Possible spoiler swap with Dodge stealth?

[VehiX]

Hi folks -

So I was parked next a a 91-96 Dodge stealth ES and couldn't help but notice the spoiler on the Stealth ES looks amazingly identical to the VX except it's longer front to back. I looked at my VX and the stealth parked next to it from behind and it looks like with a little tweaking, it may be possible to swap the stealth spoiler with the VX for those wanting a differnt look with the spoiler. I'm having a hard time locating good pictures of this particular spoiler so if you have any or no someone with a 91-96 Dodge stealth, check out the spoiler.

Anyway, just throwing it out there is a possible mod for those interested :)

check the pics:

http://www.3sxperformance.com/cars-3sx/eric-stealth-dual-exhaust-1-500.jpg

http://www.highwayone.com/Images/Photos/Dodge/99kaae/99kaae2.jpg

[transio]

Bah! Why stop there? Go for the BIG DAWG!

http://www.stevenmoseley.com/vehicross/New-Wing.jpg

[VehiX]

Seriously though, if you look at the stealth spoiler, it looks just like the VX spoiler except it's slightly larger front to back. It has to be the 91-96 stealth ES model though. I don't think it would look out of place like some big ricey spoiler

[MZ-N10]

well since its not so big i dont really see a point..

[shoota77]

Hmm, i never noticed that. I had a 91 Stealth before the VX and had the spoiler removed because I thought it was fugly. I think the stealth one is a little bit more curvacious than the vx. Good luck if you do it.

[VehiX]

Swapping out a poiler doesn't mean you have to make your car look like a grocery cart by adding some rediculiously huge spoiler that, on most cars, serves no purpose at all (rear down force on a front wheel drive vehicle being one of them).

I guess my thoughts for looking in to this would allow one to be different from other VX'ers by having a spoiler that appears to share the same curvature and look but would hang over the back of the VX a little more then the stock one and maybe even be functional to a certain degree.

I wish I could find a spare stealth spoiler but would really like to see some close up shots to share with you folks so you can invision what I'm talking about. :)

I'll grab my camera on lunch break and takes pics of the one I park next to so you'll have an idea.

I understand some mods aren't for everyone, different strokes for different folks I guess.

I just like to find new ideas for the VX that most out there aren't willing to even consider unless everyone else is doing it or wait for someone else to try/do it first. Like the clear corner miata lights I found were pretty much identical to the VX a while back. Just something different and something simple that is easily affordable to set you aside from the rest of the herd. No one is making anything for the VX as far as mods go aside from a handfull of items, so I thought I'd just throw this out there as another possible mod :)

[MZ-N10]

well the spoiler on teh us vx acutally serves a purpose....it keeps the rain/junk off our rear wind sheild

[VehiX]

I just went out and snapped some pics of both spoilers. Will need to wait til I get home tonight to post them. I also took a real quick messurment and it looks like the posts are about 17 inches apart on both the VX and the stealth. This was by all means not a very accurate measurement as it was starting to rain and I was more focused on getting the pics for now.

As far as covering the back window from rain and snow, the stealth spoiler will stick out towards the back further than the VX. The stealth spoiler also feels to be of better quality than the VX, it feels thicker and heavier, it doesn't feel like plastic.

I'll post the pics tonight and see if I can get closer measurements on both of them. That may not happen til tomorrow though.

I think the pics I just took will give you all a better idea of how identical these two spoilers are :)

I'm sure some modification will be required to actually bolt it up but not much at all. We'll see :confused:

[AnalogVX]

My spoiler looks like crap...all faded. The Stealth spoiler may be an inexpensive replacement. :)

Thanks fot the tip!

[VehiX]

Here's the pics I took of the stealth spoiler today along with some approximate specs.

The stealth spoiler is about 4 ft wide, the VX is slightly shorter. The stealth is about 10 inches in the middle from front to back compared to the VX's approximate 6 inches. The posts are about 16 1/2 - 17 inches apart on both. Both spoilers have 3 posts (mounting). The specs are not exactly accurate but I wanted to get an idea of what we're dealing with here. I would actually need to take them both off and swap them out to see what would need to be done in order to accomplish the swap.

