Step one (baby step that is) is underway. This weekend it was actually warm enough to work. I'm really getting cabin fever with all the new stuff I'm reading, and I wanna go get some stuff done. So, at 25°F this Sunday, I went at it.
I got my package of stainless fasteners from mcmaster a few days before. I went with the bulk route due to the price. This order cost me $28 for 100 M6 bolts, washers, and nuts. It would have cost me around $10 to buy just enough for this project alone! So, I have extras for more work down the road.
These are the panels that were removed quite a while ago while doing work on the car. They will be going back on.
Here is the car without the panels on it. There is a lip down there for deflecting air, but I'm sure the paneling helps as the lip does not extend the full width of the car. Yes, I know I'm missing a vent.
This would be the underside of the engine bay without the panel on it. Lots of stuff for air to get caught up on and go around eh?
A few nuts and bolts later we have a nice cover over some of those protruding transmission parts. Still not the smoothest thing around, but a definite improvement.
I'd really like to do some coast down tests with and without the panels on the bottom to see if there is any measurable difference with them. However, until it gets warmer out I won't even be thinking about that.