Hey all,

I've been putting this off but it just keeps getting worse, and I'm finally gonna cave and try an get a replacement for the rear wing of my '87. It's the same shape as the GTA wing.
I don't know where to get one, I've seen them online made in fiberglass but I need to know if that's a good idea, and if not, if there is a better place to get one.
I would take it off, repaint it and put it back on, but it's seriously gone way off the deep end, and is no longer salvageable.

Any help would be appreciated!

Cheers,
- Atomic

 

As far as I know the only replacements available are fiberglass. Unless you want to track down a good condition original and have it eventually suffer the same fate.

Hopefully someone with experience will comment on fitment and if there are any ones to avoid.

 

Thanks mate! Noted.

 

Go with fiberglass, I'd say look for reviews of the popular ones out there, such as Hawks...etc.

But at this point, finding an original wing is going to be difficult, and honestly, unless your car is kept in a climate controlled garage I don't see an OEM wing lasting at all. I think you'd end up in the same place in just a year or two. The rubber its made of is minimum 32 years old at this point, its drying out, cracking...etc.

Mine is shot, I'm probably going to go with the Hawks one.

If you do, there is a thread with the strut information out there. I kept a copy of the content, but forgot to bookmark the post. So with a fiberglass, you'd probably want one of the weaker strut sets as the glass wings are significantly lighter than the OEM wing.

Though, come to think of it, the struts for a Camaro RS would probably be perfectly fine as the lip spoiler doesn't really add any weight.

 

The regular wing looks better...

 

I had to lol

 

Rear hatch struts that won't launch the glass to outer space - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

 

100 0140
This is a Hawks fiberglass replacement wing ,you almost cant tell unless you knock on it .

 

thank you for showing this. Going to show this to my paint guy to show it can he done

 

Get the fiberglass one, it is well worth it.

 

For anyone that had done the replacement on the 85-87 Trans am what type of black did you go with to keep a stock appearance? ..gloss, satin, etc?

 

I always thought/imagined/seen they matched the color of the car, but don't know that for certain.

 

The 85 and 86(which I own) are black from factory..maybe the 87 too but not sure about that model year

 

85-86 was black / unfinished, but in 87 they changed to body color

 

The black unpainted spoilers were textured as well. So, if you wanted a 100% OEM stock appearance, you would have to use some kind of textured paint or vinyl wrap to duplicate the original pebble grained finish. When they went to body color, they were smooth and glossy like the rest of the car.

 

So a satin type of textured black(for the new reproductions of course)?..I do know my 86 aerowing was definitely not gloss from the factory..never appeared painted either. .I've own it for 25yrs now and I remember when doing the Armor All on the tires the deck spoiler would shine just the same.

 

A satin textured black paint would probably be the best option to replicate the original finish. The stock black unpainted aero wings up until ‘87 had a textured finish similar to the dash. They had a fine pebble grained finish to them. You can get close with textured paint. However, I think you would still be able to tell if you got up real close to it compared to an original non painted wing. Of course, there are no other options unless you can find a mint NOS black wing. I could be wrong, but I think the black wings were just as prone to splitting and cracking as the painted urethane spoilers. From the few black unpainted wings I’ve seen at junkyards in the past, they were all cracked and split in the same places just like the body colored ones.

 

I agree ..if it's original it wont look pretty. Mine has succumbed to the typical cracking and flaking of the rubber. And it's been garaged the last 24 yrs. I've even notice the inner metal structure causing the typical swelling and detachment as it's rusting I guess😞

 

Thought I heard about someone making rubber aero wings just like original-factory these days, maybe 2022. Low-volume passion project type thing, anyone else hear about this? Didn't look too deep when I saw it; my '88 TA is a best-of build, and I think the middle-'80s hockeystick is best with louvers. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Interesting, haven't heard, where did you see this?

 

It was a link on a facebook page to some website that looked like it was designed in 2003. this was a few years ago now, my factory aerowing has crumbled since then.

 

Reviving this post. For an 89 Formula, is the Hawks spoiler ready to paint and mount, or does it need sanding and shaping?

 

Any fiberglass product will require some mild sanding to deal w the mild waves that fiberglass has. Even the really nice stuff will need a small amount of work to make it look good once pained and glossy. If you have a good body person who takes pride in their work and a gloss black car, they're gonna put some time into it!

 

Basically ready for install ,little sanding for paint, comes already primed. Good Luck with your project.