Here's the pics of the car at my work parking lot. It's not mine and it looks like crap :p

Let me know what ya think? :)

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0142.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0142.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0148.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0148.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0149.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0149.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0144.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0144.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0143.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0143.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_01411.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_01411.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0140.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0140.jpg)

[XCross69]

I say go for it, don't think it will look that bad at all!!

[Joe_Black]

As MZ-N10 points out, our spoiler serves a purpose and even though the Stealth looks similar it can't replace the VX's feature. Take a good look at the underside of our spoiler and you'll see what I mean. It really isn't a spoiler at all but serves two important functions. It directs air over the rear glass to keep it relatively clear in the absence of a rear wiper, but more importantly it smoothes the airflow at the most turbulent portion of the body which reduces drag. Lose that spoiler and lose a few miles per gallon.

[VehiX]

As MZ-N10 points out, our spoiler serves a purpose and even though the Stealth looks similar it can't replace the VX's feature. Take a good look at the underside of our spoiler and you'll see what I mean. It really isn't a spoiler at all but serves two important functions. It directs air over the rear glass to keep it relatively clear in the absence of a rear wiper, but more importantly it smoothes the airflow at the most turbulent portion of the body which reduces drag. Lose that spoiler and lose a few miles per gallon.

Due to the almost indetical design, I can't see how it would make much of a difference?

The stealth spoiler is longer front to back and will hang out over the back window about 4 inches past stock. It's also slightly wider so it may hang over the sides of the VX a little. The edges (left and right sides) are more curved towards the front of the vehicle giving a more rounded appearance that I think would complement the curves on the VX rather nicely.

As far as air flow, the underside of the stealth spoiler is pretty much the same as the VX. From what I can see, the shape of the front of the spoiler is what will direct air down over the back window. The front section of both spoilers is pretty much identical. Have you looked closely at the stealth spoiler compared to the VX?


http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0149.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0149.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0143.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0143.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0141.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0141.jpg)

Either way, it's still just another possible mod which is the only reason I'm posting about this. With all the VX's out there that have lift kits, Bigger tires, AC running, roofs racks with full size spares on them, I'm sure some will want to shoot for this mod if it works because, as expensive as gas is these days, not too many VX'ers are really THAT concerned about it :)

[Navigator]

My spoiler looks like crap...all faded. The Stealth spoiler may be an inexpensive replacement. :)

Thanks fot the tip!

You really don't need to replace the spoiler because it's faded, all you need is Mother's Back to Black trim restorer to make ALL the black extereior parts of the VX look like new. The sun fades everything over time, so continuous maintenance with the right products will keep your vx looking like new. $4 @ AutoZone.

[Joe_Black]

Due to the almost indetical design, I can't see how it would make much of a difference?

The stealth spoiler is longer front to back and will hang out over the back window about 4 inches past stock. It's also slightly wider so it may hang over the sides of the VX a little. The edges (left and right sides) are more curved towards the front of the vehicle giving a more rounded appearance that I think would complement the curves on the VX rather nicely.

As far as air flow, the underside of the stealth spoiler is pretty much the same as the VX. From what I can see, the shape of the front of the spoiler is what will direct air down over the back window. The front section of both spoilers is pretty much identical. Have you looked closely at the stealth spoiler compared to the VX?


http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0149.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0149.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0143.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0143.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0141.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0141.jpg)

Either way, it's still just another possible mod which is the only reason I'm posting about this. With all the VX's out there that have lift kits, Bigger tires, AC running, roofs racks with full size spares on them, I'm sure some will want to shoot for this mod if it works because, as expensive as gas is these days, not too many VX'ers are really THAT concerned about it :)

I didn't mean to come off negative towards this, just informative of the possible consequences. Aerodynamics are very subtle and just "looking similar" doesn't guarantee similar results. The aft section of the VX wing is much more aggressive and tailored to the shape of the rear contour, whereas the Stealth's leading edge is designed more for clearance than flow and has no trailing edge camber. The Stealth design is for smoothing the flow for the rear deck which the VX doesn't have. I've got a Stealth and a 3000GT at my office to look at.

It would certainly give the VX a different look and should be pretty cheap to get one as there's usually a good supply of donors at most salvage yards.

