I started at 9:30 this morning and will finish by 5:30 or so. These pics show the use of balsa wood and isophthalic polyester resin with fiberglass to extend the spoiler to actually grab some air. Though it's still too small for real racing purposes, I wanted to have a unique rear spoiler but couldn't find one that was quite right for me. I'm a sculptor/designer/moldmaker, so I went ahead and made my own. =) It didn't turn out too bad for a little bit of work on a Sunday.

First look at design in wood, superglued to OEM spoiler for mounting:


Rear:


It's time to fiberglass it on for strength. I always put resin onto wood first to get the fibers to stick better:


Yep, this will grab some air:


Tape it off because it's going to get messy:


Laying up the fiberglass:


Using loose fibers on the edges so that they are strong as well:


Rough sand (40 grit) so that the bodywork will stick:


Standard bodywork from here:


Several coats of Bondo then primer:


Hours of sanding, sculpting, re-application of small amounts of Bondo, then more priming and red spot putty:


Ready to paint... that's what I'm doing right now!


It's now painted. I'll peel the masking off in about 10 minutes then take some pictures showing the spoiler from different angles:


Close up:


All done! Now, it needs a bath. That will wait for tomorrow:

 

That is amazing work, especially for just an afternoon. Hope to see it around town soon.

 

I sat on my xxx all day! You make me feel pretty worthless right now! Very, very good job! (Especially considering the heat, and only a days time!)

 

Think I like it but I wish it transitioned down on the ends a bit more. Good job!!

 

Impressive work and I don't mean to poo poo it but the asthetics seem a little off for me. The side profile is appropriately aggressive but the strait on rear view seems a little abrupt. I think it would fit the curves of the car better if it tapered more gently to the ends rather than the sudden tuck in.

Mina does one for the x150 that is similar to what I am imagining.
Jaguar XK / XKR Rear Spoiler Upgrade

 

The Mina unit looks pretty cool, too. I wanted my spoiler to interact with the air more, but didn't want it to be so huge that it looked like a whale tail. I think that it will work for now. I can always make changes again if I want to... fun!

 

You make it look so easy

 

Nice job Jeff, I think it looks GREAT!
I might even need to make a trip to Tuscon again, but I'll wait a bit for the tires and differential!
I also saw you new interior Leather and dye job, that really makes a difference .
You are one talented SOB ! LOL
No really you should be proud.

Happy Motoring...

 

Jeff, you certainly have a unique car. The more I look at the picture of your new spoiler, the more I like it! Your car is awesome fast and it looks the part. The new seat covers look great too.
Dude, please do yourself a favor...get some upgraded brakes!!! Just sayin'!!!

Cheers to you and your awesome cat!

Jon

 

I bought some big Brembo brake calipers and rotors. They haven't arrived yet, but I should see them later this week. They'll be reconditioned into bright red.

 

Jeff - who in Tucson did your upholstery installation and would you recommend them? It's getting close to time for me to do the same job.

 

Very neat piece of work.

Graham

 

TucsonTops.com installed the leather seat covers that I got on eBay for less than $600. They were surprised at the low cost and said they charged a lot more to sew up their own. They charged $360 to do the installation. High quality shop. They do all of Falconworks' Jaguar restoration upholstery.

 

Good to know Jeff, many thanks. I'm about a third of the way through a down-to-the-(rusty)-metal restoration of a 260Z (requires two cars) right now as a retirement project. Been looking at seats for that one too. I'll check them out. I was previously looking at Jamis but don't have any recommendations for them.

 

Simple video rotating around spoiler area...

 

@Jeff

How do you achieve symmetry between left and right on these types of projects?

My much smaller project is a dash pod for gauges. The plaster male plug has been sitting on the shelf for a few weeks now for fear of making the wrong move

 

Jeff, +1 on the upcoming brake upgrade! While our stock Jag brakes are adequate, with that massive HP under the bonnet, I'm sure that I'm not the only forum reader that is concerned that your car stops, as well as it goes!

I'm looking forward to future reports on how your car performs after you install your new LSD and other goodies!!!

Cheers!

Jon

 

Wow... I'm just amazed that you did all that while the original was still mounted to your trunk (with sticky tape). Looks like an amazing job you did there! No fitment issues to worry about. Sweet!

 

Nice work!

 

I just measure left to right, up and back a few times along the way to make sure things are balanced.

It's OK to make a minor mistake in symmetry since it is easy to grind cut and adjust. Just jump in and get it done! =) It is pretty easy to modify a part that is out of symmetry with a few cuts/splices and some minor bodywork. You can also use visual trickery such as large rounded corners to keep mistakes from being obvious. For corners, you can always cut a template from a heavy piece of card paper, then pull a bead of Bondo with it to get the overall shape across a distance. You can also add a small amount of fumed silica to the Bondo to modify the putty into a thicker type of goo that is easier to shape prior to curing (it hardens faster, though). You can also make your own putty from scratch using polyester and the fumed silica and microspheres (easy to sand).