Spoiler

What do you call the spoiler attached to the engine compartment lid? Can I assume they were a factory option? Where would one purchase one?

 

Most Dealer's call them 'Aerofoils' and the best place is Ferrari UK, Parts section - Usually come upainted but could be colour coded if ordered as an option from the factory.

Good Luck,

Steve

 

For which model?

 

I own a 78 GTS and was considering the addition of an aerofoil, what do you think? It has the euro front spoiler, it is blk on blk.

 

The 'Aerofoils' were an option on the later 308s,
and not found on the early carb cars.
IMHO they add drag, and distract from the classic lines of this beauty of a car.

But thats just my opinion...

 

No, not quite. The aerofoil creates a slight negative pressure zone at the top of the back glass. This causes hot air from the engine compartment to move from the engine compartment to the back deck area where it can get carried away with the other air in flow. The aerofoil is there for cooling! not for downforce!

 

Hey Mitch, where do I say they were for downforce?

 

I had a carb 308 GTS, and preferred the clean lines of no rear spoiler....I'd leave it alone.

 

In a technical sense you are correct, you did not use the word downforce.

Was I improper when I intuited downforce from your use of the word drag?

 

The "aerofoils" do add drag in two components.

First, they add parasitic drag due to the fact that the airflow over the airfoils creates a surface friction force. Any object exposed to airflow has parasitic drag.

Second, they create induced drag, which is the element of total drag created by the production of lift (downforce is lift). By reducing the pressure above the engine compartment to draw out the hot air produced by the engine, the aerofoil is essentially creating lift above the rear portion of the car becuase the pressure above the engine bay is being reduced. This causes drag.

I would image, however, the the overall effect of the aerofoils is positive. The amount of drag created is probably marginal, while the benefit to engine cooling is probably very noticeable.

 

'Aerofoils'??? When I first joined this forum, I remember someone calling them 'Basket Handles'.....