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brucepick · 02-10-2013, 08:16 PM

Has anyone else here had major snow damage to a DIY belly pan? I think mine now needs prompt removal and a thorough rebuild.

Here's my belly pan build thread, from early spring 2011:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...vic-16422.html

Construction: Coroplast, with aluminum flashing substituted below the exhaust. Panels joined by pop rivets. Attached around perimeter with sheet metal screws, primarily into the plastic of bumper lips and undersides of plastic side skirts (OEM). Some framing, using 1/16" and rarely 1/8" thick x 1" aluminum bar stock.

The Northeast US had a major snowstorm this past weekend, at least 18" in my local area. Yesterday and today I drove on roads and driveways with as much as 6"-8" of soft snow, crumbly ice/snow mixture, you name it.

I now see heavy damage to the three sections of the belly pan: front, which goes from nose to firewall, middle goes from firewall to front of rear wheel well, and the rear which continues to the bumper.

Front and middle sections each have a large panel hanging down, dragging on the road. Top face of those panels is filled with granular ice crud. Rear section has a major framing piece detached at forward end and hanging down. Rear also needed about 2-3 square feet of flashing panel removed as it was semi detached and interfering with air flow and also dragging on road.

Ugh.

I just HAD to share my tale of woe. A sturdier rebuild would be good but it will have to wait for better weather. I'm afraid I'll need to remove all three sections just to be able to drive to work tomorrow. Not my ode of what I'd be doing early on a winter morning.

02-10-2013, 08:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
brucepick OCD Master EcoModder Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Eastern CT, USA Posts: 1,936 Outasight - '00 Honda Insight Team Honda Gen-1 Insights 90 day: 54.18 mpg (US) Thanks: 431 Thanked 396 Times in 264 Posts	Belly pan succumbs to snow Has anyone else here had major snow damage to a DIY belly pan? I think mine now needs prompt removal and a thorough rebuild. Here's my belly pan build thread, from early spring 2011: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...vic-16422.html Construction: Coroplast, with aluminum flashing substituted below the exhaust. Panels joined by pop rivets. Attached around perimeter with sheet metal screws, primarily into the plastic of bumper lips and undersides of plastic side skirts (OEM). Some framing, using 1/16" and rarely 1/8" thick x 1" aluminum bar stock. The Northeast US had a major snowstorm this past weekend, at least 18" in my local area. Yesterday and today I drove on roads and driveways with as much as 6"-8" of soft snow, crumbly ice/snow mixture, you name it. I now see heavy damage to the three sections of the belly pan: front, which goes from nose to firewall, middle goes from firewall to front of rear wheel well, and the rear which continues to the bumper. Front and middle sections each have a large panel hanging down, dragging on the road. Top face of those panels is filled with granular ice crud. Rear section has a major framing piece detached at forward end and hanging down. Rear also needed about 2-3 square feet of flashing panel removed as it was semi detached and interfering with air flow and also dragging on road. Ugh. I just HAD to share my tale of woe. A sturdier rebuild would be good but it will have to wait for better weather. I'm afraid I'll need to remove all three sections just to be able to drive to work tomorrow. Not my ode of what I'd be doing early on a winter morning. __________________ Coast long and prosper. Driving '00 Honda Insight, acquired Feb 2016. Last edited by brucepick; 02-10-2013 at 10:05 PM..