What does it mean to "fit" a ducktail?

[Hulley]

Hello all,

I'm wanting to add a ducktail to my 79'SC and was kinda wondering what it means to "fit" the ducktail. Is it adding or removing material or just adjusting where it sits on the hinges and stoppers?

Also, can you recommend a ducktail? I was leaning towards the TRE "HQ" version, the painting would be done by a bodyshop.

Thanks!

[2.7RS]

Means lots of body work, lot of hours, lots of dust

Go for a Stratton tail.

Made on a stock metal lid.

Your car deserves it

[AG81]

^
What 2.7RS said and a few curse words.

[Hulley]

Originally Posted by 2.7RS

Means lots of body work, lot of hours, lots of dust

Go for a Stratton tail.

Made on a stock metal lid.

Your car deserves it

Thanks! I'll go look up the Stratton tail.

[David Inc.]

What it means is that you're getting a raw, fiberglass decklid that won't be exactly the right size and shape for your car. It will need to be shaved, added to, shaved, etc., by a professional before being painted. Could be that you get lucky and it fits great right off the bat, could be it needs a lot of work.

[Showdown]

Any aftermarket fiberglass part, Stratton, TRE, Getty… is still going to need lots of work to get it perfect. Of course that’s a spectrum and for some, good enough is well, good enough. For others every gap must be precisely 3mm, no more, no less.

Don’t expect price to relate to the amount of work it’ll need to get it right. Even the most expensive part will still have to be made to fit your vintage car with all of its handmade nuances.

[OldSpool87]

I bought an old fiberglass ducktail for my SC. It was made by Porsche Carousel (sp?) in Minneapolis many years ago, so I figured the fiberglass was cured. I used the Rennline adjustable hinges. Worth the price for the adjustability.

[Reiver]

Depends on the Duck tail...I bought mine on ebay years ago inexpensively and it fit very nicely with just a bit of sanding where it meets the body below the rear window. Has been in place for years and held up perfectly.
Did not require adjustable hinges just a few washers as spacers for height. Lucky I suspect but I think I paid 300 bucks.

[Chsnsurf]

My Stratton is currently being color matched and then it will be fitted. I’ll post a pic when complete.

[ADDvanced]

Originally Posted by 2.7RS

Means lots of body work, lot of hours, lots of dust

Go for a Stratton tail.

Made on a stock metal lid.

Your car deserves it

IMHO it never looks right. Okay on a race car, always bugs me on street cars. The panel gaps and the small details just look terrible, almost every single time.

[Steam Driver]

And the whale tails, turbo tails, and tea trays DO look right on a street car? Particularly targas and cabs? I don’t think any of them look right. The duck tail is the most unobtrusive and tasteful of them all. IMHO.

[Nditiz1]

Stratton Duck

[ADDvanced]

Originally Posted by Steam Driver

And the whale tails, turbo tails, and tea trays DO look right on a street car? Particularly targas and cabs? I don’t think any of them look right. The duck tail is the most unobtrusive and tasteful of them all. IMHO.

I just meant fit and finish wise. The surfacing under the 'duck' portion doesn't match up with the fenders/chassis of the car and it always looks odd to me.

Edit: Did this quick to explain what I mean. There's always this vertical surface on the side for no reason, it's like they tried to transition the ducktail surface back down to the chassis but just gave up.



Also, the surface under the ducktail, on the edge of the panel, is never G1 or G2 (tangent or curvature continuous) to the surfacing on the fender above the taillight, so you get this bumped up inflated 'bangle butt' look, along with a weird crease in the highlights where they come together.

[Reiver]

Well Porsche, when they first developed the DuckT, didn't think they'd be popular but they sold quickly when first displayed (Frere) and I've always liked the sporting look.

More importantly they work, all the 'tails' work as intended the Duck less than the huge ones but it is noticeably different if you have driven a slick tail and a DuckT in the 140 mph range (with an air dam up front)...much greater downforce and stability.

[ADDvanced]

I'm derailing this thread, sorry.

[7783911]

I did but a stratton and the fit was good, not excellent though the donor lid was my original. If I had to do again, I would have looked at the bolt on duck (smaller) that i ve seen discussed on this site

just an opinion and not a comment on Stratton ducks

[RSTarga]

Original factory duck

[Hulley]

Originally Posted by ADDvanced

I'm derailing this thread, sorry.

No worries, I like reading your new thread on design, I don't disagree with you but I still like the idea of having a duck and switching out to the stock lid whenever I want to change the look.

[Cloggie]

Originally Posted by 2.7RS

Means lots of body work, lot of hours, lots of dust

Go for a Stratton tail.

Made on a stock metal lid.

Your car deserves it

The Stratton tail is very good, highly recommend it and have one on my car.

But they too are not perfect....mine ended up a couple of mm too long and because it is bonded on the edges, there was a limit to which I could adjust...hence the 1 mm too long.

Adjusting on top is a pain, as you need to balance between keeping the surfaces level and the gaps good, plus leaving enough clearance to let the hood open without hitting the engine bay lip.

Not hard, but fussy.....

D.

[TKO]

Custom one-off ...