I want an aluminum under tray/splash guard [mostly] for quicker oil changes. I'm looking at the $100 ones on ebay, there are a couple different ones. Can anyone recommend one? They all look similar, not sure if one fits better that the other, etc. Anyone have one of these?

 

Maybe link to the one's you're thinking, but if you're working on your car often, Z1 is the way to go. 2 bolts to remove the access panel is great.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Engine-Spla...-127632-2357-0

Something like this. 2 bolts also. I can't see spending an extra $100 for the same thing, it's just aluminum sheet metal. But if it's not cut right, doesn't fit well, needs fab work, etc, then there IS a reason to spend more.

 

Ahh yeah I forgot how much more the Z1 piece is, but you do get to drop the entire rear panel rather than just a hole for the oil drain plug/filter, which means you're never have spillage left on top of the panel. But if the ebay one's don't line up, you can always do a little bit of drill-milling!

 

The nice thing about the Z1 under shield is it is hinge-connected to the main piece so it's literally just two bolts and it hinges down. The one you linked requires removing all the bolts where it mates to the main section.

Not a huge deal and it might not be worth the extra $90 to you.

Z1 also uses louvers to suck air down from the bay, again, not a huge deal but anything that's pulling heat from the engine bay on this platform is a good thing.

It was worth the extra money to me.

 

That's a good point. When it hinges down, how long is the hinge/flap piece? Does it get in the way? The removable access panel sounds nice, but it's not huge. The whole panel swinging down provides much more access. But if I'm doing oil changes on ramps (somewhere around 8" lift) will there be enough room for the panel to swing down and stay out of the way?

 

Plenty of room yes, and it's not a permanent hinge, it's just slots that the other one fits in to so if you slide it to the left it will completely remove. I do all my oil changes on low profile ramps and there is plenty of room for it to hinge down. If you are using normal height ramps there will be PLENTY PLENTY of room.

 

I removed my under tray since it was broken and scraping the ground. I have thought about replacing it but I quite enjoy being able to jack up the car and have instant access to everything I need.

I am not lowered however and don't have to worry about scraping or hitting anything under the engine.

 

I'm thinking I may spend the $ on the Z1. The venting looks better, and the removable panel adds a lot of extra room. I don't have any under tray right now, and the front fascia looks loose (all of the stupid push pin rivet things are missing), so I gotta throw something back on. The aluminum tray should help a little with that.

 

I just replaced my rotted out TBW undertray with a cheap Elite Will one off Amazon. I was surprised by the quality, and it came with all new hardware, including plastic spacers for the middle 2 bolts on the rad support (they come attached at the back, but I moved them during install).

I originally wanted the Z1, but due to its size the cost of shipping to Canada and brokerage fees/duty would have made it close to $500 CAD, and I couldn't justify the cost.

One thing I do like about the Elite Will undertray is the access door. When I do oil changes, I normally just jack the car up slightly at its center jacking point and I'm able to reach everything. That won't work with the Z1 undertray as the panel wouldn't have enough room to drop down. Just something to keep in mind if you do your own oil changes.

 

Please don't get under a vehicle that's supported solely by a hydraulic jack. Make sure you ALWAYS use jackstands or something capable of supporting the vehicle like large blocks of wood, etc.

Spare tire used to be a popular option.

 

Car is only lifted a few inches, enough to swing the door down to remove. If it was going high enough to actually crawl under then I would put it up on jack stands.

Had an old jack blow its seal and release a vehicle once. Thankfully I had the tire under it for it to rest on. Lesson learned.