Is it real or a repro-duck-shun ? A Poll

KevinP73 · 02:15 PM

Tell me what you think. The car is a '74, very original other than sadly neglected. Do you think the duck is an OEM unit or an aftermarket piece?
No doubt it has a steel frame with a glass duck outer.
The gaps are clean and consistant.

Anyone who has installed an all glass tail knows what a PITA the leading edges of these things can be. This one has a leading edge that is the thickness of an OEM deck lid. And it fits the body contour perfectly.

The grille opening is steel the entire circumference.

The latch assembly has the curved base.

The detail on the underside is excellent.

Vote for OEM or Reproduction and share your reasonings.P.S. The car and tail will be in Ventura this weekend. Stop and check it out in person.

SCWDP911 · SCWDP911's Garage

I can;t answer, but I am intrigued... the under side (center support area) looks just like mine, which I am 99.9% positive is a knock off...

KevinP73 · 09-06-2007, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by v8_ranch

I can;t answer, but I am intrigued... the under side (center support area) looks just like mine, which I am 99.9% positive is a knock off...

Don't be too sure. Here is a 100% original tail for comparison.

SCWDP911 · SCWDP911's Garage

Yeah, mine is defintely repro, as it is all fiberglass except for the threaded hinge mounts. But, what I do like is that the one you show as a real one, shows that mine is set up like the original. Alot of the new ones I see have the center support that goes all the way up for the AC mount and support. Thanks for posting that!

1974carrera · 1974carrera's Garage

I haven't voted yet as I'm still undecided...some aspects look like I would expect but there's a couple things I'm unsure of. I'll post a few pics of the original ducktail on my '74 Carrera to help illustrate.

One, you mention that yours has steel around the entire perimeter of the grill opening. The original '74 ducks I've seen only have steel on the forward edge of the grill opening; the sides and rear of the opening are fiberglass as in this pic of mine,:

Two, in the following pic you can see the area circled in green on your yellow duck where the fiberglass meets the metal frame. This area around the side of the grill opening is cut/shaped differently than the same area on mine (see first pic).

Something else present on original '74 ducks are the pair of holes near each end of the underside of the deck lid like in the following pic:

Here's the center support on mine for comparison:

I can take comparison pics of other areas if you need.

SCWDP911 · SCWDP911's Garage

Bob, I would like to see those extra pics as well.

Thanks

1974carrera · 1974carrera's Garage

Sure, I'd be glad to post more pics. Most of the existing pics I have are of the outside but I imagine the area of most interest is the inside? Just specify what you want to see and I'll take the pics and post them if it's not hijacking Kevin's thread

KevinP73 · 09-06-2007, 06:28 PM

Bob don't give a second thought about hijacking. All contributions will be very welcome.

fryardds · fryardds's Garage

Kevin,

Here are some shots from a '74 Carrera tail. Notice the difference in the area around the grill as was shown in another photo above also.

Again the corner drain hole and 2 holes for the rubber tie downs. Also notice how on the original ducktail the transition from the metal frame to the fiberglass is smooth with no overlap of metal, yours looks different in the photos you posted.

One very unique feature to an original ducktail is the presence of the small piece of sheet metal, spot welded onto the interior of the frame behind the 2 holes for the rubber tie downs. The screws used to attach the tie down would then have an extra thickness of metal for support. Here is a photo of that and can be felt by running your (little) finger along the inside of the metal frame in that area. Does your tail have this?

KevinP73 · 09-07-2007, 07:39 AM

Bob and Brian, Your obsersavations are correct. The areas you point are the main differences between a real tail and an aftermarket tail.
I have found that the grille recess on 'glass tails varies from one source to another sometimes making the fit of a grille questionable. I like to leave the entire grille opening steel for the consistancy of fit. Plus having steel to mount the grille to only makes it stronger and I like to see the detail of the flange around the opening. I don't think the factory intended for these tails to last forever.
On the underside where Bob circled the area next to the hinge mount is also slightly different. I like to box this area in for a little added strength. I'm a little concerned that the tension from the hood shock on one side will put too much tension on the 'glass to metal joint and it would crack eventually.
I also put a lot of effort into the leading edge where the lid meets the body. I keep this area as detailed as possible to improve the fit and contour of the part.
I am aware that there are differences from a factory part and the way I do one but I'm hoping that the differences are actually improvements.