I was concerned about that myself before I made the change, but so far I haven’t seen any increase in engine compartment spray or splatter, and it’s been either raining or snowing consistently since I removed the inner panels. I believe this is because I left the complete inner fender in place above the tire so everything in alignment with the tire pretty much contains the spray as well as it did before.
I’m retired so the annual mileage is down, but it does get used all year not just in good weather. In the few months since the inner panels were removed, I’ve come to enjoy the modification so much it’s doubtful I’ll never go back to stock. I’m in my 60’s with a bad back and knees, and having everything open for easy access is worth any increase in cosmetic cleanup that may be needed.
