Taurus side skirts - modification and installation

[Jand3rson]

Anything's worth a shot, right?

[td325ic]

Saying they won't fit a cabrio is mostly true but I wouldn't call it 100%. They will fit just not as nicely as they do on a coupe.

I held some taurus skirts onto a convertible at the junk yard this past saturday and it didn't look to bad. There are two options to mount them. You can either mount them in place of the long rubber molding or you can mount them below the molding.

If you remove the long peice of molding and mount the side skirt in it's place then Josh is correct that it won't cover the rocker panel completely. You still see the jacking points under the car and that long rail that's about 1/2" tall (I don't know if it has a name). But even so, I don't think it's that noticeable unless you are down underneath the car like I was.

The other option was to keep the rubber molding in place and mount the side skirt below it. This way the side skirt covered the rocker completely and matched the contour of the rocker panel. Mounting it this way was a better "fit" but you'll still have that long piece of rubber molding above it, which might not look good.

Anyway, I don't think we'll know for sure until some one really tries to mount them and can say one way or another. If you can get the side skirts cheap then it's worth a try even if you have a cabrio.



Just for comparison, here's some shots of "is" skirts, which are also believed not to fit a cabrio.

[Jand3rson]

Dude. These aren't going to fit a cabrio. Mercury or Ford. The cabrio rockers are like 2-3" taller than standard E30 rockers.

[delphini]

Here is my install.

This is another alternative skirt for the budget minded ( aka broke). These are from a Mercury Sable. Install should be the same as a Tauru's skirt.



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Hey CHRIS , i saw those on a car today in a parking lot
any chance the dimensions on those are a little taller than the TAURUS skirts ???

[Jand3rson]

I get the feeling you think this new find is bigger than it really is and I seriously doubt that the E30 scene would create that much demand for something in such abundant supply across the country.

It was a joke. Get off your elitist high horse.

[RobertK]

All the junkyards in the country are probably catching on that all of a sudden, they're getting flooded with calls for Taurus side skirts, and raising their prices. Next thing you know, they're going to be $200 for a pair.

I get the feeling you think this new find is bigger than it really is and I seriously doubt that the E30 scene would create that much demand for something in such abundant supply across the country.

Pricing usually depends on where you go and how money hungry the guy running the yard is that day. There's been times I was able to get the price cut in more than half by simply threatening to walk away without buying the part.

I'm still waiting for someone to find a set of SHO skirts.

[ldsbeaker]

yup, I saw those Sable ones at the junkyard. A nice alternative.

[Jand3rson]

Ah, those are the ones that kind of flare out on the top at each end. They kind of remind me of RD skirts.

On that same note, I've actually seen a couple of Tauruses with skirts that have a twist in the middle, very similar to the E36 M3 skirts, just not as detailed.

[E30 Reaktionär]

Not to bad, it's different then everyone elses. What wheels are those on your car CRIS?

[CRIS]

Here is my install.

This is another alternative skirt for the budget minded ( aka broke). These are from a Mercury Sable. Install should be the same as a Tauru's skirt.

[Jand3rson]

ummmmm what?
What happend to the whole differnt tastes thing?
Another R3V thread gon by the wayside, why do you guys insist on acting like a bunch of women?

Nothing more than a statement, expressing what I thought was a lame trend. Not my taste, and I said so. I'm sure Cary wasn't too butt-hurt by it.

[delatlanta1281]

Almost as lame as mounting your state-issued plate over the top of your euro plate.

ummmmm what?
What happend to the whole differnt tastes thing?
Another R3V thread gon by the wayside, why do you guys insist on acting like a bunch of women?

[jex]

To get a straight cut, line the length of the skirt up with a straight edge, and cut a shallow line as straight as possible for your cut.
Since I made the cut about 1/8th in. long, I didn't worry about getting it perfectly straight, I can sand it later.

Not only are they too boxy but they do not fit the lines of the wheel wells

I noticed that if the line is cut straight then it doesn't "flow" as well with the rear wheel well arch. I trimmed mine a little different.

I measured the TOP of the rocker panel from the rear wheel well to the gap where the door meets the front fender. Then I measured the BOTTOM of the rocker panel from the wheel well to the same gap. There was about a 5/8" difference (give or take).

Then I measured the entire length of the rocker panel (along the top) and marked the top of the sideskirt accordingly. Then I marked the bottom ~5/8" closer to the front of the sideskirt (or 5/8" farther from the rear. Whichever way you wanna look at it.)...connected the dots and cut.


It seems to line up a little better IMO, although it makes it a little harder to get the endcap to fit snug.

[Jand3rson]

much like the bumper thread..

i anticipate pics of completed mission

You and me both, but like I said before, I've got ZERO money to spend on fun stuff for the car, and I still have to primer and paint them. But I'll do what I can!

Maybe I'll put on some gloves and a Haz-Mat suit, and go return the year's worth of cans I have in my shed...

[Simon S]

much like the bumper thread..

i anticipate pics of completed mission