More Spoilers.....

Looking at updating my C2 with a new front PU, Sills and a Rear Spoiler and have a few in mind from Design911.com I am aware that its not recommended to get a rear spoiler without a new front PU otherwise it would upset the handling. I was told that once you get a new front PU with increased downforce it would be OK with most rear spoilers. I am looking at a GTR front spoiler with a GT2 rear. has anyone got positive or negative experiences mixing and matching parts? Thanks, Rob

Looks like a nice combination - I particularly like the 'GTR' front end. However, it's fibreglass, which I personally definitely don't like. Have you seen them in the flesh? If it were my money, I'd go for the aerokit with genuine front PU and side sills, which doesn't seem a bad price at £1695. If you decide to go the fibreglass route, I would keep the original front PU and rear spoiler if I were you, to put back on when you sell the car. Can't comment on the aerodynamics, but surely Design 911 can give you advice on the combo.

Fibreglass is an expensive option in terms of repairs. Catch it on a kerb ever so slightly and it'll splinter instantly.

Hmm.... was thinking of a new front PU for mine. What other options than fibreglass are there? What's the Porsche OEM one ade of? I guess I should know by now but been out of it for a while

PU is the clue - PolyUrethane http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyurethane

haha.haha all these years and I just learned what PU meant. Always wondered. Thanks for that mate

Hi Richard (and everyone else) for your comments. Design 911 seem well informed but I am also aware they are selling so I was looking for a 2nd opinion, not that they have given me any reason to doubt. I was told that you should have a new front PU to add downforce if your going for a rear spoiler. I was also told that the additional downforce only makes a difference after 120 mph (which, personally, I think is a little high). I was told that they should be fairly interchangeable once I have more on the front to balance the rear etc. I am sure their is of course a science to this but how much would it matter in the real world? Wasn't aware (or considered) of the difference between OU and Fibreglass in terms of light damage etc. - worth considering. I have seen it in the flesh, unpainted, and looks good. I dont want to be to much Too Fast Too Furious but I want it different as I was looking to upgrade the car but unless I go for a facelift there is no real difference in the car and I would potentially inherit other peoples problems. For fear of being Chavvy I was going to get my wheels re-furbed and painted anthracite, the top of the spoiler matching but not the struts, and probably a Carerra graphics along the side in a matching colour. Shoot me down if thats going to look crap but I would like it a little different and it would at least look and feel different to me! Not a great fan of the Aerokit rear spoiler so maybe an aerokit front/side & GT2 rear spoiler would be better? Only concern about the GTR front is it has air vents in the side (as a turbo/c4s) and I wouldnt have any at the rear. Would it look unbalanced like that? The other alternative is a 'Turbo Look' front end? And maybe a matching carbon GT3 RS top with would definately be a but ronnie racer? Objective and personal comments welcome! Thanks, Rob ps.. Good point about keeping the existing parts.

Rob, have you had a read of this thread? Rodney & I have the Carrera rear spoiler & a tiny little lip spoiler seems to be a requirement at the front for that. With a GT2 spoiler I'd have thought you'd need something a little more substantial than that to balance things out... (think cross-winds at speed)

Hi Nick, Thanks for that. I did read the article some time ago and it was before I was thinking of the changes. Good thread and agrees with my thoughts. It would appear that most people had the lip and it makes a difference as one would expect, however, if I read it right it says the Carerra rear spoiler is OK without a front lip at some point? The GTR front spoiler definately 'looks' like it would produce more downforce on the front but I am not an engineer. The GT2 front end would no doubt produce loads of additional downforce but looks a bit square and blocky on the pre-facelift 996 where I have seen it on the post-facelift and it looks good. Out of interest, at 120+ with 3 up (on the a/b's of course!) mine was starting to float a bit. Thanks, Rob

Have a look here:- http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=13916&hl=spoiler "Carrera" Rear Spoiler: The rear spoiler has been developed, tested and approved for the following combinations: Carrera rear spoiler with standard front spoiler; Carrera rear spoiler with standard front spoiler and side member trim of the aerokit Cup; Carrera rear spoiler with front spoiler (without lip) of the aerokit Cup; Carrera rear spoiler with front spoiler (without lip) and side member trim of the aerokit Cup. Other combinations are not permissible! Aerokit "Cup II": Authorized retrofitting options: 1. Front spoiler with spoiler lip only in conjunction with rear spoiler. 2. Front spoiler with spoiler lip only in conjunction with rear spoiler and both side member panels. 3. Only side member panels. Other retrofiitting options are not permissible! (courtesy of Richard Hamilton)

That is only valid pre 7/01 cars as the TSB that this quote comes from dates to 2000. Post 07/01 cars need to have the front lip spoiler if they have the Carrera rear spoiler. So Beershark is right - the cutoff date was for cars built before 07/01 which don't need a front lip spoiler when specifying the Carrera spoiler.

FYI at 150 (on the a/b) my car with aerokit was rock solid.

Rodney is correct - I should have qualified that. Just another benefit of driving a pre-facelift - more downforce! [ ][ ] Maybe that's why I don't get that floaty feeling at high speed.

