I was bitten by the splitter bug like so many have, especially now the Z06s are out. Since I have the exposed carbon fiber roof panel on my Z51, I decided on a matching splitter and rear spoiler. This post is for installation of the splitter. I'll have a different post for when I get the spoiler installed. I chose the GTX series pieces from C7 Carbon (kind of fitting), as I really liked the styling of these. I also went with the optional carbon fiber winglets for the splitter.
Upon ordering, the general time frame for delivery is advertised at up to 4 weeks, as each item is made to order. I expected 3-4 weeks, but was pleasantly surprised to have them in my hands in about a week and a half. Both pieces were shipped in separate oversized boxes, and very well wrapped in white foam sheets and several layers of bubble wrap.
Both pieces were of excellent finish and appearance. I took them to my local Xpel installer for a dose of protection - splitters can catch a lot of road rash, and spoilers can catch lots of zippers, belt buckles, luggage, etc. I then assembled the splitter winglets. The pieces ship from C7 Carbon with zinc-plated 1/4-20 x 1" bolts for everything, nuts and washers as required. This is fine for installing the winglets, but there is nothing that size on the Stingray, so toss the rest into your hardware drawer. In fact, since I abhor rust, I tossed all the included hardware. For the winglets, I used stainless steel 1/4-20 x 3/4" button head cap screws for a neater appearance. I also figure the rounded heads will suffer less damage should they ever scrape.
From here, I removed the two rubber air dams using a 7mm socket (9/32" will work too!), saving them for reuse. Then I removed the 10 7mm screws from the underside of the fascia. Note, the ends of the splitter share the end screw with the rubber air dams. You can choose to either leave the dams off, or, like I did, put them back on. I did end up cutting a slot in each dam to accommodate the splitter's bottom lip (sorry, forgot a photo of that). There are 12 holes in the mounting flange of the splitter which should line up with the 12 holes along the underside of the fascia. I ended up having to enlongate 2 holes in the splitter for better alignment.
Next, hold the splitter up to the underside of the fascia, being careful with the winglets so as not to scratch the side of the car. I hand-started the 12 screws, starting in the middle working my way out. As the splitter's holes were drilled for the 1/4-20 bolts, I added a stainless steel fender washer to each screw. This allows for minor adjustment of position if needed. Once happy with the position, I tightened the 10 inner screws. From here, I installed the rubber air dams, and tightened the final outer screws. For those concerned with ground clearance, I measured height at the ends and at the front of the "fangs". Overall, I lost 2" of clearance at all points, but one nice thing about this splitter is it only projects an additional 1-3/4" forward along the entire length (some project considerably more at the ends than the center, and ultimately catch curbs etc., faster).
Finally, a quick wipe-down with my favorite detail product, and voila! I think it plays really well with the Cyber Gray paint and silver wheels, and gives my Stingray a unique look. The only thing left to do is modify my Novistretch bra to work with the splitter. Hope you enjoy the write-up! The rear spoiler install will follow as soon as I have time to work on it.
