mk4 jetta TDI mostly full belly pan build
 

So, I have finally gotten around to building the underbelly for my 2002 Jetta. A little information to start. It is an automatic, with just over 239k miles. Current mods are front air dam (which is coming off), radiator blocks, and hypermiling while I can. I have a round trip drive for work, M-F, 56 miles. Current average for the car is 45.7 for the 90 days, and 46.4 three tank average.

Now to the build. I have had a mk4 Passat pan for a few years now that I got from a friend for free. I few weeks ago I finally found the Lowes has 4x8 sheets of coroplast for $50. I didn’t really want to spend that much, but I was considering it. This last week while at work, I found that someone was getting about to junk a plastic truck bed liner. I told him that I would take it off his hands, which instantly set into motion my thoughts about finally putting my pan together.

I received it Tuesday, and it turns out to be perfect. I was expecting the liner with tall ridges in it, but it actually has the small, short ones. I figure the ridges should help to funnel the air out the back of the car easier, and smooth the air flow.

Tonight, before it go too dark to see, I was able to attach the Passat pan to the front of the car. I also cut the base of the bed liner out, and trimmed the area for the front wheels to turn. I tried to take some pics, but it is to dark tonight, so tomorrow will have to do.

Sounds awesome. What a good idea. I saw 5 or 6 of those plastic liners at the pick and pull. Can't wait to see how it works out.

I made a belly pan out of a bed liner. Still haven't installed it. :rolleyes:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...pan-27181.html

Pictures!!!!!

Man, how much does the bed liner weigh after you cut it down? I want to put a full pan under Turtle, but weight makes a big difference on that car, so I need something strong but fairly lightweight. I'm still considering a roll of aluminum flashing (my material of choice for all mods) but I'm open to anything that would work. There is a never-ending supply of truck bed liners in my area, next time one's on the side of the road I'll probably drag it home

You make me miss my Honda Wagon, it was a dead ringer for yours, minus the Ninja-class aeromods!

Working on it right now

So far, it seems to be holding up really well. It is really flexible from left to right, perpendicular to the ridges, but strong front to back.

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/...ps12ff7840.jpg
Truck bed after being cut down

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/...psfe3d2272.jpg
This is the bottom, cut out, laying next to the car where it will be bolted in. As you can see, it isn't long enough for the whole car, but I am going to try to use more of the bed liner to fill in the back end.

I wonder why people don't use steel roofing panels (maybe they do and I just haven't run into the thread yet). If you get the lightest guage they are quite light and only 2 3-foot panels would be needed to span the car width. It might also be possible to still find aluminum corrugated roofing like they used years ago to go even lighter, or maybe even polycarbonate (although I wonder about the fire resistance of that).

In the Home Depot and Lowes stores they only go to 12 foot lengths but the longer panels can be found easily too.

I was looking at those, but I didn't want to pay for 2-3 sheets. Also, I had no good way of getting it home

Here's what I came up with. Not installed because I never decided how to mount it in a way that's easy to remove for service.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1414289834
http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1414289834