510 rear spoilers

[Metzman510]

I want to get a rear spoiler for my 510. Would love the one that Daniel Wu has on Tanto (http://www.speedhunters.com/2020/06/daniel-wu-tanto-510/). Not into the flexible polyurethane stuff, prefer rigid plastic or fiberglass.

 

Any guidance is appreciated, I understand opinions vary on rear spoilers, but I like the shorter less imposing style, not wings.

 

Feel free to post pics for reference!

[john510]

Somebody posted something about a spoiler on the 510 some time back.It actually looked good and i'm not a fan of that look on a 510.It may have been off of a BMW ? It sat higher up on the trunk lid and didn't wrap down along the back.Nice and short and didn't look obvious.Maybe  i saw it on the 510 Realm ? not sure.

Edited July 29, 2020 by john510

[banzai510(hainz)]

don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[datzenmike]

Spoilers on the back of a brick are like lipstick on a pig. It's  pretentious at best. No car needs down force below 120 if at all or the induced drag from one. Now if this was on the front (sometimes called a spoiler but mostly called an air dam, splitter or lip) now you're talking. Reduces air turbulence and drag under the car, forces more air through the rad, ploughs the air out of the way. Functional and looks. I guess this is the extreme end of the opinion.

 

Home made from Mk 1 Golf

 

to wild (note no rear spoiler)

[DanielC]

I could by way off here, but I am going to throw my uninformed two cents in to this.  The spoiler, or wing on the back of a car are there for two different reasons.   A car, like a 240 Z with a fairly smooth curved back will actually generate lift, because the shape of the car resembles an air plane wing.   A spoiler "spoils" the lift, thus its name. 

There is also a wing on the back of some car, and it is there to generate downforce.  Think F1 cars.

The sharp angle of the roof line to the back glass on a 510 already breaks up the smooth air flow over the back of the car.   No smooth flow, no lift.  

That is maybe why the 510 did not have a spoiler, it did not need it.

[datzenmike]

I'm going to say that cars that come with a spoiler on the trunk are for appearances only. The drag they induce negates any possible down force advantage. Down force that is totally not needed in the first place even at highway speeds and above. Who makes a car that needs down force to be stable on the highway? In addition push down on the back behind the axle tends to lift the front. I owned a '69 Charger that was 4-5 years old at the time and they have a slight up swing at the back. It was there because at the time NASCAR spoilers were regulated to a certain size and having the stock trunk higher raised it even more. Handy back then at 200+ MPH. Spoilers improve the 'looks' and looks sells cars. Would I put one on a car that didn't come with one... most likely not.

[banzai510(hainz)]

If car is really clean and slammed down I would go with none of the above no spoiler or airdam

mine is beat to fucked and cracked just going up my drive way.

if you got a Ratsun then it adds caractor .

 

[BrandonS]

On 7/30/2020 at 4:06 PM, datzenmike said:

I'm going to say that cars that come with a spoiler on the trunk are for appearances only. The drag they induce negates any possible down force advantage. Down force that is totally not needed in the first place even at highway speeds and above. Who makes a car that needs down force to be stable on the highway? In addition push down on the back behind the axle tends to lift the front. I owned a '69 Charger that was 4-5 years old at the time and they have a slight up swing at the back. It was there because at the time NASCAR spoilers were regulated to a certain size and having the stock trunk higher raised it even more. Handy back then at 200+ MPH. Spoilers improve the 'looks' and looks sells cars. Would I put one on a car that didn't come with one... most likely not.

Sometimes they are needed.  My Audi TTS has a spoiler that pops up at ~75kph to reduce lift.  The owner's manual actually cautions against driving the car at higher speeds if the spoiler has malfunctioned for this reason.  I know the first gen ones had a recall done to add a spoiler because they'd lose control on the Autobahn during lane changes due to the lift the body generated.  I mean the car's roofline is shaped like a wing though so what can you really expect.

As far as spoilers on a 510, the Ecotec one that's raced has a functional spoiler, but it is huge and sticks above the roofline to be in the airstream.  I'd say I personally like the look of a small lip spoiler on the back of them and 100% agree it'd be cosmetic only in nature.  I've heard of BMW E30 spoilers being fitted, but not sure how well they'd fit in reality.

Edited August 1, 2020 by BrandonS

[4perrev]

Build it out of cardboard, cardboard, cardboard and fiberglass....run it down the street for at least 90+ MPH....If it stays on and you like it...Keep it!   Just kidding.  I have toyed with the idea of putting the CSL wing on the back of my M3, but just can't push myself to do it, because the car looks sooooo clean without it.  To each their own though.  Like my Father-in-Law says, "Buy what you like!"

[Jesse C.]

This is the spoiler I remember people using back in the day. Off a BMW and I do not know the exact year

 

[BrandonS]

I think that’s a 2002?

[Metzman510]

Yup that's a 2002 with a trunk spoiler.

I am so enjoying this discussion!

[datzenmike]

Not bad, there are way worse.

[4perrev]

Just don't use a foam one cause they get nasty over time.

[Duncan]