Hi Rob The point I was really trying to make is that there's a world of difference between plastering a Saxo with addon plastic tat where the top speed isn't high enough for any of it to matter a jot, and changing a high performance car's aerodynamics in an ad-hoc (& dare I say, unscientific) way. Manufacturers such as Porsche spend millions to ensure their bits work together properly; with the best will in the world, Design911 can't hope to do even 1% of the testing Porsche do. If you want to modify your car for "pose value" that's one thing, but if you want to use the performance, be aware that very bad things can happen with the wrong combination of addons & that your insurance company might well use the mods to try to wriggle out of a claim.

But Rodney & I don't get floaty at high speed because we've got the little lip spoiler [ ] PS Anyone else noticed how people are qualifying mentions of high speed by saying it was on the a/b after this appeared?[ ]

Nick, what are you trying to infer here, no-one's mentioned MPH anywhere? [ ] Rich, I'm surprised about the lip spoiler not being necessary on the pre-facelift cars. The Cd of both cars is suposed to be the same, but the facelift cars are supposed to have less lift.

Apart from the aerodynamic issues, any thought on the Boy Racer look. Happy for it to look a little different but not like a kit-car. Also, not really a fan of the Aerokit rear spoiler. Cheers, Rob

Rob, IMO the 996 GT2 rear spoiler is stunning, but the GT2R front is a bit OTT, won't it also be a bit low for daily use? p.s Good luck with the sale on Ebay.

Rob, please, no Carrera side graphics, for goodness sake! JohnC 993turbo

Here's one for you lot... Mk1 GT3 Cup front PU and Manthey carbon RS spoiler... My chavtastic PolarExpress! [8D]

Hi Adrien, Looks fantastic. Where did you get the front PU? Did they fit as well? And can I be cheeky and ask how much? I think I prefer that to the other Design 911 options. Thanks, Rob

The Cup PU is a modified version of the Mk1 GT3 PU with the top slots and modified venting (underside and through wheel arches). The rear spoiler requires the Mk2 GT3 bootlid as it has the struts for the rear spoiler. All in (Porsche/Manthey list prices) about £8k [ ] (the Porsche bootlid alone is £5k excluding the actual spoiler [ ]). It's possible to find the parts cheaper on eBay (a complete lid+ RS spoiler ended a couple weeks ago asking £1.5k)

Hi Adrien, Once again - thanks for that. Not cheap is it? Do the vents on the upper part of the PU go anywhere or do anything specific? I believed they were there to produce more frontal downforce. Certainly makes the front look different - more meaningful! I noticed on Design 911 website under photos they also do a Turbo Look front PU with the vents on. What do you think?

Everything Porsche is crazy expensive! The slots vent the air coming into the central radiator up and over the front bonnet. My front rad is also canted forward to increase the airflow through the rad (increased cooling) before it vents out through the slots. This releases the air pressure around the side radiators, and provides more downforce over the front end - the increase in front downforce is quite noticeable at motorway speeds - it used to feel slightly floaty, but now it's nailed down. Manthey did a test with the radiator conversion and measured the overall increase to be about 15-20kg more downforce at 'speed' (don't know what speed though!). I think any other design with slots is really just aesthetic and up to the owner/buyer's personal tastes. I've always appreciated the functionality of Porsche design where most things are there for a genuine engineering reason.

Rob - looks like a few body bits in that new avatar. How about a couple of pics?

Hi Richard, Thanks for noticing...... Sadly, BOTH of my digital camera have packed up but will get some one shortly. Work done by Design 911 and had to go back a few times to them so was going to add some notes but on balance, nice guys and fairly happy with their work. Kinda thinking about some power mods to go with it, maybe Supercharging?

Supercharging seems to me to be the best way to get serious increases in horsepower. Evoms and TMC both do a kit for about $10000, which gives you a bolt on 120-130bhp. More bangs per buck than a Porsche Power Kit (heads, cams, manifolds, ecu, etc) at £5000+ for a 25bhp increase. I once met a chap with an early 996 he had supercharged by Colin Belton at Ninemeister. Sounded wonderful as he disappeared down the road at Turbo velocity.

Rob I'm going down the same route as you looking for ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm asthetic improvements, but not something realllllllllllly horrid!! A rear "wing" seems ideal! As the one pops up anyway how would a retro fitted one create aerodynamic issues??? without a front PU being fitted?? Ok hands up ME TO!! YES I DIDN'T KNOW PU STOOD FOR THAT D'OH!! lol hey ho! Anthracite wheels with a silver rim look great! mines just been resprayed with that mix! So now .. what wing to buy!! Oh so many choices!!! I do like these but would love to see them in the flesh!

The other one was to big to attatch grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Hi David, That piccie looks pretty good - not sure about the roof spoiler though! I believe its a C4S looking at the rear end, but I believe you can get the C4S 'look' for the narrow body models. I will post some pics of my car when my camera is working and its clean. In the meantime here is a camera pic. Cheers, Rob

Hi all, Thanks for all your replies, ideas and thoughts. Here are some photo's of the finished version. Sorry its taken so long, I have had more than my fair share of teething problems getting it sorted. Design 911 supplied and fitted all the parts and (outsourced) the painting and repainting and the re-furbing of the wheels. Overall, I am pretty hapy with the finish (eventually) and looks. Its a GTR front PU, GT3 side sills and a GT3 RS rear spoiler. They also connolised the interior and refurbished and painted the GT3 SD wheels. Just have to decide on what colour under car lighting system and furry dice I need now!

another one

and the rear

and the last one!