Rob Edwards

I managed to ahem, enlarge a tear in the front spoiler on the GTS. After poking through the archives there doesn't seem to be a definitive answer as to their composition. I have also poked around a number of websites with tables of different thermoset and thermoplastic characteristics, but before I go grinding and melting pieces of the spoiler, I figured I'd ask here. Anyone got an idea?

Some of the ID guides suggest looking for stamped data on the part, but Porsche doesn't seem to be forthcoming with coded information. Here are 2 shots of cast numbers on our spoilers- a part #, the little triangle-P logo on many Porsche parts, and a diamond/trapezoid logo that I assume is a particular OEM suppliers logo. The second pic shows a date code, I'd guess.

One of the ID guides is here: http://www.urethanesupply.com/identify.php

Just going on what's listed there, I'm guessing polyethylene, polypropylene, TPE or TPO. But whatever it was has to have been in automotive use by 1986, so who knows.

Anyway, I picked up a hot air plastic welding rig with a bunch of different types of welding rod, so I will figure out how to do this and report back, just thought I'd ask about material type first in hopes of not having to reinvent that wheel.



Date code (?):

borland

Source.....7 charts at this link....

http://www.betterfarming.com/2007/march/pic1.html

Maybe you can get a donor sample for destructive testing and plastic welding practice.

Mrmerlin

you could also consider using the 2 part urethane bumper repair it sets up in 3 minutes found at the body shop supply store if your careful you can use a caulk gun to squeeze out just enough and not use the mixing tube.
use a piece of sheet metal on the back side with a few rivets then put the epoxy in between the metal and plastic and rivet into place.
NOTE it gets hard in about 40 mins but work time is about 3 mins then sand and use satin or flat black Krylon to paint to match the repair will be stronger than the surrounding area

jthwan22

I throw out the old broken front spoiler. You may want to ask someone to see if they still have the old one laying around.

Jim M.

Several here have used bumper repair places with great success. That is if you don't want to fool with it yourself.

Rob Edwards

Agreed, but that's far too easy. Wouldn't be a hobby if I didn't at least try to DIMyself once in a while.

jcorenman

Uhm, didn't you just snag an almost-virginal front spoiler from a well-known shop down in that neck of the woods?
Please, tell me it's not that one

And how's the oil cooler?

Rob Edwards

Si. The almost virginal one needs a little revirginization surgery, and I figured I could use the now-badly torn one on the GTS for practice. If I fix the bad one, then I've got an almost virginal spare, for when I inevitably trash another one. The oil cooler's fine, I don't have my belly pans on and so the trailing edge of the spoiler droops a bit despite the little S-shaped retainers on the oil cooler. Managed somehow to pull it out of those (and rip it) while backing diagonally over the gutter in my own driveway. D'oh!

I did not tear it at Greg's shop, though every visitor should be forewarned that all of his parking slots have concrete berms that are about 5 feet from the curb- the berms eat a steady diet of spoilers.....

AO

When you park, stop before you hear the crunch!

michaelathome

Melt the cracks and pieces back together



High powered laser powered by a Stark reactor may be required. Please handle with care.

JoeTaylor

Hi Rob,

I went through the same thing about a year ago, here is what I found:

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...good-news.html

Cost me $170 to have it repaired better than new at a plastic bumper repair shop here is Jacksonville. I have caught it a few time since on concrete stops and its never torn it again.

I hope this helps.

Joe

danglerb

Rob, new toy, sounds like workshop time? All the SoCalers converge at your house broken spoilers in hand?

dr bob

Rob--

I added an aluminum support hoop to raise that area where the nose and the belly pans meet. Hardware-store stuff, it does whet those two flimsy ears on the front of the belly pan are supposed to do, plus it's a stiff/strong enough to provide a little protection for the wheelhouse liners. Parking bumpres push up on the nose piece just enough to squeeze and break the front wheelwell liners. Better metal there limits the damage. I made the arms a little shy of an inch shorter than the ones on the belly pan so the rear of the nose piece and the front of the belly pan also sit a little higher.

I have a cardboard temlate to dimension and send to Ed (obehave) for a metal protective plate to put under the nose, attached at the rear to that same bracket/hoop.


Having a lift means I get to spot a lot of casual wear/damage that most never see on their cars. Curse or blessing?

olmann

Anyone know how to decipher the casting date code?

Rob Edwards

I don't have an answer, this is something I've meant to try to decipher. Next time I'm at 928Intl I'll go through the bumper covers and try to make sense of it.