Wagging Carrera Tail???

[motion]

The tail on my 84 Cab seems to bounce quickly up and down on anything but smooth roads. I'd say the bounce is about 1/4 to 1/2". When I grab the tail and move it with my hands it seems fairly solid. Have any of you noticed this before?

------------------
-Richard
'84 Carrera Cabriolet
'74 911 Widebody 3.6 Project

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Is the base fiberglass?

My fiberglass tail starts "bouncing" (more like oscillating) at around 70mph. From http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_speed_prep/914_speed_prep.htm :

"In a wind tunnel with a simulated maximum speed of approximately 140 M.P.H., total lift went from nearly 400 pounds for a car without aerodynamic aids, down to approximately 40 pounds total lift for a car equipped with "whale tail" and rubber chin spoiler."

I think that's a whole heap of downforce for a piece of flexi-fiber to withstand without deforming.

------------------
blue
'81 SC Targa

[Pillow]

Car Craft did an interesting article on the forces of wind speed on the cars a while back.

Of course dragers like to put thier cars on serious diets and cut away parts of bumpers and stuff... At 140+ MPH this makes a difference. There were pictures of Mustangs and other plastic front cars with all sorts of crumpling issues. Hoods would bow up under the air pressure and bumpers would crumple in at speed.

Very interesting but just shows the force that is exerted on body parts and how they "conform" to the high pressure levels.



------------------
Adrian Pillow
1979 911 SC
1966 VW Microbus
PCA - Peachstate Region

[Eric Coffey]

Motion-

You may want to inspect the base mounting nuts on the underside of the decklid. Also, you may need to screw your latch pin in further for proper fit, and to prevent decklid "bounce". Just some suggestions.

-Eric