Mud Flaps

[Doug_G]

So once in a while I take the Roadster to autocross. The local club ran the event a couple of times at an alternative location this year. Well, it's a lot bumpier than our usual location (Scotiabank Place parking lot 9). And as you can see from the picture:



...the ground clearance when the car is cornering hard is somewhat lower. As a result the event at the rather bumpier "Lot 4/5" damaged three of my mud flaps. I didn't even realize it until I got home.

It's been a bit of a saga getting them replaced. First of all the replacement front flaps didn't fit. Apparently for some reason the EU-spec and USA spec cars have different front mud flaps and different mounting points. For some reason my car apparently started life as a EU-spec car and got converted to Canadian somewhere along the way. Go figure.

Next problem: the anchors on the left side are missing. These little things don't have a part number - they come with the bumper! So Tesla just told me I'd have to replace my bumpers to install new mud flaps. The local Tesla people are going to check with a Lotus dealer to see if they have any, but it isn't looking good.

So... how do you think the car looks without the forward front flaps? Look closely at the picture...

 

[dhrivnak]

I have a similar issue and was told about $300 for the left front flap. That is a lot for a smalish piece of rubber so i am living with it.

I think you are on the right track just remove them.

 

[wiztecy]

So I don't even see the forward bow mudflap attached anymore and the forward aft flap looks ground down in the pic! I've dragged my foward aft one crossing quick rolling curb transitions in the driveway, luckily no damage. Cross our fingers they can find a replacement with anchors for you.

I believe the front bow flaps are there to improve aerodynamics, at least that what they appear they're doing. The Roadster still looks good without them, but once you've seen the flaps on it looks slightly odd right after. Seen a roadster in Menlo Park for service missing the front flap, but in that case something brushed across the front bumper and ripped it off.

 

[Doug_G]

The front forward left flap fell off completely; Tesla removed the remains of the other one. The rear flaps are intact (one was replaced).

 

[Jaff]

Yikes!...as opposed to just the asthetics Doug, have you noticed the car getting dirtier faster?...the front flaps are pretty small, but, I think they did help keeping the doors clean...

I wonder if the lack of front flaps will cause the "road crap on the door sill cavity to be worse?

 

[Doug_G]

The car is a dirt magnet regardless. Edit: I should point out that it is the forward flaps that are missing; I suspect the rearward front flaps are more important for road dirt. Those are intact.

Tesla just called to say they were able to pull the parts off a wrecked bumper. I asked them to quote on the cost to repair.

Now that I've got the S2000 for a track car I probably won't abuse the Roadster as much...

Update:

Tesla came back with a reasonable quotation for the labour, so we're going to go ahead and replace them. They had to come back anyway due to a broken 12V battery mount.

 

[hcsharp]

I'm pretty sure the front forward flaps are called "ground affects" and are there to improve aerodynamics as someone else said. I know another roadster owner who lost his front-rear ones from snow and ice build-up. I think you are making the right choice to replace them. Not sure why they never had any on the back-rear.