[arocars]

Installing a ZL1 1LE style high rise wing on a convertible SS.

Kinds of wings:
Stock LT Lip Spoiler
Stock SS Stanchion Spoiler
1LE High Rise Spoiler
Wicker Bill Spoiler

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The OEM SS spoiler stanchions 2.25” on the ends and 1.44” in the middle.
The after-market SS spoiler is 1.69” on the ends and 1.37” in the middle.

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The 2016-2018 SS coupe vs SS convertible:

The shark fin (XM/Onstar) for the coupe is on the roof and on the trunk lid for the convertible.

The back-up camera is on the trunk lid for the convertible and on the spoiler for the coupe.

For the coupe, the antenna is in the rear window. For the convertible, the antenna is in the spoiler.

On the convertible, the two outside stanchions are wider than they on the coupe because there is a fourth hole on both sides for the antenna wire to go through.

GM made the 1LE high wing spoiler for the coupe, not the convertible. The coupe spoiler will not cover the extra hole.

GM bulletin 17-NA-310. "The ZL1 1LE high wing rear spoiler uses the same mounting holes as vehicles equipped with a stanchion spoiler. Installation of the ZL1 1LE high wing rear spoiler requires internal reinforcement to the deck lid due to the down-force the high wing provides. 2018 Camaro deck lids are produced with the internal reinforcement. Addition of the ZL1 1LE high wing spoiler may cause the deck lid to buckle on a 2016/2017 Camaro unless the deck lid is replaced with a 2018 reinforced deck lid."

I wonder if a wider "washer" on the underside of the deck lid to disperse the pressure would work as an internal reinforcement.

Someone said that if the ZL1 1LE high wing is installed, the customer should be strongly encouraged to purchase the ZL1 1LE front splitter as well, as the extra downforce will be needed on the front end of the vehicle for handling.

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I wanted to install ZL1 1LE high rise rear wing spoiler on my convertible because I thought it would look cool. There were two big issues with this. Everywhere I looked, I read that the high rise spoiler would not fit the convertible. If I bought it, and it didn’t fit, I wasn’t going to be able to return it. The second issue was that I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. By the time I figured out whether or not I liked it, I would’ve already installed it and I wouldn’t be able to return it. So, unless I liked it and unless I could make it work with the convertible, this had the potential be a big waste of time and money.

I first looked at OEM high wing spoilers. In general, I thought they were way too expensive for a piece of plastic. I then looked at aftermarket spoilers. They ran the gamut from cheesy to fancy and from cheap to expensive. I wanted something that looked just like the OEM wing and I wanted it unpainted, because if it worked, I would paint it to match the car (black).

I chose an Extreme Online Sports high rise rear wing spoiler because it looked like the OEM wing and because the ratings were good. I wrote to EOS and specifically asked them if the wing fit the convertible. They said it would not. I asked them why not, but they never responded. After doing a metric ton of online research, I concluded that the wing will physically bolt up and clear the top mechanism, but the antenna holes would not be covered by the stanchions. … I decided to plow ahead. I lucked out because by the time I finished my research, EOS was shipping the wing for free. (A savings of $100.) The wing arrived and it was well packaged. It comes in pieces. The wing, the stanchions, the winglets, and the hardware.

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Steps to remove the stock SS spoiler:
Remove the plastic push pins to remove the inner trunk lid panel.
The SS spoiler is held to the trunk by three stanchions. Each stanchion is held in place by two 10mm nuts.
The outside stanchions have a stationary plastic pin. Probably to help line the spoiler up at the factory.
The outside stanchions also have two additional holes for the antenna wire. The antenna holes are 9/16” in diameter.
Unclip the wire from the two signal boosters.
Remove the six nuts.
Wedge some towels or the equivalent between the spoiler and the trunk lid to put some upward pressure on the spoiler and to keep the spoiler bolts from scratching the trunk lid.
Use fishing line between the stanchion and the lid and using a sawing motion, cut through the OEM gasket.
Once you’re completely through all of the gaskets, don’t try to yank the spoiler out, gently pull up from one side of the spoiler, then the center stanchion, then the other end. Once you’re certain all three stanchions are free, remove the spoiler.
Use Goof Off or Wax and Grease remover to remove any remaining gasket material from the trunk lid.

