84-89 Carrera Coupe - rear spoiler question
 

I am a newbie who is looking to buy my first porsche. I want a Carrera Coupe and have looked at several - a couple of '84s, an '86, etc.

I don't want one with a rear spoiler. I happen to prefer the lines of the car without the spoiler. Can these be removed? Easily? Or should I just limit my search to cars that don't have them?

Thanks!

I'm looking for my first Porsche too (so don't buy my '87-89 Silver Coupe that I know is out there somewhere!) :D

From what I understand, you have two options if you want to remove the tail:

• Buy a new decklid and swap it out completely with the old decklid/tail.
• Remove the tail from the original decklid, fill in the holes where it attached and repaint it.

I'm kinda torn between the whole tail/no tail thing.
Sometimes it seems like the tail overwhelms the car, then I'll see one with a tail that looks just perfect.

I was of the same opinion when I began my search. I wound up buying one with a rear spoiler. This decision was made easier because: 1) There is an oil cooler in the rear wing (thus functional, not just for looks); 2) The car develops a significant amount of lift in the rear while at speed without the rear spoiler (the functional thing again); 3) A deck lid without a spoiler is cheaper than one with so it should not be too hard to swap with someone if you want to; 4) The spoiler looks much more subdued in darker colored cars (black); and 5) You can rest a beer on it when looking at it in the garage. :burnout:

Here's a pic of my '85.

thats the AC condensor....not an oil cooler...the oil cooler is in the front fender....if Im not mistaken...

by the way....if you buy one with the rear spoiler and want to remove it....let me know how much you want for your front spoiler as you should not run the front without the rear....if high speed handling is a concern....the front works in tandem with the rear.

Actually, you're both mistaken. The A/C condenser is mounted on the underside of the deck lid, not in the spoiler. You'll have it regardless of whether there's a spoiler or not. The spoiler serves no other purpose but to reduce the lift at high speed.

[shameless plug]

'84 Euro Carrera, non-sunroof coupe, with factory trans oil cooler for sale. $19k 82k miles. Venetian blue/black.

http://www.tonygarcia.org/911carrera/DSC00928.JPG

Thanks to everyone for the info and comments.

I agree that the tails look best on the darker bodies - that's a nice looking '85.

I bought an '87 coupe with rear / front spoiler combination and had the rear spoiler removed ... have a clean regular decklid instead (without Carrera inscription) and kept the front spoiler. Love the looks ... but it's really a matter of taste. I sometimes see coupes with the rear spoiler and find them amazing.

My advice: Don't limit yourself to non-spoiler cars. It's easy enough to swap.

The car has a beautiful, clean look without the tail. I really loved mine without the tail. On the track, though, I longed for the stability at speed I knew the tail would bring so I added it.

The morning I installed it in my garage, I took it for a quick shakedown, and literally had people screaming "nice car" as I passed by- that hadn't happened in the year I owned my car previously!That's the effect of a whale tail...kinda like the effect a woman notices when she dyes her hair blonde!

no way.. I'd say more like breast augmentation ... :)

:thumbup: Nice!

Excellent topic, as I am too in the market for a mid 80's P-car, except I love the whale tail and for that reason am leaning towards a Turbo Look model to be used predominiately at the track. But as my learning curve goes up, maybe I'll just add the spoilers if I find a car without them. Thanks guys.

Believe it or not, I thought the narrow-bodied cars were too "over the top" with the Carrera tails on them, and my wife insisted on either buying one with a tail or adding one! (Am I a lucky man or what? :)) Actually, she also insisted earlier on that I stop looking at boring Porsche (i.e. her take on the 944's I was originally contemplating) and only look at 911s! (sniff! sniff! It's a happy cry! ha ha ha)

I just got mine back from the body shop having the ducktail and rear bumper painted(after bumperette delete)...I prefer the ducktail to any other tail ever made....but that is just my opinion