Carbon Fiber Spoiler Install

[purpleRac3r]

I finally had time & decent weather to install my new spoiler. As with the splitter, I chose C7 Carbon’s GTX piece in exposed carbon fiber. The color & weave is a perfect match for the factory exposed carbon fiber roof panel. Finish was again excellent, but fit needed a little help, as I will explain shortly. Note the removal of the fascia is also necessary for anyone wishing to swap Stingray taillights for Z06 parts, and vice versa. The install is a lot more involved than the splitter, so I apologize for the lengthy post in advance. Here goes….


First collect your tools and prepare a large work area. Tools include 7mm or 9/32” socket, 10mm socket, T15 Torx socket, 6” socket extension, ratchet or similar, long needle nose pliers, a small flat screwdriver or similar and various plastic no-mar trim removal tools. You may also want a roll or two of painter’s tape to help protect from scratches. I also collected a pile of soft towels and a large thick blanket. If you have access to a factory service manual, familiarize yourself with the steps before beginning the actual work, or watch some of the YouTube videos that are out. As I must do my Stingray projects in the driveway (my small garage is filled with my ’74 Stingray) my work space ended up in the spare bedroom indoors, so I cleared the floor. Keep in mind, the rear fascia is a very large, awkward item that needs some care while moving and handling. You’ll also need a holding area for the several trim parts that must be removed. The manual calls for two or even three people to remove the fascia, but with a little careful planning one person can do the job. It can also be done without raising the car or removing the rear wheels, with a little creative thinking in the tool department.


Okay, first disassembly step is to remove the interior trim across the rear of the cargo area. The main trim panel covering the subwoofer just pops off, though you’ll need to remove the cargo net hooks to do so (they’re basically plastic wing nuts). The second piece is at the lip of the rear fascia, and it too pops off. There are several clips that need to be pushed down with a small flat tool to release. Once off, you’ll see (12) T15 Torx screws, remove them. Now, look down at the hatch/trunk latch. You’ll see a metal cable that comes in from the passenger side of the mounting bracket, which needs to be removed. Use the needle nose pliers to push in the two retaining tabs, and pull the sleeve loose from the bracket. This gives enough slack in the cable to slip the “Z” shaped end out of the latch. You now need to push the entire cable through the rear bulkhead at the cone-shaped grommet. I found it easiest to just push the grommet out.




Next, remove the plastic rear splash guards at the wheel openings. Each is held on with one 7mm screw and several clips. While under the car taking the screws out, there are several more along the fascia’s leading edge to remove, (10) in all including the splash guard screws. While at the wheel openings, there are a couple of T15 Torx screws holding the fuzzy liner to the rear fascia, which need to be removed. The manual states there are two on each side, but there were actually three on the passenger side, and two on the driver side on my car. Switching to the 10mm socket and extension, look into the exhaust tip area. There are two bolts between the tips and the top of the bezel that need to come out. Now for a step the manual makes no mention of: there is a small plastic push pin on the bottom of the fascia on each side that needs to be popped out. You can only see it by lifting the black lower fascia away from the body color piece at the point where the three screws are close to each other (red star in photo below). The pin holds the lower corner of the fascia in alignment for all the screws to more easily install and helps with panel fitment. You’ll want to save them for reuse, or replace them if you break them.


The last trim items to remove are the bezels around the taillights. They just clip on in (12) places along the perimeter. I used a pair of trim removal tools to work the tabs loose. Take your time. These are a bit tough to get loose as there’s not a lot of flex in the fascia and bezel materials, but patience will get them off with no damage. Once off, look into the area between each light and the outer edge of the fascia. You’ll see a single T15 Torx screw on each side to remove. The fascia is now ready to come off, but take a quick break.




