photos by: the author
Installing Spoolfool’s Drip Lip into Our Grand National Project, Wicked6
For those who have been with us since the beginning, you may be very familiar with our ’87 Buick Grand National project car. It’ seen a lot of updates and improvements from our friends at GBodyParts and Precision Turbo, but there’s always ways we can take a closer look at the details.
Looking through our build history, and we’ve quickly remembered that the very first thing we’ve addressed on the Buick were the crumbling bumper fillers. A common shortcoming with these cars, we addressed the situation with the help of front and rear fillers from Spoolfool Productions. You can get the full story HERE.
We’ve implemented other items from the Spoolfool catalogue over the last five years, largely cosmetic, but one recently released part that’s popped up left us intrigued. We’ve covered the announcement before, but the Spoolfool drip lip is a small thing that has several huge benefits.
First and foremost, it’s lighter than the stock drip shield that it replaces. Made from a lightweight but durable fiberglass, it provides that same basic function as the OEM piece, but with a twist. First, it provides further protection from leakage — which is an incredibly common formality with these cars — as the original drip shield fell a little short of its intended function.
It may not sound like that big of a deal, but the rear main seal sits just above the exhaust crossover pipe. When the oil leaks, it drips on the pipe and causes a nasty oil smell and can create a fire hazard. It’s also made in the USA, and since it’s fiberglass, it won’t rust out like the one from Buick does, either.
Installing the drip shield is pretty cut and dry; it’s designed to use the same mounting bolts and mounting holes as the OEM drip shield. The way it works to prevent leakage, the Drip-Lip extends beyond the edge of the OEM piece, and hugs the starter to ensure that there is no seepage.
Although it’s possible to swap the drip shield out laying under the car, like we did, it’s way easier to do so with the car on the lift. For the sake of the article, we’ll be citing Spoolfool’s own video for better angles and additional insight.
We did however, provide a side-by-side shot of the OEM drip shield, and Spoolfool’s own Drip-Lip. At a quick glance they look nearly identical, but upon closer inspection you can see the added fins, and the difference in design between the two.
Below, we’ve included key shots and details of the install, as well as some product shots so you can get a closer look of the Drip-Lip. You can also source the above video to see how it’s mounted.
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
