BA Rear Spoiler

[RedLineResident]

Does any1 have a hardtop with an aftermarket rear spoiler? I was wandering what it looks like and if its worth getting.

Normally I don't like cars with rear spoilers and don't particularly want one but after the latest drive realized that I may need one. The back gets a bit floaty when you get up to a descent speed and I don't enjoy hard breaking when the back feels nervous. To make the matter a bit clearer my latest drive tool place in the hills where the roads are bumpy and rough and corners are very frequent with varrying slopes. Normally it feels stable and great but in open sweeping corners the back feels very nervous, specially under hard breaking on approach.

Whats the best way to go? I'd love to see photos of spoilers on BA Hardtops so I can make up my mind on whether to get one.

[mrpayner]

Spoilers on cars like ours are for cosmetic purposes only.. You wouldn't be doing much [if anything] for the aerodynamics..

Having said that there's not really that much available for the hardtop.. you could customise a WRX wing like Mr Rupewrecht did, but i'd go for something original..

[boostedbatman]

A spoiler wont help you with cornering
Get your suspension done right.
Options include
Swaybars, strut braces, Springs and dampers, then you could always replace all the tired old rubber bushes with poly ones. then theres swaybar endlinks and the possibility oof coilovers (not for everyone, for most people its an un-necessary expense, but pillowball tops will help some more)
And get good rubber under those rims with correct pressures and you will see that its not the car that suffers on corners, afterall the BA was designed and tested in the wind tunnel, it will handle better than you can imagine

[Hebz]

Hehe - I would sell you mine if you are interested, I just bought a new one so I don't need it anymore.

But like the guys said - It won't provide any downforce, its not designed for it :p Purely for looks and adding a tiny bit more dead weight.

Wings are for planes :p :p

Heb

[skitz]

afterall the BA was designed and tested in the wind tunnel, it will handle better than you can imagine

hmmm this comment got me kinda interested would love to hear more about this....

sorry to change the topic .... i seem to be good at that though;)

cheers

[RedLineResident]

The cornering is beautiful once you enter the corner and power thru but the approach is the nervous part. Under Breaking the back feels weightless.

I believe that I ahve found the casue however. The rear and front pads don't appear to be the same therefore the back must not be slowing down as well throwin everything out of wack. Gonna have to look into that. Whats a good pair of pads to get? I'll replace em all round.

[Dogo]

Suspension upgrades will make a big difference in cornering and handling.

Whiteline may a rear swaybar for the BA that is very popular.

And some stiffer shocks and shorter springs will keep it very stable on the road.

[skitz]

Suspension upgrades will make a big difference in cornering and handling.

Whiteline may a rear swaybar for the BA that is very popular.


i just put one of those on my car and ya u can tell its there hahah

[RedLineResident]

I looked at the whiteline catalogue and the rear heavy duty 20mm sway bar has a exclamation mark next to it. When clicking on it the little window comes up saying replacement part. That confused me a bit so I assumed that there is a factory equivalent already installed. Could someone please clear this up for me.

As for the springs Ive got an order of whiteline lows coming in someime soon hopefully and im keeping the stock struts because they are fairly firm as it is.

[Rupewrecht]

yep, BA has a factory rear sway bar, so the Whiteline one just bolts in place.

A spoiler will make a difference above 90kph, but not around low speed stuff. I did notice a difference on the highway with the modified WRX spoiler i used to have on the car.

[RedLineResident]

See im talking 160 - 170 kinda territory. Thats when it feels nervous. I know that it does nothing around town. My old man has the 96 626 hatch and the spoiler on that makes it planted on the highway.

What your saying with the sway bar is that a whiteline is a different one but will replace due to the fact that the BAs comes with one as stock. I assumed that it was an equilavant of the whiteline's swaybar.

[Rupewrecht]

No, the whiteline one is a few mm thicker that the stock ones.