Lay the heavy blanket on the floor of your work area across the rear of the car. Tuck a towel in between the exhaust tips and the bezel or tape the bezel inner surface to prevent scratching. Look into the taillight spaces, and you’ll see 3 big orange plastic clips on each side. These are all that holds the fascia to the car at this point. Here’s where the helper is recommended. With one person on each side, pull the fascia straight back to pop the clips loose (they stay on the car). It may seem like damage is eminent, but have faith! If you are doing this by yourself, you’ll need to prop the bottom corners of the fascia up; I used some foam blocks and several soft towels. Pop one side loose, use some stiff wire to hold it up then pop the other side loose. I used my body to help hold the fascia up while unplugging the wire harnesses. There’s two: the main is just to the passenger side of center and clipped to the brace, the second is smaller, lower down and further to the passenger side. Also double check to make sure the latch cable is free from the rear bulkhead. Slower pull the fascia away from the car, watchful of the ends so they don’t scratch the fenders and of the metal tabs in the exhaust bezel to avoid scratches there. Set the fascia down in your work area such that you can access the back side, and avoid scratching the paint.


The hard part is done! To celebrate, feel free to partake of your favorite beverage, and look at the naked rear of your car. You’ll likely not see it again.





For those who have a factory Z51 or Z06 spoiler, the next step is to remove it from the fascia. For those installing a spoiler onto a base car, you’ll need to follow the spoiler’s instructions for marking & drilling mounting holes. To remove the factory spoiler, I first removed the taillights for easier access to the spoiler nuts. Four 7mm screws hold each light on, as well as a single wire harness connection. The (9) spoiler nuts are silver-colored and 10mm. You’ll need a deep wall socket or box wrench for them, as a short socket isn’t quite long enough. Now, the spoiler also has some adhesive tape holding it to the fascia. I used a pair of trim tools to work the tape apart. This will require some effort – the tape is tough! Also take care not to scratch the paint. There’s a double row of tape to each side of the CHMSL, and a single row on top of it. Once free, pull the factory spoiler off and set aside for storage or sale. Use Goo Gone or similar to remove the tape residue from the fascia and CHMSL.




Test fit your new spoiler. Some will fit perfectly and match the stock mounting holes; others may need a little massaging. I had to elongate the outermost holes in the fascia for best fit using a rat-tail file. Some spoilers may have new adhesive tape applied – I had to install some on my piece. I followed the factory pattern using 3M trim tape (be sure to use black not gray!). I also tossed the supplied zinc-plated hardware and used stainless steel, as I really don’t like rust on my fasteners. Just starting the bolts, I double checked the fit and alignment, pulled the strips from the adhesive tape and tightened the bolts down, starting in the center and working out toward each end. Spoiler On!


Reinstall the taillights, get your helper and remount the fascia to the car. Be cautious with the metal tabs that go into the exhaust area – they can catch on the pipes and get bent up, especially on cars with NPP. NOTE: don’t forget to reconnect the wire harnesses and feed the latch cable through the bulkhead BEFORE you snap the orange plastic clips back in place! Also, there are a couple of thin alignment tabs on the fascia ends – make sure they properly seat, or the body lines will never match. Reinstall all the exterior hardware and trims, installing the screws hidden by the taillight bezels before the bezels of course. Slip the latch cable end into place BEFORE snapping the retainer back into the bracket, and make sure the grommet has seated completely. Reinstall the (12) screws across the top of the spoiler, followed by the interior trim panels. The spoiler install is now complete!


Take a few minutes to detail the rear of the car (it will collect a LOT of fingerprints!), and put all of your tools away. Now stand back and admire the sweet new look of your Corvette! Go show it off to your buddies to make them jealous, but be sure to tell them as many horror stories as you can about the install, so they don’t ask you to do their spoiler install….




This install isn’t for the faint of heart, but neither is it really all that complicated. It needs just basic hand tools, and a lot of patience and planning. Overall, it took me about 8-1/2 hours, but I was working by myself, taking pictures, and had to spread it out over several evenings. Overall, I rate the C7 Carbon pieces at about 94%, primarily due to crappy hardware and the minor misalignment of the spoiler bolts. I really enjoy the look of the carbon fiber pieces – they compliment my car perfectly, without going over the top as some can. Hope this helps some of you on your project. Enjoy!

[REVVIC]

Congratulations for a long job well done! The carbon fiber spoiler is a perfect complement to the paint color.