Earlier this year on Firebird Nation, I posted a thread asking if anyone had ever modified one of CI's Aerowing repops to get it to fit. Surprisingly, someone from Classic responded to me and asked for me to contact them, which I did. I was told that they realized from feedback that their product had some issues (mine was terribly warped and would have required a lot of modification to make it fit my 86). When I bought it years ago, I did a review on CI's website and blasted how bad the spoiler was. Someone from CI actually called me about it, but nothing came of it. This time I was offered one of the first, new prototype Aerowings that Classic was tooling up to make. Earlier this week, they contacted me to get shipping information and told me one was on the way. They want me check fitment and report back to them how well (or not) the spoiler fits.
I hadn't bought much from Classic since the spoiler, in 2016, but they are trying to make things right, even after all these years. I have to give them props for that.
If there is any interest on how well the spoiler fits, I will post it here once I have it and document the installation. It couldn't come at a better time...I just pulled the rear hatch panel and resealed it.

 

Well yeah we want to see it, and hear how the install went!

 

Did they charge you for it?

 

Mine from classic industries wasn't a perfect fit either. Looks good but actually has a stress crack in it from installation i just haven't wanted to take it off and try to match my paint.

 

I'm interested, and I'd think everyone would be, so please post it up when you can. I'd be surprised, though, if it's anything different than what Hawks, Spohn and Classic have been selling all these years. Just a new batch, maybe.

My original spoiler is still good at 34 years, so I'm not in the immediate market. But the day will come, so I research the replacements, and from everything I've read, I'm NOT looking forward to that day: isn't shaped like OE, doesn't mount like OE, etc. So I'm considering other styles, maybe even no spoiler at all, unless someone finally produces a truly-accurate representation of this one.

Fighting the 3rd brake light should NOT be happening, and no excuses should be allowed. If they made these with an arc to them, then they would fit over the 3rd brake light. The deck is NOT flat, and the OE spoiler is flexible, so it fits over the brake light and can conform to the curvature of the deck. Therefore, a RIGID fiberglass spoiler must be molded with a curvature, not molded flatly.

I haven't seen one in person and cannot confirm that they are flat, so if they are molded with a curvature, then it obviously isn't enough of a curve. But from what I see in photos and forced-fitments, they're flat, not curved.

It's nice that a vendor or two takes an interest in reproducing such parts, but "good enough" just isn't good enough.

 

No, they are not. Told me to keep the old spoiler and do what I want with it. All they ask is that I let them know how the installation goes and how well it fits.

 

I can't speak to Hawks or Spohn's...this is coming directly from CI and a new vendor. I agree with you that if I can't find one that fits as well at OE, I'm going the no spoiler route...
As far as the 3rd brake light, since mine is an 86, I never thought to inquire about a relief to clear the light.

 

Got mine form Hawks. I had to modify the 3rd brake light housing a bit. Overall I am very happy with it so far. Much lighter than the stock one.

 

If your car is an 86, then the 3rd brake light shouldn't be an issue because it shouldn't be down on the deck, it should be up on the top of the hatch. And 82-85 have no 3rd brake light at all. So unless your light has been relocated down to the deck, or your hatch has been swapped for an 87-90 hatch, then you should be ok, as long as the spoiler, itself, fits and looks decent enough.

It's too bad the 3rd brake light couldn't have been integrated INTO the OE spoiler, like 3rdgen Camaros and 4thgens. But the lights were new back then, and GM was still trying to figure out what to do with them. And the spoiler, being a solid piece, installing the light into it probably would've been difficult, if not impossible. But if these fiberglass replacements are hollow, then mounting a 3rd brake light INTO them would seem like a good alternative.

 

Perfect fit or not. Looks much better than a car running around with no spoiler or an incorrect one. Over all I was happy with mine from CI. Wayyy lighter than original also

 

'88 Firebird with Spohn Aerowing, no fitting problems regarding 3th brakelight..
Much lighter than stock, so I had to buy new struts for non spoiler decks...

 

I know this. Hence why I stated "since my car is an 86, I never thought to inquire..."

