Icons that make up a 911 icon: Part 6
06-25-2010, 01:04 AM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Icons that make up a 911 icon: Part 6
Born and raised in India, spices have always been ubiquitous in my diet. Spices, several types all with one common purpose: Enhance the taste and flavor of every single meal. I always wondered how incomplete my culinary experience would have been had I not been exposed to all this variety of spices so early in life as I was growing up. I then thought about my next 911 icon and the similarities it bore to spices. How boring and incomplete the 911 iterations would be without its next icon. Spices and my next icon have several things in common. Seductive yet soothing, controversial but yet functional and somewhat essential, it boosts flavor and yet this world is so divided into two camps: people who love spices and those who are terrified of it. People who love this icon and those that are absolutely terrified of this body part. Yes my next icon on this series: THE WHALE TAIL and TEA TRAY SPOILERS.
Back in the early 70's German authorities felt that the ducktail rear spoiler posed a risk of pedestrian injury due to it's hard edges. Hence this option was only available on cars outside of Germany. This led to the evolution of a “safer” rear spoiler in the form of the whale tail in 1975 that was made out of a pliable elastomer. There were changes made to the whale tail on the 911 SC one of which included a deeper black flexible part. For 1978 Porsche introduced intercooling to it's street turbochargers and this led to a new rear wing the "tea tray" which made extra room for the air-to-air intercooler. I could go into details re: a difference between a whale tail and a tea tray but that is not what I intend to do for this initial post.
Tails/trays and the Porsche rear: What a perfect combination of sleek curves and aggression. What a sinister flavor it brings to that elegant smooth rear contour. All you 911 owners out there with spoilers give your tail-less fellow RL’ers a divine darshan of the aggressive side of your 911. Remember all the remarks you’ve seen and heard…it detracts from the beauty of the car…it takes away the smooth lines of the car. This is your chance to prove them wrong. Bring on those beautiful pictures of your car proudly wagging its tail. Whether you are a purist or not one thing is for sure. You just cannot ignore this aerodynamic aid. For those who hate spices and to those who can’t stand the look of whale tails, I have one request. Give it a try….you may absolutely love it.
Important tip: For those who want to add the whale tail please be aware that you should also add a front chin rubber extension to balance the aerodynamics.
How to care for your icon: Wash the tail each time you wash your vehicle. You may want to use a boar’s hairbrush to reach every nook and cranny. This allows you to extract all the bonded contaminants out of the pores of the material that could accumulate over time and could contribute to the discoloration of the rubber. Several prosumer product lines like Sonax, 303, Griot’s, Pinnacle or 1Z all carry dedicated rubber/plastic trim cleaners. Once a month deep clean the rubber with a rubber cleaner made by one of the above companies (I am sure there are other good ones) but stay away from the typical products that you would find at the local Autozone or Schuck’s. Once cleaned with a dedicated rubber trim cleaner, apply a quality rubber/plastic dressing/ protectant. I like Griot’s dressing, 3.3 aerospace protectant and 1Z Tiefenpfleger. They provide good UV protection and do not leave a glossy finish. Every three months I usually wipe of previously applied dressing to the trim/rubber parts on my car to prevent layering. The same holds good for these spoilers. Try to park your car in a shaded area as much as possible or perhaps invest in a good car cover if it is parked under the sun everyday, all day long. BOTTOMLINE: DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO SAVE YOUR WHALES.
Wow factor: Whale tail...Very scandalous when it first came out....but to me very ‘80’s Carreric. I sometimes wish that my 911 had a strong visual cue. A darker side to it if you will. And no Ed (Ivangene), I absolutely positively do not have room for another 911 in the garage…I think.
.
Back in the early 70's German authorities felt that the ducktail rear spoiler posed a risk of pedestrian injury due to it's hard edges. Hence this option was only available on cars outside of Germany. This led to the evolution of a “safer” rear spoiler in the form of the whale tail in 1975 that was made out of a pliable elastomer. There were changes made to the whale tail on the 911 SC one of which included a deeper black flexible part. For 1978 Porsche introduced intercooling to it's street turbochargers and this led to a new rear wing the "tea tray" which made extra room for the air-to-air intercooler. I could go into details re: a difference between a whale tail and a tea tray but that is not what I intend to do for this initial post.
