Rear Spoilers!

Rear Spoilers!

Author
Discussion

hillclimbmanic

Original Poster:

663 posts

152 months

Tuesday 27th August
quotequote all
Hey Guys!

  • EDIT*
Is it me being retro, or is the 390SE Zender rear spoiler nicer looking than the later one?

I actually place them:

1st: SEAC
2nd: 390SE Zender
3rd: 400SE

Thoughts???



Manic

Edited by hillclimbmanic on Tuesday 27th August 18:17


Edited by hillclimbmanic on Wednesday 28th August 13:33

Wedg1e

26,895 posts

273 months

Tuesday 27th August
quotequote all
There can be only one.




The 390SE's Zender cool



Ignore the Honda in the background whistle

Edited by Wedg1e on Tuesday 27th August 21:16

GreentreeIRL

40 posts

65 months

Tuesday 27th August
quotequote all
Actually the only one I’m. Not a fan of is the zender, but everyone has their preferences - but it’s better than none!

Edited by GreentreeIRL on Wednesday 28th August 07:06

Grady

1,223 posts

268 months

Tuesday 17th September
quotequote all
I like the SE version too! But I've never seen a Zender in person.

matt-man

2,667 posts

227 months

Wednesday 18th September
quotequote all
GreentreeIRL said:
Actually the only one I’m. Not a fan of is the zender, but everyone has their preferences - but it’s better than none!

Edited by GreentreeIRL on Wednesday 28th August 07:06
No spoiler is top choice of spoilers!!

Wedg1e

26,895 posts

273 months

Tuesday 24th September
quotequote all
The Zender was actually lifted from a Mercedes SL of the same era; it's made of a squidgy rubber (rumour has it that TVR made a mould and copied it so some are GRP) and were often left black on the Mercs.

Just coincidence that the width of the boot lid and curvature at the rear edge are similar enough for it to fit.

If you paint one, you have to be careful not to lean on it as the flexing causes the paint to crack.

Hmm, bad form quoting my own post, I know, but out of interest I went rummaging for pictures of the alleged Merc donor and found... nothing.
However, I did turn up a French company with new old stock, and for less money than at least one Ebay joker is asking for a knackered used one.
Interestingly, it wasn't model-specific at all, but sold as a universal fit pattern, which somehow sits better with me biggrin

https://www.classiqueautowerks.fr/product-page/uni...

Edited by Wedg1e on Friday 1st November 23:09

Yatesy350i

999 posts

144 months

Monday 30th September
quotequote all
Wedg1e said:
The Zender was actually lifted from a Mercedes SL of the same era; it's made of a squidgy rubber (rumour has it that TVR made a mould and copied it so some are GRP) and were often left black on the Mercs.

Just coincidence that the width of the boot lid and curvature at the rear edge are similar enough for it to fit.

If you paint one, you have to be careful not to lean on it as the flexing causes the paint to crack.
A mate of mine had a black 350i about 10 years ago, rumoured to be one of Peter W's company cars. It had a rubber Zender on which had been painted. Needless to say it looked terrible, flexing in the sun, people squeezing it.

My favourite Wedge in the world a certain Yellow 400se has a rubber Zender on. If I ever get my hand on the car it will be straight in the bin. Each to their own, or we would all be driving the same cars. But I really don't like the Zender. I like the cars equally with or without the 400se spoiler though.

Never seen many of the original 350i spoilers. Think they were slightly smaller than the 400se?

Also not keen to see SEAC picnic tables on none SEAC's just to trying and upset a few more people :-)

I miss coming on here instead of the FB groups. Too much other non TVR pointless C##p to sift through on FB. But the search facility on here is awful!


Edited by Yatesy350i on Monday 30th September 18:39


Edited by Yatesy350i on Monday 30th September 18:41

hillclimbmanic

Original Poster:

663 posts

152 months

Thursday 3rd October
quotequote all

Ooh!!

Plenty of different opinions, I guess?