 

All of the fiberglass aerowing's I've seen have the same problem ... the blades are too thick at the front.

I bought one from Hawk's, but when I compared it to the factory one on the car, the blades were nearly half-again as thick at the front. I ended up selling it.

I wish someone made one that was true to the original.

 

I purchased mine from Hawks and had absolutely no problems whatsoever.

 

Post a pic of the front of the blades

 

 

I know this is over 3 yrs ago but do you happen to remember the exact color/type of black you used?..Yours looks stock appearing..Is there a paint code available for that?

 

Classic Industries is making a pretty bold claim here. Says best fitting ever, molded from factory spoiler.

https://www.classicindustries.com/pr.../12397143.html

 

That spoiler looks like mine. Did they change the blade ends on the newer fiberglass ones to being thicker?

 

I don't know the code ,but it's like a flat,matte type, little shine no reflection

I don't know what you mean by newer,it was installed a awhile back ,so it could be the old look ,I don't know but it's the same as the stock rubber that it replaced

 

"Arriving soon."

Jegs sells the same OER brand, stating that the manufacturer's shipping date is December 2024. Makes sense, because that's typically what "arriving soon" means for Classic. OER's website doesn't say it's not available, but it apparently isn't, and if someone tried to order one, that's when he'd find out.

From what I've read, it's the tips of the side "spears" that haven't been very accurate in the past, and I think that was the point of this particular thread and Classic's claims of being new and improved, except we never got a follow-up.

Factory tips taper down very thin, but most fiberglass repros from the past didn't taper down so much and were thick. Compare mantaguy's to others pictured throughout this thread, and you can see a difference.

My original is still in pretty good shape, but I'm always watching, because as soon as a manufacturer nails it, then I'll buy one. But if nobody nails it by the time I need one, then I might go completely different with Hawk's 4thgen spoiler for 3rdgen. I think its taller height will balance well with the slightly taller ISMA hood. But the factory-style certainly goes well with the ISMA hood too, and it's a good representation of how progressive an 80s factory spoiler was.

 

What I mean by newer are the ones available currently. When I bought mine (Hawks), it was when they first came out. The blades on mine are thinner like yours, not like the newer ones from (Classic Industries) that have been posted which have the thicker end blades.

 

My blades are thicker than my original spoiler. Bought it from CI around 2016ish

 

I have one of the old CI spoiler, and every time I look at the car I can't stand the thing. Nice to know they are "fixing" the issue, but I'll be going with Hawks when its time for replacement.

 

It seems the spoiler from Hawks (pictured below) is closer to the design of the original GM aero wing than the one available from Classic Industries that has the incorrect thicker end blades

 

Since this thread has become active again, it inspired me to phone Classic, so I did, and I just got off the phone with them.

They were ordered in January, but still no ETA. OER makes it, and Classic and OER are sister companies, obviously. As I said in my post above, Jegs shows an ETA of December 2024, but Classic has no idea where that came from because they have nothing to report.

For me, Classic will be my best and probably only option, because I'll be able to pick it up. No truck freight to deal with and no insane freight cost. I'll be able to inspect it before I leave, and I'll be right there to return it if it doesn't pass scrutiny. If I order it from anywhere else, it will have to be truck freight, which sucks, and if I don't like it, then it's another ordeal to return it.

The Classic rep was all about picking it up... someday. For a product like this, that's what people should do who live around the SoCal area.

 

Oh that’s great, I didn’t even realize classic was right there in OC. I’m here in socal too so that would be great if that spoiler is a good fitting product. Ordering the fiberglass spoiler from Hawks is about $1k all together with shipping! If I can avoid that shipping cost that would be amazing and would make it easier to explain to my lady lol

 

I picked up my last one from them. Not sure I can give them another $500 in good conscious (It was $380 then).

Maybe if they gave a discount for purchasers of the prior spoiler.

 

***** Classic and their cheap OER crap.

 

Any news about this spoiler? My aerowing finally began to separate and has a crack now. I need a repro as close to original as possible.