I’ve never done this before so not entirely sure how I was going to do it or how it would look but fancied a go at making a ‘race style’ splitter for the front of the Elise while being prepared to get it wrong or not like the result so here goes…

I really like the McLaren F1 especially when they look like this and I think a splitter similar to this could look good on the Elise.

Easiest thing to start with was some cardboard to test the shape.

Just tracing around the splitter already on it plus an offset seemed the best place to start.

The fibreglass splitter already on the Elise isn’t a perfectly symmetrical thing so I made a template to try getting what I make fairly symmetrical while also looking about right next to the fibreglass splitter.

Once I had a shape cut I experimented with positioning it back and forth.

I was pretty happy with the template so on to the real thing.

Tonnes of race car splitters are made of plywood so if it’s good enough for BTCC cars, it’s good enough for my Elise.

Using the template to mark out where the holes need to be.

Something like this should do.

Next thing was to make sure it it fitted properly.

The idea of it dropping off at some mph’s and the resulting mess is not something I fancied being a part of! Just screwing it up to the fibreglass panel at the front edge just didn’t seem enough to me. So I found some stronger fixing points on the crash structure and where the toeing eye mounts and made some bracketry so the front of the splitter would be hanging from them.

I also designed the brackets with an eye on making them strong how they needed to be but, were I to do something stupid and hit a kerb parking or something, they should bend or move and not damage the front clamshell or crash structure.

Having made the brackets I had to work out a way of translating the hole to one in the splitter, through the bottom of the front panel.

Small test hole drilled and scribe poked up through it.

Spot on!

Full size hole drilled and stud fitted. Looks like it should do the job

Splitter back on and pencil though the back side to make the hole position.

Another bracket to support the front edge in the centre from the toeing eye bracket. Maybe this is overkill??? I really don’t want it to fall off!

Some spacers required at the rear to get things to sit right.

Painted black with a few coats of some black exterior wood paint to start with. This will seal the wood and once it’s dried mean it’s built up well to be able to sand it back for a smooth finish. It might be wood but I don’t want it to look like it.

Checking clearance on full lock and full droop.

Once the paint had a while to dry properly I sanded it back to a nice smooth finish ready for some satin black.

This always works pretty well.

Nice finish.

Back on and I’m calling that done.

Well the splitter has been on the Elise for nearly 5 years now (July 2024) and it’s not fallen off or had any problems despite hitting the ground a few times on some of the terrible roads around me so all is good.