Front add-ons

Although much of the performance aftermarket seems to be visually fixated

on the back of the car, with spoilers and wings being the leading indicators of

performance (or at least a shallow pretense), managing airflow at the front of

the car, either by reducing lift or creating downforce (negative lift), is just as

important. As a rule, the more work the wing is doing in the back, the more

attention you will want to pay to the front of the car to ensure that the car

moves at speed. The front (which is where the steering input is generated),

provides as much grip and feedback as the rear.

Air dams

The air dam is the front valence mounted underneath your car’s front bumper.

If you have no idea what I’m describing, that’s okay. Nearly all modern cars

have integrated air dams in which the lower-front valance and bumper skin

are one seamless piece. Back in the mid-1980s and earlier, in the days of the

exposed steel bumper, this was not the case. The air dam’s job is to manage

airflow at the front of the car, guiding air to the radiator/air-conditioning con-

denser and/or front mount intercooler and away from the tires, where it would

cause lift. Many air dams also provide the mounting location for fog lights or

driving lights.

Today, one of the most common ways to give your car a “face lift” is the addition

of a new front bumper (with air dam) along with a matching set of side skirts

(the plastic extensions that bolt onto your car’s side sills under your doors) and

rear bumper. These body kits (consisting of the four pieces described and with

a front lip sometimes added as a fifth component) can be mixed and matched

from a number of different manufacturers for a unique look.

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