I will now be purchasing my third front spoiler in 4 yrs. for my 67. LOL!(lucky for me the repops are pretty cheap)
I have always installed the three metal braces. My car is lowered and after some time scraping dips and driveways it cracks where the bracket bolts to spoiler.

I just did a search and found that some members recommend leaving the braces off. Did another search and found the front spoiler actually helps down the track. I took mine off last month to go down the track. I will be making another run this friday.

My question do you folks think it is okay to run the front spoiler without the braces down the track?

Thanks, Ray

(this is a repop spoiler and car has run 119MPH last run)

I have never had any braces on my front spoiler and its done fine...I've heard of the cracking just like you're talking about,and your right they are cheap!

I have the set of metal brackets for the spoiler(it's really an air dam, the spoiler is out back on the trunk lid) sitting on the shelf in the shop. What I have on the car is black flexible tubing that looks like the metal ones; gives a "little" more support and "looks" like a complete installation.

Hi Ray - there was a study from back in the day that took a 1st gen and compared no spoilers to just a front and to a front and rear. At high speeds, just a front spoiler hugged the road better than no spoilers at all (greater front end down force) and adding the rear to the mix along with the front was about like having no spoilers at all (rear canceled out gains from the front). A rear by itself created front end lift at higher speeds...

Long story sorry, but for the 1/4 mile I'm thinking you'll gain stability at high speed but wouldn't expect any real time or speed gains coming from the front spoiler.

As for not using the braces, I think higher speeds you would want them but for bumping the spoiler around leave them off or you run the risk of damaging the lower section of the front fender where they attach. I've always run all 3 on mine and this last summer I finally hit a curb stone. Lucky I hit it straight on, cracked the spoiler and seperated it from the center brace. Had I done that off center and the spoiler not given I would have had body damage... With the center mounting to the subframe cross member the spoiler was the weak link...

I dont use the braces. Never had a problem.

I used the braces on my first front air dam and it cracked it on both ends near the top. Now on my second air dam I am not using the braces and it seems to work fine, but my car doesn't go 120 either.

Never used braces either, never a problem.

But of course it does not look correct without the braces, i'd like to add them so it looks somewhat like a factory/dealer install.

Without the braces on my car the spoiler would fold in at the finish line.. The one on the car has broke and the next one will have the braces on it... I am running 141mph through the traps though..

Thanks Guys! Yeah my main concern was if I would cause damage to the lower valance or if spoiler would break off at trap speeds without braces.

Good info! I will try it without braces (thanks for the heads up fattirecamaro)

Dennis just reading about your vert hitting a curb made me cringe LOL!! Luckily no body damage. By the way Dennis a little off subject but do you know what evre happened to Jonathan Duke? After 2yrs to complete my car I emailed him with some pics (Got brake kit from him) and he is no longer at touring classics.

Come to think of it a whole bunch of guys are no longer there when I tried to contact them:

Udharold @ lunati
Ted L. @ afr heads
Mike Pell @ 5 speed transmissions
etc....

well hopefully they moved on to bigger and better things.

Ray

Ray - I haven't heard from Jonathan but did speak to his partner Noel who said it was just a business decision and he and Jonathan remain friends.

I'm real careful about curb stones with a lowered car but this one took me by surprise. Typically they are just a foot or two from the sidewalk curb. This one was about four feet from the curb. OUCH!! Glad repro spoilers are inexpensive, I really do need to replace mine now...