968 spoiler transplant on 944 : Work in progress
07-23-2006, 10:33 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
968 spoiler transplant on 944 : Work in progress
As a few people have asked I've tried to throw together something to assist people who would like to mount a 968 style rear spoiler on a 944 hatch. While much of what is listed here has been posted in various threads elsewhere, hopefully this will assist with the process. I wrote this off the top of my head but will add pictures and ammend this document as I have time and as is needed. Before proceeding standard words of advice. Do not use any power tools you are not familiar with or experienced using. Always wear protective eyewear. Consult a professional in areas which you are not experienced. I am not responsible if you damage yourself, your home or your car. The comments below are my experience, yours may vary.
Parts you will need:
1. Drill (Drill press preferred)
2. Dremel and/or Bench Grinder
3. 3/4in wide, 1/8in thick, 3feet long metal strip
4. 5mm machine screws
5. 5mm tap and matching drill bit
6. Vise
7. Hammer
8. Locking pliers
9. Snap on FTSM6E for removing rear hatch latches.
10. Philips head screwdriver
11. Standard screwdriver with center carved out for removal/attachment of side trim nuts.
All parts availabe at Home Depot, with the exception of the 5mm tap and bit which you can order from McMaster and the hatch latch bolts require a tripple square tool, Snap on part# FTSM6E
Aside from the gaskets and misc. washers, nuts, etc. there are 4 basic parts to the 968 spoiler, two side trim pieces, a rear center trim piece and the hoop spoiler.
The first piece that is attached is the hoop spoiler. It directly bolts on to existing holes.
The two side trim pieces are a direct bolt on replacement for the side trim pieces on the 944 hatch, with the exception of an additional bolt on the end of the side trim piece (toward the rear). This will require you to drill a single hole in each side of the frame. Its very simple, you line the trim piece up so that the bolts are all lined up with the existing holes and you mark the spot on the frame where the extra hole is needed. You can see from the existing holes in the frame, its doesn't have to be perfect. You will also need to dremel grind off a small edge of the frame on the inside adjacent to the hole you created so that the nut can slide down to the hole. If you look closely this was also done for the holes from the factory and then painted over.
The rear trim piece attaches to the 968 hatch via tabs protuding from the frame. Unfortunately these are absent on the 944 hatch so tabs need to be created. The good news is that there are are 4 holes on the back edge of the frame which correspond to the appropriate position and will serve as attachment points for the homemade tabs.
Draw a line down the middle of metal strip before cutting. This will assist later with drilling holes in the center. Cut metal into 2inch long pieces. Place metal strip into vise as shown. Strike metal with hammer bending to create an approximately 45 degree angle. Reverse position of metal strip in vise. Grip with vise and bend backward. You now should have a slight double bend in your hatch tab. While people have sucessfully created tabs without the second bend, it does make the tab more closely resemble the orientation of the tab on the 968 frame (see figure 1). Position tab on rear of hatch centered over hole. Mark thru hole on tab where hole will need to be drilled. Also mark on tab how much from end needs to be trimmed so that front edge of tab is not touching or pushing on glass. Drill hole in tab on end which will attach to hatch, tap hole to create threads. Loosely attach tab to frame to determine if further trimming from end of tab is needed. Tab should not be touching hatch glass, be sure to grind down end for adequate clearance. Once all four tabs are attached to frame, place rear trim piece on tabs. At this point it will probably be necessary to adjust angles of tabs, ie remove, adjust appropriately and reattach. After satisfactory tab positioning, place the rear trim piece with its gasket attached on the tabs and slide forward into position. Using a pen, place a mark on the tab at the attachment point for the trim piece. Remove tabs, drill, tap hole and re-attach tab. Slide rear trim piece over tabs, attach using newly created hole in tabs and check alignment with front edge of trim piece with glass and sides of rear trim with the adjacent side trim pieces. Insert shims between tabs and trim piece to get proper fit. The gasket on the front edge of rear trim pieces should be even along the surface of the underlying glass and not buckled upward or uneven. Shims are important to ensure trim piece fits properly. It may require several times attaching/removing/reattaching to get it right.
