Police spoilers

L

Lewis Stephens

Member
Greetings from Australia
A recent experience in overtaking another car at 75mph and into a strong headwind and I experienced a lightness of steering ( I do not have PAS ) that had to be corrected. Nothing diabolical but I certainly felt the need to really correct the wayward steering. Which leads me to the availability of the the police spec spoilers. I know Classparts use to make these. Are they hens teeth ? Does anyone else in the UK make them. ?
To all forum members a very merry Christmas.
Lewis
 
Lewis Stephens said:
Greetings from Australia
A recent experience in overtaking another car at 75mph and into a strong headwind and I experienced a lightness of steering ( I do not have PAS ) that had to be corrected. Nothing diabolical but I certainly felt the need to really correct the wayward steering. Which leads me to the availability of the the police spec spoilers. I know Classparts use to make these. Are they hens teeth ? Does anyone else in the UK make them. ?
To all forum members a very merry Christmas.
Lewis
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Haha - give the ol' girl some tenderness.
Drop your speed down. Everyone that sees an old classic on the road wants to overtake you. Often just to take some photos. Enjoy the corkerness of the Rover ride , sit on 60mph and let everyone else get the speed wobble.
Merry Christmas All
 
Hi Lewis. I commonly run my 2000TC at 80 mph on dual carriageway and motorway and it is fairly stable...bit sensitive to cross winds, so have to pay attention, but at speed you need to focus anyway. At 90 mph she feels light but have sustained that for an hour in the past without problems on the right road. Pretty confident this car would do the ton without too much difficulty, though I have not proved that yet. She has no problem overtaking - plenty of acceleration, and generally safer to pass than to tailgate IMO. Some other drivers do seem to expect a classic to dawdle....but I'm not in that camp. I bought a Rover because I know it can keep up with modern traffic....and I haven't got the spondulics for a classic Jaguar.

These cars were designed for roads with no speed limit, so if handling is wayward at high speed look at suspension and tires.

Happy Motoring - Munro.
 
I went mad a few years ago and bought a pair from Classepart. Pic below before I removed and painted them to match body. I also have an uprated ARB that was fitted before I bought the car. Fastest I have been (mostly within speed limits) is 75mph and it felt very stable up that on a highway subject to wind. Be aware if you buy these the left and right are not identical - I made a drilling pattern from one side and mirrored it the other side, and the bolts didnt line up. Classe said they are copies of original factory items, so too bad. I made my own gaskets.
B8tqFx7.jpeg
 
4 cylinder cars seem to be more stable at speed rather than the V8 ones and there are 2 reasons behind this. First the design of the lower valance in the post "sharktooth" 4 cyl cars is better than the V8 equivalent, and second the transverse front suspension arms are longer in the 4 cyl cars, providing better suspension geometry.
 
I purchased a pair of genuine NOS Police spoilers from Roverdrive in 1990, a business that was in Melbourne. One was black, the other white. The manufacturing quality was poor. Each had two threaded inserts that allowed attachment to the valance from behind. The gaskets were separate and NLA even at that time.

My understanding is that they were designed to generate down force due to increasing wind resistance at high speeds. The speeds that had to be achieved to realise an improvement in high speed stability well exceed the legal speed limits. Even 70 mph is much too slow to feel any difference.

Ron
 
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I made replica spoilers as per 808D and must admit I did not notice any real difference in the front end feel at speed and they were three times the size of a police spec spoiler.

I think Munro has it, geometry, tyres, and overall stance will affect the car a lot more. For instance if you have sagging rear springs a lot more air is going to get under the front and lighten it.

Experiment with toe and camber settings to see what happens. I ran my car well over 100 mph and it was very stable, but by that time it was far from stock, the ride height was lower for a start.
 
I know Classparts don’t do them - I got last pair when I got my car in 2016! But I did give my pair to one of the Rover Club members I can’t recall who though - he used mine to get 3D printed copies and the disk I got mine back of course. I think he got a few pairs made I will follow up and find out who and if he has any now. I like the spoilers they look good but as has been said don’t think make lots of difference unless doing the ton!

And I not been near that in mine as yet!

Dave
 
I’ve managed 100 plus in Beryl on the main straight. Four banger so different valances (later non sharks tooth). No detectable lift, very stable. But bear in mind she’s about 2.5” lower than standard and on stiffer springs and dampers. I have thought about a chin spoiler but I don’t think it’s needed. Besides, the VSCCA are not keen on aero devices on period cars and I don’t want to push me luck.
 
DaveRover3500s said:
I know Classparts don’t do them - I got last pair when I got my car in 2016! But I did give my pair to one of the Rover Club members I can’t recall who though - he used mine to get 3D printed copies and the disk I got mine back of course. I think he got a few pairs made I will follow up and find out who and if he has any now. I like the spoilers they look good but as has been said don’t think make lots of difference unless doing the ton!

And I not been near that in mine as yet!

Dave
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If you can’t find the name I’m happy to scan and make them, it’s what I do as a business. Down side is I’m in the NYC area.
 
SydneyRoverP6B said:
My understanding is that they were designed to generate down force due to increasing wind resistance at high speeds. The speeds that had to be achieved to realise an improvement in high speed stability well exceed the legal speed limits. Even 70 mph is much too slow to feel any difference.

Ron
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I think it's simpler than that. At speed with a shallow front valance, you get a high pressure build up at the back of the wheelarch against the firewall, lifting the car. Fitting these simply pushes more air around the side of the car reducing that effect. No formula 1 trickery here.

I don't have them but I am interested because I do run my car across Europe where 130kph is normal. I find it OK at 90, sketchy at 100 and lethal at 110..... Those test drivers in pre-aerodynamic car had substantial plumbs. I wouldn't want to drive an E-type at 150mph.
 
Certainly would also be up for a pair. Don't often take her above 60mph, but just had to get past a pair of grey nomads in a 1965ish Commer campervan. LOL
 
I borrowed a pair from a forum member, had a set of moulds made up by a friend of mine, and made 20 sets for the forum. I had 12 forward orders for them, but when they had been made most of these backed out. It was a bit annoying, but I did eventually sell them all.

I do still have the moulds if anyone would want to get some made up?
 
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quattro said:
I borrowed a pair from a forum member, had a set of moulds made up by a friend of mine, and made 20 sets for the forum. I had 12 forward orders for them, but when they had been made most of these backed out. It was a bit annoying, but I did eventually sell them all.

I do still have the moulds if anyone would want to get some made up?
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Sure at what price and what batch size is economic? I guess one of the advantages of modern 3D printing is ad-hoc production (and a wide choice of materials). No one gets lumbered with items they can't sell.
 
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