Front Deflector Replacement
 

Okay, some of you have indicated a desire to replace the front deflectors on your Z51s, but ran into some issues with the parts not being "correct". I recently had one of mine ripped completely off by some unavoidable road debris, and now know the whole story.

First off, there appears to be only one part number for each deflector in front of the tires, and it is the same for both base Stingrays and Z51s. The driver side is #22799210 and the passenger side should be #22799211. The molded pieces are direct bolt-ons for base cars, and use 4 screws each. For those with Z51 cars, you will need to trim the new piece to match the original, and will only use 3 screws. Here's how I did it:

First, you will need a couple of tools, and of course the new deflector. Tools needed are a 7mm or 9/32" socket and ratchet, a couple of small squeeze clamps, a Sharpie marker, a metal straight edge and a utility knife with a new, sharp blade.

Using the socket & ratchet, remove the 3 screws from each side deflector and they come right off. You do not need to raise the car, they are easy to get to by just laying on the pavement beside the car. Take the deflectors to your work table for the next steps.

Take the new driver side deflector and the old passenger side deflector, placing their mounting surfaces against each other. Align the mounting holes and clamp them together. Use the Sharpie to mark the end of the new deflector where the old one stops. Unclamp the pieces, and align the bottom edges in the same manner. The bottom lip is much narrower, and may be tricky to clamp, but it's important to clamp them for best results. Once clamped, again mark the new piece at the end of the old piece. Unclamp, then connect the two marks using the straight edge. Clamping the straight edge to the deflector is a good idea, as you can use it for a cutting guide. This line should be at an diagonal across the face of the deflector, mirroring the passenger side piece you used as a marking guide.

Using the utility knife, cut the new deflector along the lines you marked, taking care to keep the knife straight. SPECIAL NOTE: the deflector is molded with 2 different types of plastic. The vertical face is a soft flexible kind that is very easy to cut. The mounting flange is a much more rigid plastic, and is quite a bit harder to cut. Just be patient, and make several passes. Don't rush and you'll be fine. Trim off any rough edges, and you're done! Trimming the passenger side deflector is the same process as the driver side, just use the original driver side piece as your marking guide.

The photos below follow along for cutting the driver side deflector.