Tails/trays and the Porsche rear: What a perfect combination of sleek curves and aggression. What a sinister flavor it brings to that elegant smooth rear contour. All you 911 owners out there with spoilers give your tail-less fellow RL’ers a divine darshan of the aggressive side of your 911. Remember all the remarks you’ve seen and heard…it detracts from the beauty of the car…it takes away the smooth lines of the car. This is your chance to prove them wrong. Bring on those beautiful pictures of your car proudly wagging its tail. Whether you are a purist or not one thing is for sure. You just cannot ignore this aerodynamic aid. For those who hate spices and to those who can’t stand the look of whale tails, I have one request. Give it a try….you may absolutely love it.
Important tip: For those who want to add the whale tail please be aware that you should also add a front chin rubber extension to balance the aerodynamics.
How to care for your icon: Wash the tail each time you wash your vehicle. You may want to use a boar’s hairbrush to reach every nook and cranny. This allows you to extract all the bonded contaminants out of the pores of the material that could accumulate over time and could contribute to the discoloration of the rubber. Several prosumer product lines like Sonax, 303, Griot’s, Pinnacle or 1Z all carry dedicated rubber/plastic trim cleaners. Once a month deep clean the rubber with a rubber cleaner made by one of the above companies (I am sure there are other good ones) but stay away from the typical products that you would find at the local Autozone or Schuck’s. Once cleaned with a dedicated rubber trim cleaner, apply a quality rubber/plastic dressing/ protectant. I like Griot’s dressing, 3.3 aerospace protectant and 1Z Tiefenpfleger. They provide good UV protection and do not leave a glossy finish. Every three months I usually wipe of previously applied dressing to the trim/rubber parts on my car to prevent layering. The same holds good for these spoilers. Try to park your car in a shaded area as much as possible or perhaps invest in a good car cover if it is parked under the sun everyday, all day long. BOTTOMLINE: DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO SAVE YOUR WHALES.
Wow factor: Whale tail...Very scandalous when it first came out....but to me very ‘80’s Carreric. I sometimes wish that my 911 had a strong visual cue. A darker side to it if you will. And no Ed (Ivangene), I absolutely positively do not have room for another 911 in the garage…I think.
.
Last edited by w00tPORSCHE; 06-25-2010 at 02:19 AM.
06-25-2010, 01:11 AM
#2
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Carrera 3.2LG50 and Helios. Thank you for those shots of your beautiful teatray's. Here are a couple more. None of the whale tails responded to my request. C'mon bring it on to this celebration party of our 911 icons.
06-25-2010, 08:03 AM
#4
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Cary, NC
Posts: 284
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
W00t,
You are very welcome... glad to be part of the iconic threads! You used my two favorite pics from the other day... thanks!
I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to pick up a Carrera with or without the whale tail and in the end the Porsche in my mind's eye that I always wanted had the tail on it, so that's what I searched for.
I love my whale tail and to care for it I've been using the 1Z Tiefenpfleger with good results I think.
Keep those Icons coming! How many more do you have planned? 3? 4?
You are very welcome... glad to be part of the iconic threads! You used my two favorite pics from the other day... thanks!
I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to pick up a Carrera with or without the whale tail and in the end the Porsche in my mind's eye that I always wanted had the tail on it, so that's what I searched for.
I love my whale tail and to care for it I've been using the 1Z Tiefenpfleger with good results I think.
Keep those Icons coming! How many more do you have planned? 3? 4?
06-25-2010, 08:35 AM
#5
Hi Amar!
When the Turbo Carrera first came on the scene I was 15 and like every other car fan was absolutely blown away...there was nothing like it. Part of the attraction was - of course - that outrageous rear spoiler.
