renesisgenesis

My 2008 40th Ann. came with the trunk spoiler. The vin on the trunk matches up so I assume it is original. I searched but couldn't really find what it involves to remove it and what the trunk is like once it's gone. I refuse to swap trunks with one not carrying the spoiler, because it would make the VIN number either not match or be absent.

Does anyone know how easy/hard it is to remove it?
thanks.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

the trunk? its mad easy.

10 minutes the most.

CTrx8

iTrader: (2)

unless you're selling to a collector, who actually checks the VIN on the trunk panel? and who is collecting RX8s?

pdxhak

iTrader: (2)

Removing the spoiler will leave marks from the double sided tape. Also there are 3 holes (two bolt holes and a plastic clip that need to be filled and then the trunk needs to be painted.

pdxhak

iTrader: (2)

If you ever sell your car people check to see if the numbers match to see if the car has been in an accident. If they do not match it makes you wonder why the part was swapped.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

If its the same color, you dont need to paint it again.

the double sided tape part is easy to fix.

renesisgenesis

Thank you for the info.

What sort of material is typically used for filling those said holes?
Would the touch up paint and some buffing be sufficient to paint over the holes once filled; or are you talking about painting the entire trunk?

pdxhak

iTrader: (2)

I removed my spoiler and you can not buff out the damage left from removing the spoiler

pdxhak

iTrader: (2)

I'm sure you could bondo or glass the holes shut but it is best to have the holes welded. That is the route I am going.

renesisgenesis

Interesting.

What is the actual process involved with removing it? Do I just remove the insulation piece from the trunk lid and find the screws/nuts there to remove?

XAreXAteX

butter knife

pdxhak

iTrader: (2)

Yep. Really easy to remove. Just expensive to fill and paint If for whatever reason you can buff out paint issues from the double sided tap then you could plug the hole with plugs. No such luck for me and the few trunks I've seen searching the board.

renesisgenesis

what do you recommend for removing the double sided tape?


thank you for your helpful input

CTrx8

iTrader: (2)

you should be able to take it off and then use a little goo gone to get any residue off

1.3L

Why do you want to remove the spoiler? Just curious.

-1.3L

renesisgenesis

It looks too "sporty" in a kind of immature sort of way, not a good way. I tend to think of the 8 as a sports coupe in the line as cars like the 135i and such, and these types of cars look classier and cleaner without a spoiler. Don't get me wrong, the spoiler does look pretty good, and as far as spoilers go it flows well with the car's design anyway.


Plus, my car is completely stock, and somehow a spoiler makes it look less balanced.

XAreXAteX

I think the 8 looks naked without a spoiler. I actually can't stand when an 8 doesn't have one. To each his own I guess.

pdxhak

iTrader: (2)

I love the 8 minus the spoiler. Looks great with a lip spoiler as well. Vertex Lang, R-Magic and RE Amemiya make really nice lip spoilers. Also I really like the Knightspors GT style wing when done right.

renesisgenesis

Ya I used to be that way too, but that's probly cuz mine came with one so I naturally loved it as my own child...beautiful despite faults. Ha..but i have recently realized that it is indeed cleaner and overall more balanced without it.

Can't wait to get home and rip the ****** off.

carcrazy95

renesisgenesis, I'm usually with you when it comes to spoilers. On most cars, I can't stand them. I've passed on buying cars in the past because they've had spoilers, and I didn't want to go through the headaches of either buying a trunk lid or (much worse) trying to patch and match paint.

But, I personally love the look of the spoiler on the RX8. The RX8 is a very different design, extreme in many ways. It's very much from the Japanese "anime" school of design (like Speed Racer's Mach 5). I also think the car somehow looks naked and incomplete without one. So much so that I'm putting an OEM spoiler on the 2007 GT I just bought.

As far as the RX8 looking more "mature" without the spoiler, I'm probably one of the oldest people here on this forum (50, yeah, I'm old...), and I personally like the look with the spoiler.

No right or wrong, just personal tastes. Vanilla or chocolate.

XAreXAteX

Hak your car is perfection btw. And yeah I guess if my car came without a spoiler in the first place I would probably have learned to love it.

pdxhak

iTrader: (2)

Thanks

FWIW my car came with a spoiler and I took it off. If you guys saw the top of my trunk you would think WTF But I like it without and prefer to leave it off unit the holes get filled and painted.

renesisgenesis

well I removed the spoiler. I filled the four holes with bondo putty, then waited overnight. I then put a thick layer of it over all four holes on the bottom side of the trunk. (this was hella easy cuz it's the bottom side so I could be relatively careless..). Then I put another very thin layer of it on the top side of the now filled holes. It dried about an hour then I scrapped off all bondo around the parameter of the holes on the top side, and smoothed it out so it's flush with the level of the deck itself. I have now waited for all that to dry overnight. I will check it out this evening, and if all looks good I am gunna go ahead and use the touch up paint. Once that dries I plan on possibly smearing it together with some sort of product, although i am not sure which one yet, but I may just leave it depending on how well the few drops of touch up paint looks once it dries. Then I will wash and wax the trunk deck. Yay

Oh ya and goo gone for removing the left behind tape.

Then I will wait for it to rain and soak thru the bondo and ruin the entire process!!!!
Well, hopefully not, but Murphy's Law does tend to be relentlessly brutal for automotive scenarios...

carcrazy95

If you change your mind you can always punch through the bondo and put the spoiler back on.

renesisgenesis

well ya obviously. but i am already in love with the spoiler free look.....