Ca. and they were very easy to deal with. You will need to figure out how to fasten it to the lower valence but those holes to the rear and under the engine are not it. I am trying to figure out a way to fasten mine so it can be removed.

Regards, Jon
 
The common method of attachment is to use nut inserts, sometimes called "insert-a-nut" I opted for aluminum vs steel or stainless as they swedge into the bodywork and hold better than steel/stainless. Also, they will gall easily. So you want the softer material in case one gets buggered and you need to drill it out or chase the threads with a tap. The local fastener shop loaned me the tool for the installation of the nut inserts, but they can also be done with a small tool provided in the kit. Trying to remember who I coached a bit on the 635 install,
Vince I believe, and he did an incredible job.
 
The Alpina type airdam is a nice looking addition to a CS. Just be aware that it's very susceptible to impact damage. Whereas a true CSL type airdam attaches to the body differently and has a support piece behind it that provides a bit of additional strength, an Alpina airdam relies solely on the screws that attach it to the valence through the relatively thin fiberglass of the airdam.

Back in the day I had a half dozen Alpina airdams painted and ready to go because I tended to wipe them out fairly regularly. You really have to watch out for driveways, manhole covers, and road debris.
 
Could someone please clarify if they can be bolted through the original holes for they undertray? Thus avoiding the need for any drilling?
 
I could be wrong, but I believe it's more beneficial to have the air dam mounted closer to the front wheels than having it mounted on the very front of the horizontal nose piece. Imagine the car going down a sloping driveway, on lowered cars or even standard height riding coupes, the first thing that will hit the pavement (where street meets driveway) will be the nosed mounted air dam. With the spoiler mounted closer to the front wheels, there will be a more gradual transition where the car levels onto street level, thereby lessening the chance of impact. Air dam scrapes will be inevitable, but one always has to be mindful of not driving too aggressively on pothole filled roadways or roads that that have numerous dips. The compression of the suspension on these roadway conditions will collapse and damage most if not all air dams.
 
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I drive hard but with consciousness and road awareness - living in downtown Boston also requires a 6th sense for (1) crappy drivers (2) outrageously bad quality roads that cannot be blamed on snow/salt and (3) potholes that open up regularly and unpredictably.

Of course now I have said all this I am sure I will wipe out my Alpina front air dam ;-) [yes I have two spares just in case]
 
pamp said:
The common method of attachment is to use nut inserts, sometimes called "insert-a-nut" I opted for aluminum vs steel or stainless as they swedge into the bodywork and hold better than steel/stainless. Also, they will gall easily. So you want the softer material in case one gets buggered and you need to drill it out or chase the threads with a tap. The local fastener shop loaned me the tool for the installation of the nut inserts, but they can also be done with a small tool provided in the kit. Trying to remember who I coached a bit on the 635 install,
Vince I believe, and he did an incredible job.
Click to expand...


Yeah Pamp that was me, thanks again for the help!

EJ333,

If you want a front spoiler, I don't think your are going to get around drilling a few holes. I wanted the option of taking my 635 style spoiler off if I got tired of it, so I only drilled into the valance areas covered by the bumper and two screws each on the inside lip of the fender well. It's still on there so I must still like the look...

http://s220.photobucket.com/user/biology_book/slideshow/Staggered Style 5s

Here's the link to the thread of my install;

http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7137
 
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I used 5 total on the valance and two small screws to attach to the fender "lip" The spoiler is easily removable in case of damage or a change of mind. Vince, I never tire of admiring your car....beautiful.
 
Bert is correct on the spoiler position... running the CSL cow-cathcher requires constant vigilance.
 
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