kwescott

Well, I completed the install on my MS wing last night and wanted to provide some feedback for those contemplating the same switch. I had the factory installed wing which was pretty simple to remove. There are two (10mm) exposed bolts on the underside of the trunk which are simple to remove, and a third retaining clip that is a little more stubborn. After removing the 10mm bolts, you have to convince the retaining clips to release their hold by bumping the wing with the palm of your hand from the underside of the wing. There may be some excess glue/gasket to remove which can be done with the assistance of a heat gun (hair dryer in my case).

The stock wing will leave three exposed holes in your trunk lid, two of which you can use for the installation of the MS wing. The MS Kit comes with a template to show where the holes need to be...and they do not line up perfectly with the stock wing placement, but they are too close to allow for drilling in the appropriate spot. This results in the MS wing not fitting flush with the edge of the trunk, so there is a slight overlap which is not really noticeable on my black 8. It may be more noticeable on other colors.

There were two other concerns that developed in the positioning of the new MS wing. The first, is what to do with the third hole from the stock wing bracket. It is completely covered by the bottom portion of the MS wing, so it is not apparent that it is there, but I'm concerned with water that may seep under the bottom portion of the wing (as it is attached primarily by 3m tape)...that may get into the hole and therefor into the internal portion of the trunk lid. I'm worried about water remaining inside the trunk lid and leading to rust.

The second concern was the existing gasket markings from the stock wing, they are not completely covered by the MS wing...and this is really obvious on my black 8....maybe not so on a lighter color. I tried some waxing, but this did not buff out the line...I will try rubbing compound.

Visually, the wing sits at about the same height as the apex of the stock wing....so it covers the same spot in the rear window....but extends at that same height all the way across the window.

The MS wing is lighter than I had expected...the heaviest portions are the metal stands. The paint and finish were perfect. The wing does move slightly near the middle of the trunk lid...but probably not noticeable to others on the freeway...just myself since I was really staring at it the entire way to work this morning. It moves a lot in the same section upon closing the trunk lid. Trunk lid opens completely without any obstructions...the wing is the same height as the stock so it doesn't hit the rear glass when opening. One caution, especially since I was not able to position the wing appropriately (little overlap)....I need to be careful not slamming the trunk down as it may cause damage to the break lights. There was an additional insert in the MS wing installation instruction that highlighted this concern.

Hope this helps.

I guess my recommendation would be to install the MS wing on a virgin trunk if at all possible...but if you are forced to utilize the stock wing mounting location holes, please be aware of the slight misalignment, as well as those third holes which probably need to be sealed somehow. Feel free to comment or to ask further questions. I don't have access to a digital camera, but may upon going to the Orange County or San Bernandino meets...I will post pics at that point.

GotZoom

Good info. Looking forward to the pictures.

Is there, or does anyone know of, an aftermarket "wing" that uses the "same holes" as the GT wing?

CASANOVA

How long are the stock 10mm bolts?

kwescott

They are very short..I would say 3/4th of an inch (if that). They only need to get through the thin sheet metal on the trunk and then go 5 or 6 full turns into the threads on the bottom side of the wing

kwescott

I was able to get some pics taken today. I'm hoping to have them posted shortly.

dazygirl415

very good info. i was thinking about switching since i'm getting the ms front and sides... perhaps i will stick with oem.

FastRX8

I took the pics for him earlier today. Here they are.
Keep in mind it was raining on/off all afternoon. There are some sprinkles and cloth lint in some of the close-ups.
A couple notes on the pictures.
1. When looking at the wing from eye-level (kneeling down behind the car) you cannot notice a gap.
2. The rear shots of the wing seem to show the gap, that is actually a reflection of the grey clouds behind (remember it was a rainy day).
3. He used the same bolt holes from the factory wing. If he drilled the holes for the MS Wing, they would overlap the factory holes, and create a slotted hole instead.

- Cesar -

FastRX8

more pics...

FastRX8

even more pics...

FastRX8

some more pics...

FastRX8

final pics...

TxRx8

Dude those marks suck! The wing rules tho. I'm getting mine tomorrow. :D

FastRX8

Final notes...

1. Anyone interested in the MS Style Trunk Holder in pic11, we will be selling DIY plans.

2. Anyone interested in fullsize, color glossy photos of the mysterious images in pic7 & pic8, please PM me, and I will put them up for sale on EBAY.