Parts you will need:
1. Drill (Drill press preferred)
2. Dremel and/or Bench Grinder
3. 3/4in wide, 1/8in thick, 3feet long metal strip
4. 5mm machine screws
5. 5mm tap and matching drill bit
6. Vise
7. Hammer
8. Locking pliers
9. Snap on FTSM6E for removing rear hatch latches.
10. Philips head screwdriver
11. Standard screwdriver with center carved out for removal/attachment of side trim nuts.
All parts availabe at Home Depot, with the exception of the 5mm tap and bit which you can order from McMaster and the hatch latch bolts require a tripple square tool, Snap on part# FTSM6E
Aside from the gaskets and misc. washers, nuts, etc. there are 4 basic parts to the 968 spoiler, two side trim pieces, a rear center trim piece and the hoop spoiler.
The first piece that is attached is the hoop spoiler. It directly bolts on to existing holes.
The two side trim pieces are a direct bolt on replacement for the side trim pieces on the 944 hatch, with the exception of an additional bolt on the end of the side trim piece (toward the rear). This will require you to drill a single hole in each side of the frame. Its very simple, you line the trim piece up so that the bolts are all lined up with the existing holes and you mark the spot on the frame where the extra hole is needed. You can see from the existing holes in the frame, its doesn't have to be perfect. You will also need to dremel grind off a small edge of the frame on the inside adjacent to the hole you created so that the nut can slide down to the hole. If you look closely this was also done for the holes from the factory and then painted over.
The rear trim piece attaches to the 968 hatch via tabs protuding from the frame. Unfortunately these are absent on the 944 hatch so tabs need to be created. The good news is that there are are 4 holes on the back edge of the frame which correspond to the appropriate position and will serve as attachment points for the homemade tabs.
Draw a line down the middle of metal strip before cutting. This will assist later with drilling holes in the center. Cut metal into 2inch long pieces. Place metal strip into vise as shown. Strike metal with hammer bending to create an approximately 45 degree angle. Reverse position of metal strip in vise. Grip with vise and bend backward. You now should have a slight double bend in your hatch tab. While people have sucessfully created tabs without the second bend, it does make the tab more closely resemble the orientation of the tab on the 968 frame (see figure 1). Position tab on rear of hatch centered over hole. Mark thru hole on tab where hole will need to be drilled. Also mark on tab how much from end needs to be trimmed so that front edge of tab is not touching or pushing on glass. Drill hole in tab on end which will attach to hatch, tap hole to create threads. Loosely attach tab to frame to determine if further trimming from end of tab is needed. Tab should not be touching hatch glass, be sure to grind down end for adequate clearance. Once all four tabs are attached to frame, place rear trim piece on tabs. At this point it will probably be necessary to adjust angles of tabs, ie remove, adjust appropriately and reattach. After satisfactory tab positioning, place the rear trim piece with its gasket attached on the tabs and slide forward into position. Using a pen, place a mark on the tab at the attachment point for the trim piece. Remove tabs, drill, tap hole and re-attach tab. Slide rear trim piece over tabs, attach using newly created hole in tabs and check alignment with front edge of trim piece with glass and sides of rear trim with the adjacent side trim pieces. Insert shims between tabs and trim piece to get proper fit. The gasket on the front edge of rear trim pieces should be even along the surface of the underlying glass and not buckled upward or uneven. Shims are important to ensure trim piece fits properly. It may require several times attaching/removing/reattaching to get it right.
Last edited by RK951; 03-28-2007 at 09:19 PM.
07-23-2006, 10:59 PM
#2
as cool as this might look or be.. I think spoilers are stupid. unless you go 160+ they do crap but add weight. IMHO, its not worth 300-500$ (or however much you paid for the spoiler) and your time. but it sure as hell looks good.
but seriously, nice work so far
but seriously, nice work so far
03-27-2007, 05:22 AM
#6
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by ubercooper
as cool as this might look or be.. I think spoilers are stupid. unless you go 160+ they do crap but add weight. IMHO, its not worth 300-500$ (or however much you paid for the spoiler) and your time. but it sure as hell looks good.
but seriously, nice work so far
but seriously, nice work so far
As for driving 160+ mph, in some areas, that's more often the norm than the exception.
Great write up, RK951!
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03-27-2007, 05:03 PM
#10
I have one on my '87 951 and its definitely lighter and I sure like the looks better. I'm guessing Porsche must have thought it worked better too, as these came on the '91 S2's and I seriously doubt Porsche went to the expense of designing these just for the "cool" factor.
Regards,
Regards,
03-28-2007, 09:09 PM
#15
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by billthe3
Have you done anything to solve the issue with the key not being able to fit?