soulsoarer

iTrader: (2)

Hi fellow SC300/400 owners. Here is a picture of my car. I have more pic of it but I'll post this one up for now. Its not my best one, quality wise. I'll post how i got the car and how it came to what you see now in a later forum. The person you see in the passenger side is my g/f. Not the best pic of her but i'm showing you my car not my g/f; wouldn't want you guys to eye her all day...j/k. The question I have is when I was driving back from LA, California to Fresno, on the way the plastic cover under the oil pan area broke. I don't know how the thing came off? I wanted to know where I can buy this part beside a dealer and how much it would cost. Do i even need the plastic cover or no? I don't have my front plastic cover cuz of the bodykit, so I'm talking bout the one under the oil pan area and not the bumper area.
Thank you for any response.

soulsoarer

iTrader: (2)

Here is the picture of the broken cover underneath the car.

LexAnt

iTrader: (2)

i see you have the vertex kit or the vis version, either way, you should still be able to use the front plastic underguard, i know cuz i still have mines, and as for the engine underguard, i'm not sure about this but i read that it also helps some of the cooling or something along those lines as well as gives some protection from road debris. i just bit the bullet and bought a new one when my bodykit went on.

mikeloc24

The only other places to possibly find this part are from other Lexus SC owners or perhaps from a place like TAP Recycling (Northern Cali). I too was in search of this part until I fixed mine good enough to work. They usually come off because the holes where the screws go get broken and the thing just finally gives. Hopefully you pulled over and picked it up and didn't leave it on the road, that way you could repair it. For me I just went to the hardware store and got some big washers to help hold it up and that's been working fine. The part is expensive when purchased new from the dealer.

RalAegidius

I believe that's the skid shield, isn't it?

mungrin

not too bad looking at all.I like the car as well

PERRYinLA

That cover is nice to have, and has to help a little in keeping the engine compartment clean (and your driveway, when you spill/drop stuff while working on your engine), but I've driven without it and my car's cooling system continued to work fine.

LA to Fresno, eh? Good thing you got over the grapevine area of the 5 before tonight - it's snowed in until tommorrow!

SPORTcoupe

iTrader: (2)

I took off that cover when I was routing my IC piping and have been too lazy to put it back on.
The cover in front of that one is the one that has small air scoops on it and it sends air up to the radiator. I kept that one.
I think the engine compartment might get a tad bit dirtier but it's not worth the arm & leg the dealer will want for a new sheet of plastic.

~Alan

mikeloc24

or get creative and make your own damn dust shield out of a sheet of aluminum.

inovashn

yeah i took mine off to do some work under there and never put it back. plus it looked about like that one and i threw it away

setwire

Believe it or not guys that plastic cover is very important to the aerodynamics of the car.

Racing engineers spend countless amounts of money to develope smooth airflows beneath their vehicles.
Without this piece of plastic you have major disruptions of airflow beneath your car. Which creates major amounts of drag.

It channels the airflow under your vehicle, which is just as important as the airflow on the topside of the car.

Without this plastic piece you have numerous airflow problems on the underside of your car.

Your gas mileage will go in the dumps without this plastic piece. It creates a smooth airflow on the underside of your car.

It was put their for a reason.------Aerodynamics------

Rob

JamesN

iTrader: (5)

If you are planning to drop your car height then I think it might help to have it. Otherwise, then it's really not needed. BTW is that a VIS or a Vertex kit?? Your car look great

setwire

JamesN

Perhaps you should read my above Post.
Doesn't matter how much you lower your car ---Aerodynamics----(the flow of air over a given surface) doesn't change.
This plastic piece was installed on the car for aerodynamics.
Something you obviously have no idea about.

Rob

G Star

iTrader: (2)

Hey setwire, he was not even talking directly to you. You didnt have to go that far...

Back to the subject, I have been noticing decreased gas mileage, maybe because in the collosion I had 3 months ago the panel could've been torn or warped or whatever and is disrupting my airflow as you put it? It could either be that or my possible exhaust leak which is causing my horrible gas mileage count.

rushgator

I wouldn't try to find a used one, since they will most likely be as bad as yours. Just get a new one from Carson Toyota or Lexus Parts Mall. You'll pay less than full dealer price with those guys. And yes, I think the panel helps the airflow, and keeps the engine bay much cleaner. I ran my SC without a good one (original one was half gone when I bought it) and the new one made the car quieter and kept the engine cleaner. If you want to keep your SC well maintained, replace it. It's not too expensive.