Rain gutter mod/Photoshop antics
 

In the tradition of Hot Rodders worldwide, I've been fiddling with a picture of my car in Photoshop 6.0. I know a lot of show cars have the engine bays cleaned up by hiding the wiring looms and all, but has anyone ever toyed with the idea of slicing the rain gutters/seams off a 911?

http://www.members.optushome.com.au/.../nogutters.jpg

Porsche did and they called it the 996! :D How does it look? I don't know if I like the look as much as the "Seamed/Stock" version. What do you think?

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT going to do this to my car!

Hey Adam,

I've seen it done to a few cars and sometimes it looks good and sometimes it doesnt. And I dont know why that is. :)

But when it looks good it looks really good.

Its a fair amount of work I reckon to get it done right. Which is a damm fine reason in itself to do it :)

Alex.

Sweethttp://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/happy.gif

RUF has been doing it for decades. I still can't believe Porsche kept that until 1998.

Ruf Yellow Birds have this treatment.
http://www.ruf-automobile.de/html/picture_911_ctr.html
-Chris

Adam,

Weird! I was sitting behind a tappety SC today (I couldn't resist!) at a McDonald's drive-thru, and I looked at the rain gutters and wondered what our pre-996 911s would look like without 'em.

I did what you did to that whale tail-less image of the '76, but in my mind; I came to this conclusion:

They'd look cleaner and more modern. Your doctored image confirms it for me!

The only problem is that the decklid gaps line up with the gutters, so you'd lose that famous tapered look when viewed from behind.


Matt Holcomb
1974 911 Carrera 2.7 Euro<a href="http://www.holscope.com/74Carrera2.7" TARGET="_blank"></a>
1975 Mercedes-Benz 280SE
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Looks good. But aren't they there to stop water pouring on you when you get out of the car in the rain? Not very important on Ruf Yellowbird, more so on a daily driver. Is it a problem on the new cars?

NO! :D
You're car is a great, original, brightly coloured 2.7. There won't be many left like yours in the years to come - like, in the UK, loads of 2.7s have been altered in some way to look like SCs (i.e. flares), 964s, etc.
Your's looks great, don't change a thing you can't easily change back....
:)

Exactly what I was thinking.
From an ID (Industrial Design) standpoint, the gutters are beautifully incorporated and help the over-all look.
From Aeronautical Engineering standpoint, they shouldn't be there. --esp at 140+mph.
From a pragmatist standpoint, (read: your GF/SO/Wife getting in the car in the rain) you spent how much time. . ? . . .to do WHAT?

There is a thread on this a while back. worth finding if your seriously considering the modification.
EDIT "DISCLAIMER: I am NOT going to do this to my car!" . . .oh, right. got it now.:o

Nice if you don't need to drive in the rain.
Used to have a Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo, no rain gutters on that so it looked (distinctive ;) ) a clean shape, like this one

[URL=http://www.sportiva.co.uk/r638ddl.htm]

However the rain on the roof would "bead up" on the shiny roof , when you attempt to get out it would roll off the roof onto the seat base or the crotch of your pants depending how quick you got out. Usually there would still be a puddle on the seat awaiting your return. ;)

I really like the look without the rain gutters. Really gives the car a nice clean look. As an aside, even some of the earlier cars came from factory with the rain gutters only on the windshield ' door pillars in the form of a Targa.

I'm an Industrial Designer, and I'm not at all sure I agree with that statement, Island. Are you, by any chance, a mechanical engineer? ;)

I was just looking at a picture of the first generation 911 GT1 (the one with the 993 headlights), and asking myself 'why does the greenhouse look so good?' Besides the obvious (it's lower, never hurts the look...), it has no raingutters!

Hmm, potential future modification?....

I've seen a few with that mod on cars at Pomona a few times over the years.

I think it looks pretty cool. Really clean, it doesn't immediately jump out at you that something is missing, but it looks nice.

The 959 didn't have the rain gutters.

I'm surprised at the poll result...
 

Guys,

FWIW, I actually prefer the guttered look. I like the lip, and to echo what Matt Holcomb says, they complete the tapered look. Rainwater problems, as rob911 says, can be embarassing, but not a big deal if it's not a daily driver.

I'd never do it to mine, even though it's hardly a daily driver, I'd not want to upset the beautiful paintwork, but I'd love to see a sample of a properly done job.

I had expected the results of this poll to be heavily tilted toward stock.

Saffs,

I'm not going to touch it! :D

LOL
Yes Dave, ya caught me. I am a mechanical engineer, by day. But At Night (and some weekends) I become "ID guy." :eek: heh heh.
I know, perish the thought. I've even heard some rumors of some ID guys changing to ME's instantaneously, that must hurt!. . .must be *just* a rumor :rolleyes: ;)

So do you think the gutters can be more beautifully incorporated; or do you question whether they help the look?

Note the 993 targa even has the break-line running continuously from the A-pillar to the engine lid.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate...3targaline.jpg

Jim, the 959? I think the ID guys got one day for design input; with the instructions: "edges verboten!"

Island, I think it is the evil drug called 'Pro-E' that does it. ID guys touch it, and they fall into the bottomless ME pit forever. And from there, they all whistfully call out to the sunny ID world, forever...

Hey, at least we're not marketing types :rolleyes:

This is really interesting to me, again, I've always loved the look of the 993 targa, never could quite put my finger on it. Without the rain gutters, the car looks like it has more 'tumblehome', looks a little lighter on top. Really cleans things up, especially since the rain gutters abruptly stop above the engine lid, really drawing your eye to the line, rather than the beautiful form of the c-pillar/ rear fender.

Interesting idea - I had never actually thought about this but now seeing a picture I have to admit it does look appealing.

This has got to be one heck of a job though to do it right.