Install the Tall Spoiler.
Verify the top will work with the spoiler installed. In my case, the convertible top operated just fine. Clearing the spoiler by about 3/4”.
Verify the 4th holes are outside the stanchion base. In my case, the 4th holes are only partially covered by the outside stanchions.
Remove the Tall Spoiler.
Sand and spray paint the spoiler as needed.
I put the OEM SS spoiler in the box the high rise spoiler came in.

Dealing with the 4th holes.
Get a couple of ribbed plastic push pins to cover the 4th holes. Sand the top of the grommet to flatten it out a bit. I used some RTV silicon on the bottom of the heads of the push pins as an extra precaution against water leaks.
The bottoms of the 1LE outside stanchions can be sanded a little bit to clear the plastic push pins better. I did not do this. I didn’t think it needed to be done.
Make a gasket to go between the trunk lid and the stanchions to seal it against water leaks into the trunk. You can use double sided stick tape, cut rubber gasket material, or use black RTV silicon. I used the silicon.
Other ideas I’ve seen on the internet include making a custom carbon fiber cover plate and welding the fourth holes closed, and then repainting the trunk lid. I did not want to paint the trunk lid because it would never have the same “orange peel” look as the rest of the car.
Someone suggested buying a 2016-2018 SS coupe trunk lid and using that instead of the convertible one. I saw two problems with that. Loss of the backup camera and the repainted trunk lid wouldn’t look the same as the rest of the car.

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Dealing with the antenna.
There are 2 antennas about 18-24" long inside the spoiler. You can unhook and removed the antennas from the spoiler by sliding them out of each side of the spoiler. Once removed, reconnect the two antennas leads. Wrap both antennas in 1/4" foam rubber, cross them in the middle behind the trunk latch, and then zip tie them together. Make sure they won't rattle or touch anything metal. Once they are secure, reinstall the trunk lid lining.

In the alternative, leave the antennas in the spoiler and purchase new ones. Then install as above.

I chose to go without the radio antennas. In my opinion, the OEM radio gets terrible reception, so I never used it. I used my phone for music and connected it through Bluetooth.

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Overall:
The install went well. The black ribbed plastic push pins that I used in the antenna holes were only partially visible. Maybe 3/8th of an inch. The pins were black and trunk lid was black. I doubt most people even saw them.

I did not install any kind of reinforcement in the trunk lid. I did not have a problem with trunk lid warpage. I never did paint the spoiler. I left it flat black because I was too lazy to take it back off again. I never installed the winglets. I wasn’t sure that I really liked them, so I left them in the box. I never re-installed the inner trunk lid panel. I stored it with the original spoiler.

The wing had mixed reviews. I liked it, but some people didn’t like it at all. I didn’t notice any real difference driving the car fast or slow. I did notice that fewer drivers were compelled to try to provoke a race.

I had the wing on the car for over a year with no issues. The car cover still fit fine. The RTV silicon worked great. I never had any water leaks even though I washed the car with a portable pressure washer. I have decided to sell the car, so I took the high rise wing off and put the OEM SS wing back on. Once again, I used RTV silicone. I reconnected the antennas and reinstalled the inner trunk panel. You’d never know it was off.

[ariZona28]

After all of that verbiage we're treated to one strip mall snap-shot photo. Cmon man, show off your handiwork!

[Chevelle vs Camaro]

Originally Posted by ariZona28

After all of that verbiage we're treated to one strip mall snap-shot photo. Cmon man, show off your handiwork!

Lol….. you read my mind.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CanadianVetZL1]

I feel used...........and dirty

[MADFOXES]

Never been a fan of those high wing spoilers on street cars....kinda looks like the old Super birds or some of the ricers running around here in Phoenix....Nah

[Chrome383Z]

Originally Posted by MADFOXES

Never been a fan of those high wing spoilers on street cars....kinda looks like the old Super birds or some of the ricers running around here in Phoenix....Nah

I’m not either. I keep hoping the aftermarket comes out with a shorter zl1 1LE wing similar to the supposed z28 prototype or whatever it was. I’d buy that in a heartbeat.