subarashi

Alright you guys...your long awaited wait has paid off. Big ups to all my fellow E60 members for help with this topic!

Equipment needed:

1. Two people [to accurately line up the spoiler]
2. Painters 3M Masking Tape [any gardware store, $4.00]
3. 3M Molding/Trim Tape for Cars [approx $10.00 at Autozone]
4. Silicone Adhesive [comes with spoiler]
5. Patience!

Estimated Time:

Variable for prep work but usually no more than fifteen to twenty minutes for total install

Spoiler Details:

I bought my ACS Replica Spoiler from Delsa Motorsports on eBay http://stores.ebay.com/DELSA-MOTORSPORTS-INTERNATIONAL.
The service and delivery were excellent. The spoiler was pre-painted to factory paint code for Orient Blue Metallic. Alex is the sales rep there
and if there are enough folk interested, we could get a group buy going!

This install covers only the ROOF spoiler. I will post the Tail Spoiler once I get that done...

Initial Package:


the spoilers came in one box and were packed very well




Unpacked, Spoilers side by side [roof spoiler is on top, tail on the lower side]

Installation Steps:

1. Take the Roof Spoiler to the car and actually play with the fit manually. You will need to leave a 3-5mm gap from the top of the
roof so that the rubber strip on the rear windscreen is visible. The spoiler has a little curve to it but this may not perfectly fit your
glass so make sure you identify your problem areas where the curve is not perfect to the glass;

2. Using masking tape, fix the spoiler to the glass by using vertical bands. This will allow you to adjust the spoiler up n down, left
and right until you get it just right. Then, VERY IMPORTANT, make a vertical line down the tape from one end to the other. Cut the
tape flush with the spoiler so that there is a piece of tape that continues to stick to it. This will allow you to re-align the spoiler to the
car in the position you had it when you have it glued/mounted and ready to roll. The original instructions reccomend making marks
on the spoiler and the roof, something I did not want to do....

3. The instruction manual reccomends using just silicone adhesive but I decided to be double-safe. Use 3M Molding Tape liberally in
the center of the spoiler from end to end. If nothing else, this is a good backup adhesive. Then, use the silicone adhesive in the grooves
around the perimeter of the spoiler... I did not sand or roughen the undersurface of the spoiler as was reccomended. This is a plastic
on glass surface install and I didn't think this was necessary for these two surfaces....


Left end [notice the groove around the spoiler, that's where the silicone gets dumped/poured into].
Notice the tape sticking out of the side. This will help me realign the spoiler when I place it back on the
roof.



Right end taped in parallel [notice the groove and the tape again sticking out over the side]


Center of the spoiler with gray moulding tape running down the middle of the beam [again, groove
around the upper and lower sides where the silicone goes]



4. Now, the most trying part. With your friend, flip the taped/glued spoiler over and align it around the UPPER SURFACE of
the rear windscreen along the vertical lines of the tape you had used in Step 2. Don't worry if you get it wrong the first time.
The tape doesn't bond immediately and neither does the silicone. Be patient and work with your partner to make sure both
ends are aligned perfectly.


Notice the gap on this end and the way the spoiler is taped down in multiple directions. The rubber should
just be visible without the glass being seen completely ~ 3-5mm


The same gap on the opposite side again, taped down tightly



5. Once you have it placed perfectly, get your masking tape out and tape the spoiler in place LIBERALLY! I found that if you
run the tape from the glass of the windscreen upwards to the roof, it helps to hold the spoiler in place as it tends to slide down.
Once you've got on enough tape, place weights on top of the spoiler to hold it down firmly [those medical text books were good
for something after all]. Sanbags like the one on the left work well for this. TIP: Be careful what you use to weigh this down --
you don't want something to fall and dent your body or crack your glass! Common sense but pay attention to this my friends...

SO...SERIOUSLY, use as much tape as you need to make sure this thing is pushed down and doesnt budge while it sets




Note the center is also weighted down on either side of the fin. Make sure you weigh it down equally on
both sides or else it will lift off the glass on one end and not bond/set nicely




VERY IMPORTANT
6. Allow a cure time for 24hrs. Do not drive your car during this time [trust me, my buddy didnt listen and now he has hell to pay for]. I am in the middle of these 24 hrs and will post pix once its all done.


And that's it! Remember, the most important part is to align perfectly, take your time and be patient!!!!! Enjoy!

C's Bimmer

This is exactly what my body shop did, however they used these giant clamps with wood boards and clothes in between to allow it to set. They also heated up the roof spoiler to make it more pliable and easier to bend. The funny part was driving my car home with all the tape on it and letting it sit overnight. It was fugly.

As for the bonding agent, it's a must with these replica's. Otherwise, it doesn't sit properly and can easily come loose when washing. And of course, you don't want this thing flying off your roof when you're going 90mph down the highway. However, I do know of a few members that used tape only. I still don't know how it stayed on all this time.

Anyway, great write up! Thanks for posting.

subarashi

Agree heating it up does help. I did do that prior to putting the tape on and it seems to have helped a little bit in terms of getting it to mold. Tape works better than bonding actually and it tends to be more resistant to flying off [more surface area, even distribution of the adhesive and a layer of space allows for the bond to form uniformly]. There's a VHB 3M tape that also works very well.... Anyways, thanks for the compliment on the write up !!!

C's Bimmer

Really? I tried the tape first and because it's a replica, there were certain gaps in spoiler that didn't leave it flush, so the adhesive part of the tape wasn't even touching. With the bonding agent, we were able to get it touching across the whole piece, which kept it nice and tight. Interesting...

westcoast550

S , great job, what did you use to clean the window with. I've heard all sorts of stories about spoilers coming off due to unclean glass or the wrong cleaner ie alcohol ?? Well done !

subarashi

I think it depends on how you tape...notice I used two strips in the CENTER of the spoiler. If you use the tape on the side or on the middle only [without any side coverage], then I think you will have air leaks, wobble and the possibility og flying off. Either ways, a combination is best I think!

C's Bimmer

That's for sure!

How about some pix of the entire car tomorrow, after you take off the tape?

subarashi

Thanks wc550. I too heard horror stories about cleaning the glass and having a loose bond. So I did what I thought was best -- simple wipe down, dry with a blow dryer to heat up the glass and no surface prep. The body shop also thought this would be best. There are a number of alcohol preps available but I have found in the past these sometimes negate the bond from forming on some products. As I went with tape + silicone, did not think this was worth the risk! Will post finished pix tommorrow and will see what happens!

ctc1010

Nice writeup, great pics. This is one of the projects I'm debating whether to do myself, or have it done professionally. I may take a crack at it with your post to guide me...maybe!

subarashi

I may take a crack at it with your post to guide me...maybe!

CTC -- have faith in yourself. This is a very easy install and is not worth the extra $$ for the body shop. Im glad you liked the pics and am able to help/answer specifics if you do decide to go forward with this....