(all links will open in a new page)
ProtectaBaja rear skidplate
I found about this product at the HPIBajaForum. I bought it from Dave's Discount Motors at a worthy price and decent mailing cost.
It's being made by ProtectaParts.
There has been a lot of discussions about installing it in the HBF. I actually followed Team Fast Eddy's excellent video tutorials!. I test-fitted it on the car, marked carefully where to drill and just did it! Inserting the nuts from underneath was quite easy: I followed Eddy's advice and put a drop of CA on a long straight edge screwdriver and held it for a second. However, I didn't use his... hammer technique (see the video!), but squeezed my littlest finger under the chassis and held the nut while tightening the bolt from above, to seat the nut in the chassis.
Installing it was really a breeze. It shows great promise of protection at both sides!
Of course I had to remove the ProtectaBaja, so I could install the lower lexan covers on it. You can see how abused they became with the original plastic skidplate.
The ProtectaBaja however has a solution for this! It has a pair of holes higher up and out of harm's way, so you can cut the "draggin'" parts of the lexan covers and still have the vital protection to the engine and pullstart.
Finalizing the installation. One side note, however: When you need to remove the skidplate, you have to unbolt three bolts, while with the original plastic one you just undid a clip at the rear! Oh well, there's a price to pay for everything good you do!
