Expensive puddle!

I drove through a big puddle this morning at about 40MPH. The puddle covered the entire lane, several inches deep, about 20’ long. The car performed handsomely! I continued about 10 miles on my way to work, in a downpour most of the way. I mention the downpour because it was loud and I couldn’t hear much. About the time I got off the freeway, the external noise was reduced due to slower speed and the rain let up. Hmmm…what’s that dragging sound? Did I pick up a branch? Made a turn, and….crunch, rattle, rattle, scrape. Pulled in to a parking space and the downpour resumes. I quickly walk around the car and don’t see anything. I threw a towel on the ground and looked under the car. Both underside panels seem to have exploded. Pieces dragging. Fragments at most of the attachment points. Pieces missing. Crap, expensive puddle! I’m pretty sure that I replaced one of the panels in the past, but at 15 years, I guess a little underside refresher is in order….

Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?

I know that several of the attachments were in place, because they still are, surrounded by broken plastic. I always look forward to an opportunity to play in the garage on a cold, rainy weekend....

if it was a 986.

If they scoop up air, why not water?

An update, now that I've had a chance to look over the car in the dry garage, rather than in a downpour in the work parking lot. There are four panels. The front panel and the L-shaped panel are ok. The holes I saw in the front panel appear to be by design, and otherwise was just sagging because I need clamps. The rear panel was gone, except for some broken pieces very firmly attached to the mounting points. One of the mounting brackets for the rear panel was bent down with a hand-size piece remaining attached...appears that it got sucked under and was dragging on the ground. I was able to bend the bracket just fine. The middle panel is 90% fine and perfectly attached at all of the mounting points, but has some damage where it connects to the rear panel, so I'll replace it. I'm not quite sure how the two are connected, but I guess that damage occurred when the rear panel got ripped off. Finally (I hope this is all), one of the rubber airflow flaps was hanging...I was able to pop it back into place.

This type of thing reminds me of why I wish I got a small lift for my garage 15 years ago. I just spent a small fortune at a local shop on another car...I think I'll ask a favor of using one of their lifts during lunch some day.