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Old 11-22-2014, 04:47 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Make your own Insight front aero panel!

Part #1 of 2

So I finally jacked Turtle up this afternoon, and found it is missing most of the aero panels from the front. There are supposed to be three small ones fastened together under the motor, and I have none. No worries!

I measured the opening and drew up a rough sketch of the area that needed to be covered. Then I headed out to the shed to see what material I might already have laying around that I could use.

I remembered I had an old aluminum-skinned sign glued to plywood in the shed, and I found that it was the perfect size!

I removed the rear panel support crossbar, and screwed a borate furring strip to it to support the panel, then replaced it.

Then I loosened the front clips from the bumper, and inserted a PT 1x6 decking board into the gap.

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Old 11-22-2014, 04:49 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Part #2 of 2

After marking the back of the aluminum panel, I began to fold it to the correct size and hammer it flat. The folds gave it extra strength, so I didn't bother trimming it down.

The finished product was exactly the right size to cover the area.

After a dry fit to make sure the size was correct, I pulled the panel back off and pre-drilled holes at the back of the panel. Then I re-fit it, and fastened the 4 screws into the back.

I then pre-drilled holes through the plastic from the bumper and aluminum panel, and attached the front screws.

Pretty happy to have the aero panel in place! The total cost of the project was once again zero, since I already had every bit of the materials laying around!

Total time was about an hour, start to finish.

Hopefully this willl help any of you guys who, like me, have an old Insight that has lost some of it's aero panels.







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Last edited by cowmeat; 11-22-2014 at 04:57 PM..
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Old 11-22-2014, 11:34 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Looks great! You made it look pretty easy. I probably would've gone at it with tinsnips and ended up with something very rough around the edges.

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