Removed Duck tail but left RS front spoiler. Is this Safe?
 

My 2.4S was RS'ed in '78 by Autofarm for £4,100. Amoungst many of the changes it included fitting an RS front spoiler and an RS duck tail. I've just had the Duck tail replaced and the decals taken off but am slightly concerned by a posting on the Rennlist forum

Rennlist Discussion Forums > Air/Oil Cooled Discussion Areas > 911 Forum > Need a favor...spoiler install...

which says that you shouldn't have one spoiler without the other as it upsets the balance. I understand the duck tail does its job at speed but I have no intension of exceeding three digits.

Has any one got experience of running RS front without Duck tail rear?

(FYI I intend to change the front spoiler back to an S valance in time but jury still out on rear RS rear arches and rear 7's)

For normal use and speeds, I would not worry. I've got a 2.4S with regular front S spoiler, RS flares, 7/8 inch Fuchs, no rear spoiler and no problems with rear lift. At least at the speeds I'm driving...

I think the feeling was front yes, rear no is OK, front no, rear yes, that was the issue.

You will have no problem at all without the ducktail at the speeds you are talking about. The RS could originally be ordered with a ducktail delete option and personally I really like that look.

Were the ducktail and front spoiler that were added by Autofarm, original factory parts? If so you want to hang to them, definately worth some $$$.

Below 100 mph, I wouldn't worry at all. I've run wildly-varying spoiler combinations. The effects are not all that alarming, unless you're talking about 90-mph-plus sweepers at the track.

I'd be more worried if the front was gone. I've got a no-spoiler '69 and it does get very light in front in the 100-mph range. I would imagine 120 would be pretty scary.

Cheers Guys, I'm going to run with it as it is now and then see how things are later.

Brian, the Duck tail is an original steel frame type but not certain about the front. Do you know how to distinguish the real thing on the front?

James,

The RS ducktails have license plate lights and 2 sets of 2 holes along the back edge of the frame, one set near each corner, for the rubber tie downs on the Lightweight RS cars. If yours doesn't have those it is probably a '74 Carrera tail. Here are photos of a steel frame RS ducktail I have. BTW the latch area should not look like this it has been improperly repaired with rivets.:(

http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/rs_ducktail_3.jpg


http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/rs_ducktail_6.jpg

I am less sure how to determine an original RS front spoiler. The original ones I have seen have a removable center section where an aux. oil cooler can be placed. The replicas I have seen are one piece and the center section needs to be cut out. Probably the brackets are different but I've never seen the back side of one.