Fast forward to 2009, when I picked up my Turbo Body, Tea Tray-festooned 911...once I saw it, how could I refuse?
The car has the drag coefficient of a barn door, but who cares? I'm not out to set any land speed records with it. All I know is, it's timeless, classic, and starts conversations wherever it goes.
Amar, your maintenance suggestions are always appreciated. I find Sonus Total Eclipse to be a good rubber cleaner/preservative, and I keep the car under a Weathershield car cover. I never want to see faded, cracked rubber.
Just for fun, here's another pic I like. Thanks for asking me to participate in a series that's sure to go down in RL 911 Section history!
Carrera 3.2, I always enjoy seeing shots of your beautiful car, and I'm glad you're enjoying it. Now all we need is a new poetic post from whalebird extolling the joys of a big honkin' spoiler!
When the Turbo Carrera first came on the scene I was 15 and like every other car fan was absolutely blown away...there was nothing like it. Part of the attraction was - of course - that outrageous rear spoiler.
Fast forward to 2009, when I picked up my Turbo Body, Tea Tray-festooned 911...once I saw it, how could I refuse?
The car has the drag coefficient of a barn door, but who cares? I'm not out to set any land speed records with it. All I know is, it's timeless, classic, and starts conversations wherever it goes.
Amar, your maintenance suggestions are always appreciated. I find Sonus Total Eclipse to be a good rubber cleaner/preservative, and I keep the car under a Weathershield car cover. I never want to see faded, cracked rubber.
Just for fun, here's another pic I like. Thanks for asking me to participate in a series that's sure to go down in RL 911 Section history!
Carrera 3.2, I always enjoy seeing shots of your beautiful car, and I'm glad you're enjoying it. Now all we need is a new poetic post from whalebird extolling the joys of a big honkin' spoiler!
Last edited by Helios59; 12-21-2010 at 12:38 PM.
06-25-2010, 10:30 AM
#7
Race Car
Edgy nailed it. 76/77 turbo tail IS differant than the Carrera tail and quite nice. I do like a Carrera tail on the Targa SC/ carrera cars but prefer a coupe with no tail.
Helios, the turbo tail is sweet on a widebody - did you know there are different "lips" the factory installed?
You have a "shallow" lip. there was another about an inch deeper(taller).
I will ruminate on this a bit. I've been busy and unable to chime into the icons threads as much as I would like, but they do keep me thinking thru the day, and for that I thank you w00t - and they rest of the gang.
Helios, the turbo tail is sweet on a widebody - did you know there are different "lips" the factory installed?
You have a "shallow" lip. there was another about an inch deeper(taller).
I will ruminate on this a bit. I've been busy and unable to chime into the icons threads as much as I would like, but they do keep me thinking thru the day, and for that I thank you w00t - and they rest of the gang.
Trending Topics
06-25-2010, 11:09 AM
#8
06-25-2010, 12:50 PM
#10
Advanced
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The whale, in tea tray form here, is so visually arresting. I especially like how it continues the black trim theme against the Grand Prix white.
Last edited by rfloz; 06-25-2010 at 01:15 PM. Reason: just because
06-25-2010, 01:12 PM
#11
Advanced
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When the whale is combined with the Turbo/Look flares (another future icon?), well, that is pure sex on wheels.
BTW, the tea tray has since been replaced with a duck. Not as visually exciting, but 24 pounds lighter and still, dare I say it, iconic.
BTW, the tea tray has since been replaced with a duck. Not as visually exciting, but 24 pounds lighter and still, dare I say it, iconic.
Last edited by rfloz; 06-25-2010 at 01:13 PM. Reason: Typoo
06-25-2010, 06:46 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
Ok, pedestrians be damned. This is a "tailist" post. I think the anti-Duck tone reeks of tailism, and has no place on this forum.
Or, I can accept this prejudice and dig up some pics of Ruby in her Carrera tail days.
Or, I can accept this prejudice and dig up some pics of Ruby in her Carrera tail days.
