AIR CURTAIN/GRAVEL DEBRIS solution.......

[wurzitup]

Good afternoon all! Been on the Forum about 6 months, and have had the car about 10 days now. Enjoying immensely.
Had seen a number of other comments and/or solutions to the road debris and stones coming through the air curtain on the manual charging port cars, and thought I would offer mine which seems to me to work well. I had already noticed in a week of ownership gravel and such gathering and sitting at the back side of the air curtain aperature.
Bought some automotive grille mesh off Amazon, and after making a paper template and fiddling with it, fitted 2 pieces of mesh either side.
The trick is there is a "trough" behind the horizontal dividers, and with the mesh cut just the right size and fitted into the trough, there seems to be enough tension to hold the two pieces in place against any wind water or debris force.
It has to be fitted from the back side and takes some fettling to get it seated correctly, but I am really pleased with the unseen nature of it and the matching black.
I purchased the smallest mesh this vendor sells- I believe it is 4mmx6mm "rhombic". I believe it will probably keep 95% of debris and gravel off the door anaperture.
I have the template marked with the exact size I used, and a pic of the product off Amazon. Please feel free to comment/critique and offer ideas for improvement.
Also ceramic coated the Mission Es today, so it's been a productive morning!
Cheers.

 

[Bajas21]

Thanks so much. I just got my car and I’m also getting a lot of debris collecting in the vent. I’m going try your solution. Are there any screws or hardware that need to be removed, or do you just pry it back and slot the mesh in. Thanks again!

 

[wurzitup]

Thanks so much. I just got my car and I’m also getting a lot of debris collecting in the vent. I’m going try your solution. Are there any screws or hardware that need to be removed, or do you just pry it back and slot the mesh in. Thanks again!

No screws or anything...... just fitted in from the back side. That's why I had to cut into 2 pieces.... so they would shoe-horn in carefully.......

 

[whitex]

One thing which I always wandered, why do they not have some fins/blades angled up so that the air pressure is still relieved through the vents but the debris (while driving forward) doesn't make it through, since I would imagine the debris kicked up by the tires would be by the trailing edge of the tire launched in the upwards direction.

 

[Tsingtao]

That is a great mod, I'm going to give it a try as well. Related to your post, I have sport aero wheels for my winter tires, which were on the car when the whole thing was ceramic coated. My mission-e's are sitting in the garage, rubbered up, waiting for Spring. I thought that I would ceramic coat them myself as it would be pretty easy while they were off the car. What product did you use and how long did it take? Any tips/tricks for prep/application would also be greatly appreciated.

 

[stirthepot]

looks great. i'll give it a try. thanks!

 

[wurzitup]

That is a great mod, I'm going to give it a try as well. Related to your post, I have sport aero wheels for my winter tires, which were on the car when the whole thing was ceramic coated. My mission-e's are sitting in the garage, rubbered up, waiting for Spring. I thought that I would ceramic coat them myself as it would be pretty easy while they were off the car. What product did you use and how long did it take? Any tips/tricks for prep/application would also be greatly appreciated.

I used C Quartz UK 3.0 which I was going to use for the car, but on recommendation of another member I ordered another product for the car, NV Nova Evo. I will do that next week.
That being said the CQ 3 .0 went on the Mission Es beautifully. Tips- prep them well maybe with diluted isopropyl alcohol spray perhaps after all road grime comes off. Mine had only 500 miles so they were super untouched. And then I worked each wheel in 2 sections, 3 spokes and then 2 spoke sections. Don't let it sit for longer than 1-2 mins. Less is better I think. Kinda weird the first time you use it but fine. Work fast and buff off within 1-2 mins. By the time I finished 4 wheels, I started on second coat (60-90 mins). Second coat went faster. And then 60 mins later finished with their finishing Si02 type spray.
Enjoy and have fun!

 

[Tsingtao]

I used C Quartz UK 3.0 which I was going to use for the car, but on recommendation of another member I ordered another product for the car, NV Nova Evo. I will do that next week.
That being said the CQ 3 .0 went on the Mission Es beautifully. Tips- prep them well maybe with diluted isopropyl alcohol spray perhaps after all road grime comes off. Mine had only 500 miles so they were super untouched. And then I worked each wheel in 2 sections, 3 spokes and then 2 spoke sections. Don't let it sit for longer than 1-2 mins. Less is better I think. Kinda weird the first time you use it but fine. Work fast and buff off within 1-2 mins. By the time I finished 4 wheels, I started on second coat (60-90 mins). Second coat went faster. And then 60 mins later finished with their finishing Si02 type spray.
Enjoy and have fun!

Thanks for the intel. I am a complete amateur when it comes to ceramic coatings -- my Taycan (black of course) is the first car that I had coated, the stuff is amazing and I'll never go back to wax. I'd be too chickenshit to attempt the car body, but feel pretty confident that I can handle a set of wheels. Good luck with your car body!

 

[Klepper]

No screws or anything...... just fitted in from the back side. That's why I had to cut into 2 pieces.... so they would shoe-horn in carefully.......

Maybe I missed it - where did you cut it in two pieces?

 

[wurzitup]

Just an arbitrary 2/3rds of the way up the length, so that I could bend them in and fit them. They wouldn't bend in and fit as one piece.

 

[Klepper]

Just an arbitrary 2/3rds of the way up the length, so that I could bend them in and fit them. They wouldn't bend in and fit as one piece.

interesting, as I don't see that cut anywhere in the pics.

 

[smoothound]

Very neat solution!

Please advise: Did you remove the plastic insert on the inside of the wheel arch to fit the mesh from inside the wheel arch - and then replace the insert to 'trap' the grill in place?

Or is it just a push fit from the 'door' side of the vent - relying on the edges of the grill 'biting' - to hold it in place?

Also, if you removed the plastic insert - does it just pull out?

Many thanks

Cheers

 

[wurzitup]

Very neat solution!

Please advise: Did you remove the plastic insert on the inside of the wheel arch to fit the mesh from inside the wheel arch - and then replace the insert to 'trap' the grill in place?

Or is it just a push fit from the 'door' side of the vent - relying on the edges of the grill 'biting' - to hold it in place?

Also, if you removed the plastic insert - does it just pull out?

Many thanks

Cheers

Yes, the latter which made it super easy. Cut into 2 pieces, and slightly folded to "pop" into place in the "trough" you will see and yes the mesh edges bite into the trough enough to hold. The template cutting and fitting was critical for this, to allow enough tension that they would hold them in place with air resistance, water and debris force etc. Once I saw that trough there, I knew there would hopefully be no need for fasteners into the car and such.

Thanks and good luck!

 

[Fish Fingers]

Funnily enough I was doing a similar thing today with the same kind of mesh.

It was only near the end when I noticed the groove behind the fins and was wondering if it would fit.

I also discovered with the mesh, there are 2 ways to cut it from the roll. Cut a strip from the short edge and it will snap when bent, but cut a strip from the long edge and it's far more flexible.

 

[Bajas21]

Funnily enough I was doing a similar thing today with the same kind of mesh.

It was only near the end when I noticed the groove behind the fins and was wondering if it would fit.

I also discovered with the mesh, there are 2 ways to cut it from the roll. Cut a strip from the short edge and it will snap when bent, but cut a strip from the long edge and it's far more flexible.

If you have any luck please let me know. My mesh just came, but I’m not seeing any place to slot it. I can feel the lip and understand the finished product, just unsure how to insert it.