Plastic Under Coating - To Remove Or Not To Remove?

If it's intact, I'd leave it on. It keeps water spray, rocks, mud, cats, debris outta your engine bay. The drag and such is probably not a factor unless you're travelling at high speeds. In the city, it's neglible. I imagine the ones at the front are helpful in directing air to the radiator, so I'd definitely try to keep those ones on.

 

GTS is right
Try to fix them, find others, drill new holes etc

You can go without them but they do have a purpose
Cable ties = fail, plastic welding = pass

Tip:
Remember that ALL the plastic parts on your car are going brittle as the oil
has seeped out a long time ago, coat everything with Armour-All every now
and then and it'l last way, way longer

 

You could also find a used set of engine undercovers for a fairly low price from anyone parting their car.

 

^Another thing, in winter, they help keep snow and salt out of the engine bay and they also shield the inner CV joint rubber boots.

 

You can always drill mounting holes and add a bolt and nut!

 

By the way the front half of the bay is closed off by them, I'd say they help to
draw hot air out under the car and help cooling as well.

They weigh very little, so I can't see any benefit from leaving them off

 

To echo Stig, I ran with all mine off for a short while, and my engine temps were a little higher. All back on and they dropped. not a huge amount, but enough, most noticable on the motorway.

I had to cut mine about a bit for the intercooler piping etc but its worth finding a further set.

 

would someone please post pics of these covers? my car didn't have any under covers apart from front wheel wells...

 

Only pic I have is crappy but they are lying next to the wheel well cover.

The cover for the gearbox is different depending on if you have auto or manual,
but easily modified (cut)



They encase the crank pulley and gearbox like this



Also there's one under the front spoiler which has gone awol on most cars

 

^Yeah, the front ones catch on bumper stops, high curbs and eventually get torn off.

 

yep been through two already the latest one is riveted on, not pretty, but seems to hold.

 

Here's a better pic I snapped of the ones I'm sending to Fiji last nite



I've been looking for the front ones but all the cars I've seen in the last 2yrs have been damaged.
Probably best to make them from fibreglass as they re-enforce the front spoiler

One reason I'm reluctant to lower the TEMS car as they are still in good nick, with the bumper removed
you can see why they are becoming extinct