Wingin' it

[Skant]

I don't think Corvettes look quite right without a wing. The year models that didn't come with wings just look... well, like it should be there, but it's just missing. So I bought my 96 LT4 with the intention of adding one.

I'm not going for any rice kind of thing. I just want a small wing that matches the vette's natural style.

I've seen them offered on a couple of websites. Anyone have any information on which vendors to choose and such? Any experiences? Pictures of C4 vettes with good styles of wings?

And how is a wing attached anyway?

I would guess that I could have the wing painted seperately to match the body color and then installed.

- Skant

 

[69MyWay]

Skant,

I had a wing on my 85 made for a corvette that I bought from JC whitney at a fraction of the price that the same wing was selling through Ecklers, Mid America, etc. You can get them at Ecklers, Mid America, etc. Go through the Portal on the upper blue tab and you will find a host of vendors.

They bolt through the upper rear deck. YOu install with a large washer on the back side to help spread the pressure even as possible to avoid a tear out, or crack in the upper deck surface.

They are actually rather difficult to install because it is hard as heck to reach up there. On the 84-90 Vettes the rear tail light covers don't come off from the outside like your 96. Just ask anybody here that has every simply changed a rear bulb how difficult it can be, much less drilling holes, and running a washer and nut up there in a blind spot.

Yes, you get it painted then install. That bumps the price up. A basic wing is like $250-$350 then add another $100 for a good quality paint shop to scuff it down, prep it, and shoot it.

 

[6 Shooter]

Skant, my .02 worth

I used to think the same way about putting a spoiler on my Vette, till after I got my it/her and started looking @ side views (late model C4's/ZR-1), I could see/detect a spoiler in the Vette's tail design. Yes, it's slight, but none the less it's there.

If/when you do choose a spoiler, go with 1 that's not huge/bulky. I think smaller one's that don't stick past the Vette's body look better.

I'm not sticking my nose in your business, It's your Vette, what ever makes you happy, Go for it . . .

Later . . . . . .
6 Shooter

 

[Vettelt193]

I would suggest you wait, at least a couple of months, to see what you think of the Vette then... it seems for almost all C4 owners, the style grows on them without a wing...

If you want a wing, Greenwood probably makes the best one, just because it is functional and looks good. Greenwood actually has bars that bolt to the frame of the car, to handle the downforce it creates.... and at least if anyone tells you a wing is rice, you can tell them that your wing is a functional part of your car

 

[kevoinc]

2cents time..............I`ll never bolt any after market body piece or alter my vettes body,i think it is goergeous just the way it is.I think wings are rice how fast would u have 2 be going for any type of downforce to take effect? Plese don`t take offense to this its just my opinion and i realize that everyone likes their vette differant.

 

[Justin_cv87]

a wing on a C4??? ive seen it done, i got a sports car book from 92 and there is a 92 vert with a wing that is low and flat, and it looks great! but the 96 is a bit different on the back, and after seeing 6 Shooters LT4 pic from the side i dont think it would look that good, but its ur vette, do what u think is nice! and its okay if u get a rice wing (IMHO that would look horrible!), just dont put any stickers on it or neon then, u shouldnt rice a vette too much!

 

[Skant]

69MyWay: I hadn't found the portal links before. Thanks! Looks like a lot of great links. Thanks for the info on installation.

6 Shooter: Yeah, I do see the little slight indentation. And no, I'm not out to get some huge wing. And certainly not some huge wing that doesn't actually work.

Vettelt193: It's going to take a month or two before I get the wing anyway. I spent all my spending money on buying the vette, and I'm not gonna dip into my reserves for things I just want. I'm aware of the possibility I might change my mind in that time, but I doubt that I will.

The Greenwood wings look pretty nice. I hadn't realized that most of the wings sold were nonfunctional? I actually do want a functional wing. I have always been a big fan of the handling effects they produce. They fit my driving style nicely.

I notice that Greenwood has two wings. the C4 wing and the C4R wing. Are they both functional wings, do you know? In terms of looks, I would certainly prefer the smaller C4 wing. I think the C4R wing is a bit much.

kevoinc: Many corvette model years came with wings stock. Are all of these 'rice'? Or is it just the notion of _adding_ a wing that you consider rice? I mean, I can see your point in not making any alterations. It's a valid opinion. There's one camp that desires totally stock cars with all matching numbers. And there's another that makes all sorts of radical changes to the cars. I think I'm somewhere inbetween. I've always made some mild alterations to cars I've owned to personalize them to my tastes. And usually for functional reasons.

You'd might be surprised, btw, how much effect a wing can have even at relatively low speeds. Unless it's a really big wing, it's main effect is on the balance of the car rather than traction. They they tend to induce understeer as the speed increases. And my favorite handling arrangement is a car that oversteers a little at low speeds (where you can make use of and control the sliding) and understeers a little at high speeds (where you'd rather have the stability).

Of course, a nonfunctional wing would just be for looks. And that's not what I'm after.

All: I hope I don't bend anyone by the notion of adding a wing. I know there will be different opinions on whether I should or not. But, as a typical strong and independent corvette owner like the rest of you, I'll naturally do it my own way. *smile* I was just looking for information on how to do it properly if I choose to.

- Skant

 

[Skant]

Justin_cv87: No stickers or neon? Well, I certainly agree! Really, I don't want all that kind of stuff. I'm not going for a rice look at all! I want a natural looking wing for my vette. That's it.

