About Ground Effects

Rear spoilers are typically included with full ground effects kits.

Automotive ground effects come in a wide array of shapes and styles to suit any taste. One of the current biggest trends in automotive ground effects is to give a car a widened look by installing wheel flares, which allow you to run wider tires in both the front and the back of the car. Air dams and rear air diffusers are used with side skirts to provide a full-body ground effects kit and restyling to the car.

Restoration Ground Effects

Not all ground effects kits are intended to restyle the car radically. Some ground effects are stock replacement or restoration ground effects. These are typical on cars such as the 1982 to 1994 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 as well as the 1981 to 1993 Ford Mustang GT. An owner desiring to restore a car to its original appearance often uses restoration ground effects to replace damaged parts.

Race-Specification Ground effects

Use some ground effects for more than just improving the look of a car. Race-specification ground effects, typically constructed of carbon fiber or aluminum for lightweight and strength, help channel air to important parts of the car while racing. There may be air dams that direct incoming air into an air filter for a ram-air effect to increase horsepower, or even air dams and scoops that channel cold air onto the brakes, helping to cool them. Racing ground effects use the terms "front air dam" and "rear diffuser" to specify purpose as well as to differentiate them from typical ABS plastic ground effects kits used for vehicle styling.

ABS Plastic Ground Effects for Restyling

Ground effects specifically intended for vehicle restyling are typically constructed of ABS plastic. These kits serve no additional purpose than to restyle the vehicle, providing it with a more aggressive, race-inspired look. Unlike actual race-specification ground effects, ABS plastic ground effects are easily damaged and may even tear off the car in some accident situations. Use ABS plastic ground effects to create the look of a racing car, utilizing fender flares and dramatically-sized rocker skirts to give the impression of a widened car body.

Replacement Styling Ground Effects

Utilize replacement ground effects kits to upgrade the styling of some vehicles in less boisterous ways than is possible with ABS plastic ground effects. Many of these replacement kits are constructed under the supervision of a factory representative from the automaker who originally built the car. These replacement kits are typically used on high-end luxury cars such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, where over-the-top styling is undesirable, but a modest stroke of personalization is. Many of these kits are constructed of fiberglass for strength, though some high-end custom-made versions are constructed of metal. These ground effects kits are intended to be subtle, where ABS plastic kits are intended to be anything but.

References

• "Car Hacks & Mods For Dummies"; David Vespremi; 2004
• "How To Build the Cars of The Fast and the Furious"; Eddie Paul; 2004
• "How To Build a Hot Tuner Car"; Scott Smith; 2007