Carbon Fiber Deployable Spoiler
#1
Carbon Fiber Deployable Spoiler
While being involved over the past month attempting to convert my '16 S
6speed to Carbon Ceramic brakes, I have become impatient awaiting backordered parking brake calipers. As my car sits patiently on jack stands at all four corners, it seems to call to me to do more. In the plans are the Velocity AP tune and lower pulley after my conversation with Unhingd and his positive commments. But, still the car called out for me to mess with it more. Thought to myself, "self, what if the rear spoiler were authentic carbon fiber."
Soooooo,,,,This week I removed the spoiler from my car and trekked down to see my friend Kerry that owns Advanced Composite Products. www.acproducts.us
I met Kerry many years ago when I had Shelby GT500-KR and had a bad habit of whacking my CF splitter and once my CF hood. His real business is making bodies for Trans-AM Mustangs, Vettes, CTV-s and now Camaro's. He agreed to do the spoiler if I would do all the prep work. Today I did. The factory spoiler is a clam shell plastic structure adhered outer skin to inner skin which has two mounting bases with 4 adjustable nuts. The halves are held together with nothing more than 3M two sided body tape. After piddling for a while, I figured it out. With liberal amounts of Berkible Gum Cutter 2+2 and plastic putty knives, I was able to separate the halves. I did find there were a couple of rivets beside each side of mounting nuts. I drilled out the rivets but found they had nothing to do with securing or aligning the spoiler halves. The rivets only held in the base plate of the mounting nuts.
The spoiler is not split and, I plan to only make the top shell in cleared CF. If there was an interest in producing these, it would make sense to cast the bottom shell also. My experience has been just because I want something, it is unlikely others will "have to have it." Should this project actually turn out and there was a paying demand, I would cross that bridge at the appropriate time.
It will be a few weeks before ACP can fit me in and Jaguar has assured me, it will be some time before i see rear parking brake calipers. So, the jag will remain on stands for weeks to come. I am posting pictures of the removed spoiler and a few working photos of going about splitting the halves.
6speed to Carbon Ceramic brakes, I have become impatient awaiting backordered parking brake calipers. As my car sits patiently on jack stands at all four corners, it seems to call to me to do more. In the plans are the Velocity AP tune and lower pulley after my conversation with Unhingd and his positive commments. But, still the car called out for me to mess with it more. Thought to myself, "self, what if the rear spoiler were authentic carbon fiber."
Soooooo,,,,This week I removed the spoiler from my car and trekked down to see my friend Kerry that owns Advanced Composite Products. www.acproducts.us
I met Kerry many years ago when I had Shelby GT500-KR and had a bad habit of whacking my CF splitter and once my CF hood. His real business is making bodies for Trans-AM Mustangs, Vettes, CTV-s and now Camaro's. He agreed to do the spoiler if I would do all the prep work. Today I did. The factory spoiler is a clam shell plastic structure adhered outer skin to inner skin which has two mounting bases with 4 adjustable nuts. The halves are held together with nothing more than 3M two sided body tape. After piddling for a while, I figured it out. With liberal amounts of Berkible Gum Cutter 2+2 and plastic putty knives, I was able to separate the halves. I did find there were a couple of rivets beside each side of mounting nuts. I drilled out the rivets but found they had nothing to do with securing or aligning the spoiler halves. The rivets only held in the base plate of the mounting nuts.
The spoiler is not split and, I plan to only make the top shell in cleared CF. If there was an interest in producing these, it would make sense to cast the bottom shell also. My experience has been just because I want something, it is unlikely others will "have to have it." Should this project actually turn out and there was a paying demand, I would cross that bridge at the appropriate time.
It will be a few weeks before ACP can fit me in and Jaguar has assured me, it will be some time before i see rear parking brake calipers. So, the jag will remain on stands for weeks to come. I am posting pictures of the removed spoiler and a few working photos of going about splitting the halves.
Last edited by Stwsam; 02-18-2017 at 02:44 PM. Reason: Add Photo
The following users liked this post:
dmchao (01-27-2018)
#3
...very cool, although I would be inclined to cheat and wrap the part in CF type film.
Whilst you're speaking with your friend Kerry, I wonder he might be interested in making up some, wheel spats or what we call mud flaps. Not sure what that is in American ;-)
Basically a small mouldings to stop the shyte flying off the front wheels all over the side of the car?
Whilst you're speaking with your friend Kerry, I wonder he might be interested in making up some, wheel spats or what we call mud flaps. Not sure what that is in American ;-)
Basically a small mouldings to stop the shyte flying off the front wheels all over the side of the car?
#4
He would but it would require some sort of order quantity and a set of genuine to mould from. CF is all hand work and not inexpensive. Sometimes the dollars involved wane enthusiasm. I do understand wrapping, but nothing as rich as the look of the real thing. Anyway, hoping it looks good. Always a chance it could be a big mistake.
#5
Not to burst your bubble, but i believe this has been done:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...ng-rsc-122926/
Not sure if they finished the project, but i know i've seen a carbon fiber coupe spoiler before.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...ng-rsc-122926/
Not sure if they finished the project, but i know i've seen a carbon fiber coupe spoiler before.
#7
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#8
#10
Technician gets it. With the stress of family and running a company this type of project is my use of energy that otherwise could be channeled into less productive opportunities. Additionally and most importantly when one of my goofy efforts works it brings a great calming satisfaction to my soul. When the effort fails, it is good for a chuckle! Suffice it to say some of my projects have ended in a belly laugh.
The following users liked this post:
Panthro (02-23-2017)
#11
Technician gets it. With the stress of family and running a company this type of project is my use of energy that otherwise could be channeled into less productive opportunities. Additionally and most importantly when one of my goofy efforts works it brings a great calming satisfaction to my soul. When the effort fails, it is good for a chuckle! Suffice it to say some of my projects have ended in a belly laugh.
The following users liked this post:
Panthro (02-23-2017)
#12
Not to burst your bubble, but i believe this has been done:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...ng-rsc-122926/
Not sure if they finished the project, but i know i've seen a carbon fiber coupe spoiler before.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...ng-rsc-122926/
Not sure if they finished the project, but i know i've seen a carbon fiber coupe spoiler before.
#13
The following 3 users liked this post by Stwsam:
#16
Very nicely done! I know you are not a fan of CF wrap but I wonder if it would complete the look if you wrapped the two smallish triangular pieces just above the air foil. This would yield more of an uninterrupted stripe going down the back of the car. If not a CF wrap then perhaps just a gloss black?
Just an idea.
Just an idea.
#17
Very nicely done! I know you are not a fan of CF wrap but I wonder if it would complete the look if you wrapped the two smallish triangular pieces just above the air foil. This would yield more of an uninterrupted stripe going down the back of the car. If not a CF wrap then perhaps just a gloss black
Just an idea.
Just an idea.
In person looks pretty cool. In this pic it does look a bit goofy. When it deploys it is amazing. First drive it popped up it caught me off guard. This is day one so still evaluating. Maybe the triangles are detachable and could be mounded, but where do you stop$$$$$?
#18
I didn't mean to imply that it looks goofy as I don't think it does. I like it! I'm just thinking that, to some, it might look like an afterthought and blacking out the triangles would tend to make it look less so (maybe). That being said, what is important is that it pleases YOU. I think it looks cool.
#20
First time it took about an hour. But, I bought a second spoiler as I did not want to wait months without a spoiler . I drove the car a couple of months with no spoiler and even strangers would ask if something fell off my car. Ordered a new one to give to my cf guy. When I separated that one it took 20-30 minutes as I knew better how to do the job.