- Cesar -

takahashi

My car!

We look so alike www.step-hen.com/myrx8.htm

Could you use tar remover, deep cut and polish, and layers of wax on it. Use a rotary buffer.
Look nice. Hope you can buff the mark off for the perfect look.

Just wash, cut, wax and protected with a layer of hand applied harder wax. Final detailing before dinner.... I am bloody tired now.

CASANOVA

Thanks for the info on the bolts.

............Mysterious images? Is that a ghost?

bureau13

The gap is curious...luckily it appears you can only really notice it if you go hunting for it (which I will do on mine now that I've seen it on yours, and if I find it I will hate you forever :D )

Mine was on a "virgin" trunk however. I have not noticed that on other cars where they swapped wings...I wonder if your stock wing was positioned slightly off?

jds

irish8

The 'old wing' marks look like waz build up over time!! I would urge you try and buff them out with a very slight abrasive paint polish. Good luck!! Oh yeah...time for some clear corners and tint!!

Car looks great!! Black is so the perfect colour!!

- Irish

kwescott

Thanks go out to Ceasar for the pics and the time spent to highlight areas in the pics...they really do show the detail I was hoping to provide to everyone considering this swap.

I had the same initial question as bureau13....I'm think that the dealers "placement" of the stock wing was off..but let me know what you find when you take a peak at your fitment. It really isnt that obvious, but still, it would be nice for it to fit perfectly, right?

I ordered clears, eyelids, MS front bumper and MS sides last night..so maybe in 7 days I can put the other pieces on. The only thing I'm concerned about now, given my "fitment" issues with the wing, are the mounting holes on my existing rear aero flares. The dealer said that they had to drill a hole to attach it (and that they hadn't done this install before so they wanted to make sure they "did it right")....I'm hoping that the holes line up with the MS sides, or at least are covered.

I tried a quick waxing job to get the lines off, so there is some wax in the picture...but most of it is residue from the old gasket. I was a little more successful getting the gasket off on the passenger side, because I used a hairdryer as I was pulling it up. I didn't do this on the other side. I'm thinking that a rougher polishing agent will work fine to get the lines off...at least most of it anyways. Im thinking of asking how much a detailer would charge to do that...if its too much, I'll do it myself.

Kel Rx8

my 8 had similar maks but bodyship was able to get ride of some
of them.i think wetsand or buffed out.

its the 3mm double sided tape but in from the dealer it will 80% rip off
some stock paint when removed.

kwescott

I think the hair dryer assisting somewhat. I used it on both sides, but spent more time on the passenger side. Maybe this also helped in keeping my paint from coming off. From what you said, sounds like I was lucky in keeping my paint in relatively good condition. I guess the word of caution is....be careful, do it slow, and use something to heat the tape up a little. And then...take it to a body shop and have it buffed/polished....

Thanks for your input.

bureau13

Well, I checked my wing fitment...there's no real gap there, although maybe a slight overhang on the passenger side that's not on the driver's.

jds

kwescott

My overhang/alignment must have been due to the dealer's placement of the stock wing then...bad luck for me I guess.

As an update, I used some rubbing compound this afternoon, followed by a good waxing of the area...all the white marks are completely gone, but there is a slight groove in the paint where the edge of the wing had been. No way to improve it beyond this point...it does look as though I lost a little paint, but it is barely noticeable.

goforwand

I agree, the gap is odd. I wonder if it has to do with the mounting (the way the bolts lined up) or the way it was pressed on with the tape.

I had the same scratch on one side with the factory wing. Luckily, I just went to the dealer and traded out my trunklid with factory wing for a new one with no wing (which they were more than happy to do) so I had a "virgin" trunklid as well..made the fitment quite easy.

kwescott

It wasn't the way it was pressed on with the tape....I was limited with the placement as you can only move it so far forward as it is limited by the metal risers. It was more likely the issue of the hole placement.

Trading for a stock lid...how did you get that handled? What did you tell the delearship?

goforwand

The dealership had a V.Red without the wing, and as my V.Red trunklid with the wing was in perfect condition (once I re-installed the wing, it just covered up the scratch), they just swapped it out. They got an accessory that they could charge ~$300 for and I got a trunklid that I could drill.

Given how deep the scratch was from the factory wing, the body shop said it may not have been fully "fixed" by wetsanding, which would have meant a respray and matching and $$$, so it was a no brainer.