68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

[Brett W.]

Has anyone had this problem?. I'm fixing the front spoiler that was missing when I got the car. I orderd this one from Ecklers for a 68. If you bolt it up to the holes in the fiberglass, it apears to be 2in to short on the ends. The middle fits fine and is centered. Is there a problem with the one I got? I attached two pictures. One with it bolted up and not fitting. And the other unbolted and where I think it should be. Any info would be great.

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Has anyone had this problem?. I'm fixing the front spoiler that was missing when I got the car. I orderd this one from Ecklers for a 68. If you bolt it up to the holes in the fiberglass, it apears to be 2in to short on the ends. The middle fits fine and is centered. Is there a problem with the one I got? I attached two pictures. One with it bolted up and not fitting. And the other unbolted and where I think it should be. Any info would be great.

Brett-----


The photo with the spoiler bolted up is EXACTLY how it should appear when properly installed.

You may find some other minor "irregularities" with the spoiler when you have it fully installed. These may be due to either the spoiler or the fiberglass, itself. This is EXACTLY what you would have found when the cars were new or if one had installed a GM SERVICE spoiler.

By the way, there are some very minor differences between original spoilers and later GM or reproduction pieces. It's absolutely not worth being concerned over, though.

[Paul O.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Brett the reproduction early C3 68-72 spoilers are shaped incorrectly the end turn up to quickly. What I have done is to heat outboard ends of the spoiler with a heat gun. When it becomes ply able enough use a flat surface and try and reshape the end to fit hold it to that shape till it cools. I've done this a few times with success just take your time it may take several adjustments and you can get it to fit correctly. Hope that helps. Paul 18046

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Brett the reproduction early C3 68-72 spoilers are shaped incorrectly the end turn up to quickly. What I have done is to heat outboard ends of the spoiler with a heat gun. When it becomes ply able enough use a flat surface and try and reshape the end to fit hold it to that shape till it cools. I've done this a few times with success just take your time it may take several adjustments and you can get it to fit correctly. Hope that helps. Paul 18046

Paul------


There may be aa slight difference in the TAPER of the end of the spoiler with respect to originals compared to this reproduction. However, as far as LENGTH is concerned, which is what I understood was the issue here, they appear exactly the same to me.

[Jack C.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Make sure if you are having the car judged, use the finest sandpaper you can find and remove the part# if it has one. I believe it is on the right forward, near the end.

[Edward J.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Brett, Welcome To The World Repro C3 Parts, Ive Also Found The Same Problems Before, And The Are A Few Manufactors That Produce These Spoilers, Maybe, A Telephone Call To Ecklers To Try Another One ,or Try Someone Else -maybe Paragon Corvette Parts. That Where I Got One That Fit My 72.

[Brett W.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Thanks for the info. I'll try a little heat on it to make it fit a little bit better. Its hard to tell from the pic, but i can put my fingers in the gap, and can see the part that should be in the groove underneath. I wish it was just a bit longer. The rest fits great, just the ends.

[Jack H.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Hum, it seems the concensus is to call this ground effects part a 'spoiler'... I remember once being 'corrected' by a Chrysler engineer that there's a distinction with the 'spoiler' being the reference to air foils mounted on the top/rear of the car for over-car air flow adjustment and 'spook' being the term used for air foils dealing with under-carriage air flow manipulation.

[Joseph M.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Bret, for your general information, the bolts holding the spoiler on enter from behind the spoiler with the nuts attaching from the front. This seems backward, but thats the way it was installed. I can't see the bolts/nuts on your car so you may already know this.

[Brett W.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Bret, for your general information, the bolts holding the spoiler on enter from behind the spoiler with the nuts attaching from the front. This seems backward, but thats the way it was installed. I can't see the bolts/nuts on your car so you may already know this.

Thanks, i did not know this, and would have put them on wrong.

[Dale C.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Brett
As Joe says the bolts (some) enter from the inside to the outside. Thats partly true, see the AIM 11-13 A2.5, for some are inside out and others outside in, by the book.
Dale

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Hum, it seems the concensus is to call this ground effects part a 'spoiler'... I remember once being 'corrected' by a Chrysler engineer that there's a distinction with the 'spoiler' being the reference to air foils mounted on the top/rear of the car for over-car air flow adjustment and 'spook' being the term used for air foils dealing with under-carriage air flow manipulation.

Jack------

I consider the term "spoiler" in this case to be a term in the vernacular rather then the correct term for the part. I used that term in my responses in that context and in order to avoid confusion with the term used in the original post. The correct terminology for the part in question is EXTENSION.

By the way, there were TWO different extensions used over the 1968-72 period. 1968-69 used GM #3932933 and 70-72 used GM #3974013. The latter piece also became SERVICE for 1968-69 when the 3932933 was discontinued in May, 1970.

As far as I know, the 3974013 is the part being reproduced, correctly or incorrectly.

[Brett W.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

Brett
As Joe says the bolts (some) enter from the inside to the outside. Thats partly true, see the AIM 11-13 A2.5, for some are inside out and others outside in, by the book.
Dale

I checked out the page. You are correct, thanks.

[Terry M.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

I am not sure about the 1968 AIM, but the 1970-1972 AIMs are wrong about the installation of the centermost bolt and nut.

[Brett W.]

Re: 68 Front Spoiler Won't Fit Well

My book shows the two outside bolts going up from the bottom with the nut ontop. And the two that are in the middle area, the bolt comes in from the back and nut is seen from the front of the car. Then the two bolts that hold the bottom of the bumperets (hope I have the term right, i'm still learning) also go through the extention. Just some info for whom might whant to know.