trunk lip spoiler or stealth stands on notchie?

[f85gtron]

Like the description asks, which would look better on a notchie, a set of stealth wing stands, or a lip spoiler on the trunk?
Now, that you've thought it through a bit, which would perform better? I.e. control the back draft and set it to swirling?
Ron

[Fierofool]

Try this:  Go to Home Depot and get yourself a roll of Surveyor's Marking Tape.  Cut a couple dozen or so of equal length strips about 10 inches long and tape them equally on the width and length of the deck lid and the spoiler, including underneath the spoiler.  Drive the car and if you can set up a camera on the top of your console, film how the strips react.  You will see that many of them flow back toward the front of the deck lid.

Second test:  remove the spoiler and do the same test and compare the flow direction. 

Third test:  Make a mockup lip spoiler from a wedge of cardboard and attach it to the rear of the deck lid, do the same test and compare.  This is one that Whodeanie built on his car.  No idea of how functional it was for stopping the backflow.


Fourth test:  Replace the factory spoiler and using cardboard, block off the opening underneath the spoiler so no air can flow back through it.  This should give you a similar effect of the whale tale spoiler. 

Moving the stock spoiler back a couple of inches might also help reduce the backwash, too.  The problem is that the studs may have to be located through one of the reinforcing ribs or in the area of the gasket as was done on the blue GT.

The center blue one in this picture is an 86 GT but I believe the spoiler came from an early model Toyota Corolla or Camry.  The stands are actually too short and let the ends hit the body so 1 inch thick rubber gaskets were cut to raise the height. Since the notchback fenders aren't as wide at the top, it might fit OK on the notchback and even sit a little lower.   



The stock spoiler does little in function and is more for visual and mental effect.  About the only to get more downforce on the rear is to run it at race track speeds and put one of those Gawd-Awful 4 foot high aluminum spoilers on it. 

[f85gtron]

Ok. Thanks. My highly tuned forensic skills lead me to deduce that the factory spoiler is for looks. If it where to serve a mechanical function, it would've been mounted on the roof in the clean air stream, or four feet in the air, ads you've suggested, in true ricer fashion.....but these where made here, sooo......
Ultimately, I'm looking for a combination of form and function. I'm leaning towards stealth wing stands, to keep the look, but moves the wing back and closer to the body, thereby possibly providing function too to a mild degree, coupled with a back window visor to extend the roof to provide more vacuum to move vented engine compartment air.
I'm going to invest in some painters tape and yarn. Then report my findings.
In my head, everything makes sense.
I know that aerodynamics weren't a cool factor in 1985, so I'm not expecting a breakthrough, but i would like to convince the exhaust fumes to stay behind me when the sunroof is off.
It's the little things.

Btw, the silver fastback lip spoiler is what i was envisioning. 

[Fierofool]

I believe he said that was a lip spoiler from an Infinity or Lexus and got some modifications to make it fit.  The PFF threads about the build of some of the cars he had at his shop has now gone to the trash can and disappeared.

There is a spoiler that fits across the back of the roof, similar to a visor.  It has a slightly raised front edge to grab the air and push it underneath toward the deck lid.  I found this image on Google. A rear deck scoop might also help by allowing engine air to escape out the top rather than going back down and out underneath the exhaust tips. 
http://s252.photobucket.com/user/bozziec/media/fiero003.jpg.html

If your exhaust system is tight, you shouldn't be getting a backflow into the cabin.  My 86SE is identical to your GT and I have no backflow.  Do you have the lip spoiler that goes into the front of the sunroof opening?

[pgackerman]

You could always pull out photoshop and model what you want.

[WV Mike]

I am interested in seeing what you decide and do. I've been thinking about the same thing for my Formula. I initially thought about swapping my notchback to fastback; but, I am going to keep it a notchback. I'd like to add a six pack hood scoop, and was wondering about either changing the wing stands to stealth stands or change the rear spoiler to a Camaro style lip spoiler.

[f85gtron]

The lip spoiler idea is worth pursuing. On eBay, a painted lip spoiler for Lexus, Honda, Toyota, Mercedes, and all the others are running about $40 already painted. Definitely worth checking into. 
How about this......
A chin spoiler to finish off the roof and then stealth wing stands for the trunk?  It might be too busy at that point and would look like an MR2?
Ron

[f85gtron]

I don't remember what the Camero lip spoiler looks like. If i recall, the T.A. is like Nascar super lip and the Firebird is mini whale tail. I can't remember the camero. I just remember they where "bitchin'" 

[Fierofool]

85 Camaro

http://www.supercamaros.com/

[WV Mike]

Thanks for posting the Camaro link. I was thinking of more of a '68 style Camaro fender. I found a picture of one on a hybrid Fiero. A notchback with fastback lights. Looks funny to me. However, it gives us a slight idea of what it might look like on a notchback. The angle of the picture isn't the best to see if it is really in the direction I want to go. I wonder if it could be made to work with a real notchback.