The complete list of changes I want to make is pretty short. I want the wing. I want the glass top (which is a stock item, anyway). I want a good stereo (the stock one is kindof icky IMHO). And I want that forced 1st to 4th disable mod.

And that's it. I'm not doing anything else to it. The wing is the most radical change I'm considering making. And I really don't think it's all that radical. At least, not what I'm looking for.

- Skant

 

[Justin_cv87]

the greenwood wing is nice, its the one in the book :cool does it hang off the left and right a bit? thats what makes it look good IMO. Im gona put neon under my vette, and put the switch in the ashtray, so it could be conceld, and so people cant smoke in my vette! so thats a radicall change, but during the day u cant see the neon and at night u cant really see the vette all that good :L

 

[rrubel]

Skant, I don't believe *any* year Vette came with a wing as a stock item, or even as a factory option. Some generations have a small upturned lip at the trailing edge of the rear bumper, but that's not a wing... it's not even really a lip spoiler. Some convertibles had an optional luggage rack; that's about as close as they came to wings.

And no, a wing won't produce any downforce unless you're going w-a-y above legal speeds. That's one reason why cars like the Porsche 911 and the VW Corrado and Beetle Turbo have moveable spoilers - they deploy when speeds are fast enough for them to help. A wing will also lower your top speed because it produces more drag (that really cool wing on the back of a Lambo Countach? Lowers top speed by almost 15 mph).

That said, I have to concur with the Greenwood suggestion. It's the only wing I've seen that I really like; they also have lower body panels that match.
[RICHR]

 

[supernatural400]

Here's a picture of a 96 LT4 rgtop with a greenwood kit that I sold last year

 

[rrubel]

SuperNatural, as a whole that looks like a very nice package. I like the front under-spoiler a lot. Nice shine to the paint, too .
[RICHR]

 

[vms4evr]

Yeah I agree Rich. That whole package on the car Ron had looks good. That is an Greenwood Aero package. The original kit. I also like the complete Motorsports package from Greenwood. I think their C4-R kit goes just a little overboard for my tastes.

Skant, take a look at www.greenwoodvette.com

Ron,
Did you put the aero kit on yourself? I'm really curious how big a pain these kits are to install.

Graham

 

[Mad-Mic]

i'm not too sure i like the greenwood kit or not. i like the sexy lines of a stock bodied C4. i have seen a wing on Double Clutches car (he's a member here) and i sorta like it with the clean look of the undercarriage with out the greenwood kit.

i don't think the wing on his car looks rice but on a honda civic it would. 1 reason only really, cause a corvette is a pretty much factory made race car. with a freeflow intake exhaust system and a few minor mods and tweeks these cars are really fast let alone for some that actually builds motors for their cars then they are turned into GTA cars and not really GT1 cars ( i think thats how it goes for scca?) and on those cars you see the same exact style of wing.

(late model C4's), I could see/detect a spoiler in the Vette's tail design. Yes, it's slight, but none the less it's there.
[/i]

Later . . . . . .
6 Shooter [/B]

these cars handle quite well at high speeds. they suck down in the rear end pretty firm and a noticible ride stability in the front and rear of the car.

i think with side exhaust like ken's that car would really look good! i do like the side exhaust like how bro ken had on his 87. maybe the right body flare like on johnny's car click here for pic of his car it's a more subtle flair and keeps the line of the car. i haven't truely seen a good body kits for a C4 IMO. no disrepect to the guys that run the body kit's

 

[rrubel]

Happy T-day, guys... right about now, this is the *only* wing I want to see on the back of my Vette. Yes, I realize it's not strictly a WING, but it's the best I could do.
[RICHR]

 

[Justin_cv87]

the vette with the greenwood kit is rice! it has the thing under it (the correct term escapes me right now...)!

:L funny pic

 

[supernatural400]

Yeah I agree Rich. That whole package on the car Ron had looks good. That is an Greenwood Aero package. The original kit. I also like the complete Motorsports package from Greenwood. I think their C4-R kit goes just a little overboard for my tastes.

Skant, take a look at www.greenwoodvette.com

Ron,
Did you put the aero kit on yourself? I'm really curious how big a pain these kits are to install.

Graham

I had a local chevy dealer install and paint it for me, they did a pretty good job installation and paint wise. The only thing I did not like about it was the front spoiler. seems it alsways had a rock chip in the very bottom that I always had to repair. It really drops the front end alot

 

[vms4evr]

I had a local chevy dealer install and paint it for me, they did a pretty good job installation and paint wise. The only thing I did not like about it was the front spoiler. seems it alsways had a rock chip in the very bottom that I always had to repair. It really drops the front end alot

Thanks for the info. The air dam on the Motorsports kit doesn't drop as low. I've seen a white ragtop in town with that kit on it and it looked nice. You definetely noticed it...

I couldn't do a really deep air dam as the folks where I work installed speed mountains (they went beyond bumps). I think that LT4 would just come to a dead stop or snap the bumper.

Graham

 

[supernatural400]

I never had a problem with speed bumps, you just have to remember to go slow over them. The aero kits are one of those things you either love them or hate them. After having one I would probably not put another one a car , in fact I had to look a long time to find a Callaway without one

 

[ljbest]

I recently looked at a used 1994 coupe that is for sale. It has a large (and long) Porsche style whale tail. Does anyone know what the implications of removing it are - aside from the holes that need to be filled? I'm also interested in finding out who makes it to determine if there is another style wing that can be bolted on using the same holes.
Thanks,
Larry