Peppered rear wings

[pfreeman]

After covering 3000 miles in my newly acquired 7 my rear wings look at though they have had a severe peppering with a shotgun.(The area between the edge of the carbon rear wing protector, and the edge of the wing itself up to the height of the protector).

 

I'm sure this an age old problem that someone will have found a fantastic solution to.... or should I just get them repainted every month !

[Jules Martin]

Paul, me too, - it's quite depressing, what with the discoloured carbon fibre silencer as well.

What's the answer ?

Jules

[David Jackson]

Belive it or not , a proven method is to us 100 micron adhesive backed transparent cellulose film .(Blue Peter talk for heavy duty sticky back plastic). Available from art/ craft shops .

Just renew it twice per year . :-)

[pfreeman]

David, thanks for your suggestion, I'll try and get some now. Anyone know of a shop selling this in central London ?

[Rob Morris]

Problem sorted - Contact a company called 3M via you local motor factors, they sell a product called abrasion resistant film "helicopter tape" within the industry. This tape only comes in two sizes for the public and has a low tack adhesive backing. once applied and cut to shape attack with hair dryer for film to harden off. This tape has been fitted to my rear wings for three years, looks smart and has yet to be penetrated by a stone. P.S. its about £20 a roll and one roll will do about 3 rear wings. This is the same tape as used on the rear wings of 911 Porkies. If required I could look up the exact reference number for the product.

[John Richens]

Have you tried Agent Provocateur in Pont Street Chelsea ?

[Charles E-H]

Rob,

Good Tip. Does the Helicopter Tape go over the existing c/f wing protectors, or on the wings instead of protectors? Do you know a web site selling the stuff?

Regards,

 

Charles Eaton-Hennah

 

 

 

[Rob Morris]

I've drilled off the stone guards and now fit them using "4mm stainless steels button headed cap screws and nyloc nuts. This allows me to replace them quickly when damaged and the screw heads look just like the rivets. The film is used around the edges of the existing guards, however, you could use it in place. My only reservation with this is the chance of a direct strike from large jagged rocks! The film comes in 100mm wide tape, I place one strip acros the top of the wing and have developed the shape of a second piece to go down the side following the many angles of the wing. This is not as hard as you may imagine. Start with thin paper and trim to fit trying to smooth out any wrinkles. Next use the paper template to cut your film, peel the back and stick away. Bear in mind that the film is far more flexable than your original piece of paper. If in doubt, come and see my work and the finished effect at this wekend sprint meeting. P.S. in the car park the 40th Anniversary. GOOD LUCK!!, its worth the effort to be stone proof.

[pfreeman]

Thanks for all the replies,

 

I like the idea of having the wing protectors removable and will try this solution once the car is back from Caterham after its service. I'm still not having much luck finding this helicopter tape though !!

 

[Aidan Parte]

Demon Tweeks should do it.

[pfreeman]

I managed to find it with Demon Tweeks at £10.90 per metre !! (4 inches wide)

 

I bought 2 metres so I hope I don't make too many mistakes.

[Marius]

That explains why Porsche 911 are so expensive, it´s the tape on the rear arches...

[Rob Morris]

If your thoughts on the cost of a 911 are correct, then the average Robin Hood should cost a bl**dy fortune

[V7 SLR]

I've found the best way to keep your wings looking nice is to occasionally crash them off. This weekend both my wings were scrapped at Bruntingthorpe along with my rear ali panel. All will be replaced with new shiney ones... as well as a new de Dion tube.

 

sad.gif

[Richard Ince]

Paul, I have not checked my R500 wings but I had the same problem on my Ferrari. Check out the following web site. www.armourfend.com

 

When my 360 hit the wall at the Nurburgring(Not me driving!!) the glass on the headlights that had Armourfend did not crack. Even though the front end was totally wiped out. Give me a call if you need a local contact.

 

PS I have never had any problem with juddering brakes. Did you have a large master cylinder fitted to your R500?

 

Regards

 

Richard

[pfreeman]

Cheers Richard, If you have a local contact, that would be great.

 

I did buy a couple of metres of the helicopter tape but I can't get it to bend in the multitude of directions needed to fit around the rear wings!

 

Cheers,

Paul.

[Richard Ince]

(01787) 882372 Chris Keeble

 

 

[pfreeman]

Yes I've got the larger race master cylinder, and I got Hyperion to measure the discs and they are within tolerances, although one thing that was strange was that the pads were fairly glazed but with one area that was not !? - Strange.

[Rob Morris]

Nigel, V7 SLR, Confess what have you gone and done to the SLR! and to think that we are both Angels

[V7 SLR]

OK, well at a track day at Bruntingthorpe...

 

The scene:

 

A sharpe right hander leads onto the long straight, about a 1/2 a mile, punctuated half way down by a 25 degree left "kink". At the end a wide right hander taken flat in 4th (of a 6 speeder).

 

The occasion:

 

I come out of the sharpe right hander onto the straight to see a tin-top on the far left accelerating slowly (as do all tin tops - I think it was a Skyline or something). Another Caterhamn was in the middle of the field about to overtake him, and with my vastly superior acceleration I was going to go round him. Remember this was an airfield and was VERY wide.

 

As I was about to pull level with the other Caterham, the tin top pulled over to the right, presumably to widen his line for the apex of the left hand kink, forcing the Caterham to pull over towards me. I ended up on the grass at 110mph... held my foot hard on the accelerator, trying to ride it out, but failed. I spun backwards across the circuit and hit the shrink-pack tyres backwards.

 

No-one hurt, and no other car involved. I limped back to the pits and invsetigated.... shredded driver's side wing, alloy boot panel dented and punctured, and the other wing had come off. Now this was a plus point. Anyone not sure whether to bolt their rear wings on with the Caterham-supplied metal bolts, or to source some plastic ones.. take my advice. Go for the plastic! The passenger side wing's bolts all sheered causing no damage to either the wing or the alloy panel... it was simply a pity that the other side was so damaged a whole new panel was required anyway.

 

Oh yes. I bent the de Dion too.

 

£1600. Not half what my mind conjured up before I got to show Len.

 

Couldn't blame anyone else. The Caterham driver hadn't seen me so it was undoubtably my fault, although he thought it was his fault because he hadn't seen me. Nah, I'm just glad I hadn't taken anyone else out.

 

Edited by - V7 SLR on 25 May 2000 20:33:55