help please to ID this ducktail?

[haycait911]

can anyone id this decklid from the pics? it's one of those things where asking too many questions might give the game away. looks to be a metal frame anyway. thanks much, Don.

[James Brown]

Not 100% but looks like a stock deck lid with a ducktail grafted on.

[haycait911]

that was my thinking.

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by James Brown

Not 100% but looks like a stock deck lid with a ducktail grafted on.

Agree, but oddly done. The lines don't follow the normal ducktail to lid lines.

[haycait911]

to be honest I like the lines on this one more than most I've seen.

[James Brown]

Most of the fiberglass ones don't look right to me. The side angles don't match the fender lines, but that's how they are and everyone likes them. This one looks well made.

[d.a.autry]

Originally Posted by James Brown

Most of the fiberglass ones don't look right to me. The side angles don't match the fender lines, but that's how they are and everyone likes them. This one looks well made.

I was wondering about that. Are we talking especially in the upper corners?

My son purchased a fiber one for a '76 project. I've since taken that over.

When attempting to match the duck before mounting I found the lines didn't meet well at all and had wrote it off to him getting some POS homemade job from ebay. Perhaps I was wrong and should rethink doing some glass work on it to clean up the lines.

Because of this I had pretty much scrapped the idea of using that duck and had moved to the idea of a more period correct whale.

He had also purchased a GT Racing RSR narrow dam (043d). . . so now I wonder if the duck might be one of theirs too (#014). ANYway. . .I don't think the combo he has there looks balanced, so I'm about to entertain thoughts on trading either the tail, or the dam. . . or both??

[Zeke]

It stands to tall and at too much of a forward angle.

[haycait911]

virtually all f/g tails need work ( sometimes a lot! ) to make them fit decently. the top pic shows what I don't like about the f/g tails. where it meets the engine comp edge, it slopes up to form the tail, then slopes down to the bottom of the lid. makes a very thick edge that looks funny against the quarter. the lid in the second pic doesn't have this thick 'wedge' and fits to the quarter much nicer. I don't know or care which is correct, I just know which looks better. also, as a rule the metal grills don't fit the f/g ducks very well, with the one in the second pic, a factory metal grill will fit perfectly.

[N11Porsche]

Milt, I think it appears that way because the Porsche is not sitting level.....that was my first impression, also.

[haycait911]

Bill, I think Milt is right. the back side of the tail is at 90 degrees to the decklid, it should be raked back slightly.

[James Brown]

Wonder if it just an add on piece, never seen one like this.

[haycait911]

it looks like a bonded duck to a stock decklid. I've never seen one either. after looking at a LOT of ducktail picks the angle is no worse than many of the f/g repros. I suspect somone cut up a damaged tail to use the wing section. I think I'll pull the trigger, he doesn't want any more for it than a regular glass duck.

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by d.a.autry

I was wondering about that. Are we talking especially in the upper corners?

My son purchased a fiber one for a '76 project. I've since taken that over.

When attempting to match the duck before mounting I found the lines didn't meet well at all and had wrote it off to him getting some POS homemade job from ebay. Perhaps I was wrong and should rethink doing some glass work on it to clean up the lines.

Because of this I had pretty much scrapped the idea of using that duck and had moved to the idea of a more period correct whale.

He had also purchased a GT Racing RSR narrow dam (043d). . . so now I wonder if the duck might be one of theirs too (#014). ANYway. . .I don't think the combo he has there looks balanced, so I'm about to entertain thoughts on trading either the tail, or the dam. . . or both??

I had to do a lot of work on my GT Racing ducktail. You can see the pictures here:

Ducktail: Prep for Painting, Lots of Pictures

and here: Painting the Ducktail, Part II

[d.a.autry]

Originally Posted by Rot 911

I had to do a lot of work on my GT Racing ducktail. You can see the pictures here:

Ducktail: Prep for Painting, Lots of Pictures

and here: Painting the Ducktail, Part II

Thanks for that!! Great write up on that.

I think I might take another look at that ducktail this weekend. I still think the car will look 'off balance' with the large RSR dam and duck combo though. I'll start a new thread and post pics of how my duck matches up to the body. Maybe I'll get some pointers on whether or not this one is worth a crap.

Thanks Rot!

[Oldporsche]

I have a couple of these. One, the f/g fits worse than the obviously fake one. Due to that, I will probably use the fake one on my current project.

[Fleming]

The Duck tail shape and it's fit to the body came from the Porsche wind tunnel tests..not a product from the design studios. That puffed out shape prior to the stand up tail and the hump just behind the tail were part of the test results. A Function shape.

A staff designer tried to make it look "OK" and blend it into the fender line. It's "need"/design was heavily questioned at the time. So, it was a compromise item, never quite looking "as one" with the rest of the car. Only after it's limited use on the Carrera RS and it's race results did it come into being an "acceptable" add-on. Race development moved on, to the whale tail in quick succession.

The duck tail part came from the race department so fit and finish was ...um "race quality". Remember the RS was only to be made in the low hundreds - not until it hit the main stream did it's production numbers hit a sizable quantity. Had a larger production run been anticipated maybe a better quality part would have been used.

The USA aftermarket mold - starting with the Karrousel supplied part - were pulled from one of the first RS's to came into the states. Most other offerings made since are (shall we say) "modeled' from that vary same source. Good, bad or indifferent, that's what they were.

Race part = inexpensive - looks good from the stands (it may be needed to replace that half of the car by next week.)

If your going to use this blue lid it for it's intended "anti-lift" track duty or high speed driving, ummmm, you know, that other ...thicker .... shape ... was successful .....


Hey, it's your car use what ever pleases your eye.

[haycait911]

thanks fleming and everyone, good thoughts. I pulled the trigger, came on the bus today. pics on my car. fit perfectly ( metal lid ) and the alum grill fit nicely. I know it's not 'correct' but I like the look of it. not so 'heavy' looking on a SWB car.

ps. if nothing else, it gives me some luggage space.

[d.a.autry]

It does look nice.

I've been meaning to post some pics of the POS I have and get thoughts. . .just been tied up with too many other projects. Hopefully weather will break here and I can get those up soon.