[BullittMagnum1796]

OK, so EVERYONE doesn't like the idea that this women and her husband defaced their Bullitt with a spoiler (earlier posting), but what performance gains would there be (if any) from a spoiler. I'm not talking about the ugly thing that comes with the GT but maybe a Steeda race wing or something. Just curious. Only reply if you have factual information not more comments on what poor taste that would be. This is a technical question! Thanks.

 

[tlatoani]

Some downforce at higher speeds would keep you on the ground...but also cause a bit of drag to slow you down (slightly).

 

[rsom1]

I have no hard factual numbers, but from my understanding, spoilers only detract from the perfomance of your car until you reach high enough speeds for the spoiler to cause downforce at a greater proportion than drag. In other words, until you make enough speed, usually in the over 125mph range, you have more drag from your spoiler than downforce.

just my 2 cts w/o getting in to esthetics.

 

[mystang99]

please, PLEASE let me make another Bullitt/spoiler crack?
please?
oh allright then, i'm not an engineer but i believe that at normal(for us)speeds, true
"ground effects"/under chassis types of downforce would be JUST as effective(if not more so) than a wing on our trunk.
i'd love to hear what an engineer could tell us too!

_________________
mystang99
(Marty)
2001 Bullitt DHG #648

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: mystang99 on 2001-08-17 15:11 ]</font>

 

[Vrooom#3440]

The problem with most rear spoilers is that are trying to work in turbulent air. This is not where wings work best. Then you have the basic tradeoff of generally whatever you get in downforce you pay for with increased drag.



As to required speed... well I read some research years ago that found that the whale tail on the back of the Porsche started to kick in significant downforce at *only* 35 MPH. Of course that was a fairly significant wing. So what happens for a Bullitt will depend on many factors, the main ones being how big the wing is and how clean the airflow is around the wing.



You would probably need something like the Plymouth Super Bird high rise wing except for with a larger wing chord to get much affect.

 

[krankiekat]

Personally I don't like spoilers, and now with just about every run of the mill car having one standard or offered or put on after market I think spoilers in general cheapen the look of most cars. I had the chance to buy from a family member a 1988 Porsche Carrera in mint shape with 10,000 miles on it but because it had a giant spoiler on it I declined..I had been looking at and considering the Mustang GT for the past 2 years after I sold my last 2 Corvettes but the spoiler was always the turn off to me. It was the absence of the spoiler on the Bullitt when I heard about it and saw it that really made me want it more, and I did ultimately end up buying one.

Frankie Bullitt # 2726 from Montvale,NJ

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: krankiekat on 2001-08-17 20:21 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: krankiekat on 2001-08-17 20:21 ]</font>

 

[BullittMagnum1796]

mystang99 thanks for showing soooo much willpower and sticking to facts, I do not want to put a spoiler on my Bullitt. Just wanted to know why someone might do it. Sounds like it really doesn't do anything for a street car.

 

[BullittMagnum1796]

mystang99 thanks for showing soooo much willpower and sticking to facts, I do not want to put a spoiler on my Bullitt. Just wanted to know why someone might do it. Sounds like it really doesn't do anything for a street car.

 

[TXBullitt]

Yeah, that Superbird wing was a true work of the aerodynamic engineer's art. Any other older members remember seeing the photo with 4 members of the pit crew sitting on the wing on Richard Petty's car? Even the rear spoiler on the orginal Mach 1 and Boss cars was fully adjustable for down force. That's something the shopping cart handle on the new cars can't claim. They're strictly form over function.

 

[texasbullitt]

i still say to each there own... as a previous boss 302 owner i can tell u at street speeds no matter how u asjusted the rear spoiler all it did was look cool...did nothing..over 125 u could feel it push the rear of the car down comapred to no spolier at all///

 

[Vrooom#3440]

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On 2001-08-17 20:10, 1NastyFordGT wrote:
I was reading up on the Lamboghini Diablo and the article said a rear wing actually slowed the car down 10mph from top speed!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: 1NastyFordGT on 2001-08-17 20:13 ]</font>
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This was exactly the tradeoff I was talking about. You only have so much energy available and is you use some for downforce then it is no longer available to spend on speed. In other words the creation of lift by a wing also creates drag. Technically this is referred to as "induced drag" or drag due to lift.

 

[Blakwing]

The spoiler at the rear of the Mustang has no real benfit at all to the car. The porsche spoiler was effective because it was designed around and into the aerodynamics of the car itself and not just an add on. It was also quite a substantial bit of real estate on the back of that car that would raise/lower at speed. As for our 'Stangs, I remember reading that the wing on a mustang doesn't delver any real performance gains to the car in handling or even become an issue until well into the triple digits. And even then the aerodynamics of the car itself are adequate to handle the downforce issue. Further.. the GT spoiler is designed more for show than go so it's really a no brainer. If you like the way it looks. Put it on. If you're looking for performance and high speed handling.. your money would be better spent elsewhere.
As for me.. well I love the look without it so I'm a happy camper without one.