If you're talking about those sort of speeds, then yes a wing will help. We all assumed you were talking legal speeds :p

[skitz]

hmm maybe he is after a spoiler .....

as my car feel solid as in the ass at up to 190 it boops around a lil to much but it feels way smoother than other cars i have driven at like 160 even but i got stock shocks etc atm and they arnt the worlds best condition hahahahaah

dan..... poke poke hahahahahhaha

[RedLineResident]

Like i keep sayin, it feels fine all the way till hard breaking. Thats when it gets a bit light. The hill rds around Adelaide are not the smoothest and it copes with that fine but under breaks the bumps will upset the back and sometimes throw it around a fair bit in some instances causing oversteer and powerslides. All pretty controlable but the passengers absolutelly s*#$ themselves.

[KittyKatSmack]

I've been reading this thread, and I have to say that the speeds you are all talking about is not only illegal, but dangerous.

I know that one AGT member got caught driving rather stupidly and fast, and he's lucky to have a license.

I would hate to see any of our members doing the same thing that this one stupid member had done.

Also, it's dangerous. I would hate to see ANYONE in an accident because they were driving beyond their own limits or the car's limits.

If you are going to talk about speeding on a public forum, could we maybe emphasize that this is on a track and not on open roads.

I'm sure you all know that AstinaGT, and the mods/admins, do not advocate driving dangerously, and it will not be encouraged on this forum.

[/end soapbox]

On a personal note: I have not seen many wings on cars that I actually like.
I posted a thread up about a silly mistake I made which now see's Stinky without a wing, and it looks much better without it.
Viva La Difference!!
:D

[skitz]

dude quick question .....

what the hell are u doing at those speeds heavy breaking..... sounds a lil risky hahahahah unless kitty is right and it is on a track ...

ow and kitty common gee its not like i do it every day ... u know that ... those speeds in which i was refering too were from after i bought the car seeing what it could do... after i got my ticket i am now a full on granny driver hahahaa i cant afford to risk it

[RedLineResident]

Granny driver is deffinatelly the way to be. Not worth risking it. Occasionaly its nice to find a stretch of deserted rd stupid time of night and get somewhat of an adrenalin rush then back to granny driving 5 mins later. Keeps the petrol head within satisfied and prevent stupidity on publically occupied roads.

[skitz]

Granny driver is deffinatelly the way to be. Not worth risking it. Occasionaly its nice to find a stretch of deserted rd stupid time of night and get somewhat of an adrenalin rush then back to granny driving 5 mins later. Keeps the petrol head within satisfied and prevent stupidity on publically occupied roads.

hahaha i cant even do that anymore sob sob hahahaha watch out for roos though at night man ....

[RedLineResident]

I no im told they are everywhere. I personally haven't seen one yet but koalas possums and foxes I find to be pretty common and also rather stupid.

[Rupewrecht]

I would have thought you've got to worry more about a random church jumping out in front of you :p

[RedLineResident]

hahahah. Smooth, i like that one.

[project.r.racing]

any FWD car doing heavy breaking at 160-170 will lift the rear end since there is not much weight in the back. original front soft springs and shocks are squating and the rear end is lifting up. harder aftermarket suspensions will stop this process.

i'd be investing into suspension goodies 1st before wasting money on a wing.

also - save it for the track. doesn't matter where you are and what time. one of those possums could run under your front wheels causing your car to bump, which will cause a spin at 170kph. then you die!!! do it the safe way, get a competition license and to some test n tunes, motorkhanas or sprints.

ryan

[KittyKatSmack]

ow and kitty common gee its not like i do it every day ... u know that ... those speeds in which i was refering too were from after i bought the car seeing what it could do... after i got my ticket i am now a full on granny driver hahahaa i cant afford to risk it

Stupid is as stupid does...
In my opinion, you should have had your license taken off you completely, but as I said, it is only my humble opinion.

[pr1mo]

apparently (on the hatch) the mazdaspeed tie fighter wing actually lifts the back end of the car placing more weight on the front end. dont ask me if this is a good thing or a bad thing but thats the word on the street.