[MZ-N10]

i doubt tat a wing would create tat much drag, a roof basket, or a front rack would probably cause more drag then a wing. just look at big rigs, its more important to push air out of the way then it is to smooth it as it leaves the tail of the car.

as Joe_Black said, just cause they look similar doesnt meant tat they are, im not sure if isuzu acutally wind tunneled the vx, but i would assume tat mitsu/dodge would(seeing how the stealth/3000gt was their flagship car). their purpose might not be the same, i would expect the stealth would try to get the air off the rear truck deck to help minimize drag, just look at where the steatlh's wing is mounted, its right behind the window. it would probably make more sense (might not look better or fit) to use a wing off a hatchback, ie civic hatchback.

but to each its own, i personally would go for it since it will give the vx a more agressibe look.

[Raque Thomas]

What about the area where the VX spoiler actually finishes off the ends of the roof racks - that's not going to mate up with the Stealth spoiler, and will look unfinished without a LOT of "fabbing"

[sean_grigoros]

i got a 2001 vx now, but i still like my japenese version spoiler that i got back in 1998 in hong kong, the special spoiler is slightly bigger than the original one, and with color coded, anyone may know if we can get it, please let us know.

[AndyC]

Hey Vehix, That's my buddy's car in your post (blue RT) :) Do you know Eric? His parents live in NH but he's in SC.
Personally I don't think that the banana wing of the Stealth is going to look so hot on our VX's but that's my thoughts. The stealth spoiler has tow much of a curve on it - I think. (That banana wing is different than the VR4 wing)

Andy
VR4
VX
R1
VFR

[VehiX]

Hey Vehix, That's my buddy's car in your post (blue RT) :) Do you know Eric? His parents live in NH but he's in SC.
Personally I don't think that the banana wing of the Stealth is going to look so hot on our VX's but that's my thoughts. The stealth spoiler has tow much of a curve on it - I think. (That banana wing is different than the VR4 wing)

Andy
VR4
VX
R1
VFR

Hi Andy -

No, I do not know Eric :confused:

I just did a google image search to find pics of the stealth spoiler. Huh, small world and quite the coincidence :)

Anyway, as previously stated, I think it's possible to do the swap with a little tweaking, never said it would bolt right up. I won't be able to pursue this project until next summer though due to financial reasons and other things going on. This was just an idea to share with you all. Take it for what it's worth :)

[MZ-N10]

i got a 2001 vx now, but i still like my japenese version spoiler that i got back in 1998 in hong kong, the special spoiler is slightly bigger than the original one, and with color coded, anyone may know if we can get it, please let us know.

the wing will cost about 700usd when i asked last year...

[Francesco Rizzo]

The absolute, most important thing that you need to consider with the design of a spoiler is its looks, because after everything is said and done, that is its most import design purpose. The stealth looking different from the 300GT for example... I mean they look different but are bot two different shells of a mitsubisi car, kinda iranic that is spoiler came from this car with this discussion. I think there's too much credit given for the wrong thing. I mean air flow can be as important as it can be tricky, but it kinda boils down to image despite how useful one can be, eom is not some sort of vacination to rice.
If you want to consider the usefulnes, remember to direct the air down at the rear of the VX. IT's about the air-seperation at the tail: a wide seperation area means you are sort of pulling or "dragging" around this big bubble behind you.. picture a golf ball, that's why it's not smooth. There was a good discussion about roof racks and tires if you want to look into it, should relate. Good luck with the install, I can't wait to see the pics..

[transio]

The absolute, most important thing that you need to consider with the design of a spoiler is its looks, because after everything is said and done, that is its most import design purpose.LOL. :D That's funny, I thought the most important design purpose was aerodynamics - downforce and decrease of turbulance! :p

[Francesco Rizzo]

I eventually wrote that. just take the example and look at a golf ball. That rough skin stirs up the air around it in order to delay the air separation from it's surfce downwind. A spoiler does this with a smoother flow of air because in theory, you can control which end is pointed foward. It's a means to control the airflow vorticies created from friction and form drag so that the air converges better aft of the vehicle. I'm sure they put enfaces into airflow, but the determining factor though is of coarse image of the vehicle...
I just enjoy seeing people mod their cars, and adding personality. I also don't think that a different spoiler will be so adverse to the design that it will change the performance so much.