Manic

Ultra Sound Guy

28,816 posts

202 months

Thursday 3rd October
quotequote all
I think that I probably know the answer but was any wind-tunnel research done to ascertain…
If a spoiler was actually required?
Which of the 3 (or others) made an improvement?
Did any make things worse?

KKson

3,438 posts

133 months

Thursday 3rd October
quotequote all
I've done some research, and the SEAC spoiler is definitely the best for resting your tools and cup of tea on, and is very sturdy to push against when the Wedge breaks down

Ultra Sound Guy

28,816 posts

202 months

Thursday 3rd October
quotequote all
KKson said:
I've done some research, and the SEAC spoiler is definitely the best for resting your tools and cup of tea on, and is very sturdy to push against when the Wedge breaks down
rofl

Wedg1e

26,895 posts

273 months

Thursday 3rd October
quotequote all
KKson said:
I've done some research, and the SEAC spoiler is definitely the best for resting your tools and cup of tea on, and is very sturdy to push against when the Wedge breaks down
There was a photo from (IIRC) the first wedgefest with a pint of bitter on a white SEAC spoiler.
As I recall it was the car that ended up with Transmitter Man (after I passed up the chance to buy it rolleyes)

Wedg1e

26,895 posts

273 months

Thursday 3rd October
quotequote all
Ultra Sound Guy said:
I think that I probably know the answer but was any wind-tunnel research done to ascertain…
If a spoiler was actually required?
Which of the 3 (or others) made an improvement?
Did any make things worse?
It was the 1980s. It was power-dressing, padded shoulders, red braces and rolled-up jacket sleeves time.
Flared arches, big wings, Carlos Fandangos.

Allegedly the under-wing on the 390SE was added to improve downforce at speed, but was it perhaps just that the Group C Jags of the time used them? Much the same as all the hot hatches nowadays with a rear 'diffuser' that might make a difference if the underside of the car was flat, but probably don't...
What tends to suggest the underwing does the square root of sod-all is how they treated it from the Series 2 390 through the 400SE et all: it isn't even a full wing, just two stubby things behind the tyres - carefully positioned to catch all the road cr@p.
Steve Heath ripped his rear under-wing off on a tyre wall and said it made no difference to anything other than the weight.

Whether the boot-top spoilers made any difference to handling, downforce, performance or the driver's bedroom prospects is all debatable biggrin

Ian
(also in NDT)

Edited by Wedg1e on Thursday 3rd October 13:59

adam quantrill

11,581 posts

250 months

Thursday 3rd October
quotequote all
My rear spoiler adds downforce. Approximately equal to the weight of the spoiler, I think.

Wedg1e

26,895 posts

273 months

Friday 4th October
quotequote all
adam quantrill said:
My rear spoiler adds downforce. Approximately equal to the weight of the spoiler, I think.
hehe

Ultra Sound Guy

28,816 posts

202 months

Friday 4th October
quotequote all
Wedg1e said:
adam quantrill said:
My rear spoiler adds downforce. Approximately equal to the weight of the spoiler, I think.
hehe
rofl

Cerb420James

64 posts

55 months

Thursday 28th November
quotequote all
I have a zender spoiler in my garage if anyone is after one.

Ultra Sound Guy

28,816 posts

202 months

Thursday 28th November
quotequote all
Cerb420James said:
I have a zender spoiler in my garage if anyone is after one.
It would be rude not to ask for a price!?

Cerb420James

64 posts

55 months

Friday 29th November
quotequote all
PM me an offer?

I’m located in Cheltenham / Devon - it would be a collection only jobby.

No idea what it’s worth. I will get some pictures at the weekend.

The fixings are all present and in good condition.

hillclimbmanic

Original Poster:

663 posts

152 months

Yesterday (11:58)
quotequote all
Cerb420James said:
PM me an offer?

I’m located in Cheltenham / Devon - it would be a collection only jobby.

No idea what it’s worth. I will get some pictures at the weekend.

The fixings are all present and in good condition.
Pm'd you!