Lower engine cover modifications: Stiffening, lift support, etc.

[DMCVegas]

I'm not sure if this was addressed before, and excuse my idiocy, but what keeps water (from either rain or washing) from going through the lower cover's vents and onto the engine/electronics?

ALL engine compartments, even front-mounted engines will get wet when you drive them in the rain, and are designed as such. Most of the electronics are inside the car anyways, so it's not that big of a deal.

Traditional cars and trucks have a rubber gasket above the firewall and lips around the front and sides, but it's to keep steam in, not water out. That way if you splash through a puddle or large amount of water and it hits the exhaust manifolds the steam doesn't shoot up and cover the windshield so you can't see. Otherwise it's quite normal to have the drains for the Air Plenum and sometimes the A/C plumbed into the engine compartment. Open engine compartments are nothing to worry about.

[AdmiralSenn]

Here's a question - how do you access the other side of the hinges for the LEC? I believe one of my bolts holding my LH hinge to the body is loose, but I'm not sure where you look to tighten it. Do you come in from underneath the car? Is it behind the vertical parcel shelf carpet?

They are just above the rear parcel shelf carpet wall. I think you'll need to take the upper trim panel out as well as the vertical wall piece but they are accessible from that area.