rear wings: different styles --> different sizes?

[Sportster-Green]

end of last year i ordered some new rear wings at marlin...they arrived in january.....

the ones fitted to my car have those hamburger style lights:

http://p8.storage.canalblog.com/86/14/620189/89783900_p.jpg

the new ones have moulded posts for britax lamps:

http://www.britishbuiltcars.co.uk/img/vehicles/4fbb7d035ea8c_benhamrear.JPG

on first view they looked identical in size and shape (ok, besides the light posts).

therefore i brought them to a painter.


i got them back 2 weeks ago. unfortunately he didnt hit the correct color of my car. to see the real differnce we laid the new wings on top of the original ones and shock:

the wings with the light posts are 15-20mm narrower than the ones for the hamburger style lights..see below illustration:wings.JPG



can any body confirm this?

[Sportster-Green]

Re: rear wings: different styles --> different sizes?

what i forgot to say:

when i irdered the wings, marlin informed me that they do not stock those items and therefore they need to be manufactured.

when the wings had been ready, marlin infomed me that during tidying their workshop they found an old, but unused set of those wings, with fixing holes already drilled and britax lamps already installed.

they offered me those wings for nearly the same price...so i took them.

[copperleaves11]

Re: rear wings: different styles --> different sizes?

Is it not possible to cut the light mouldings out of one set of wings and glass them into the original ones? David

[Mike]

Re: rear wings: different styles --> different sizes?

Is it not possible to cut the light mouldings out of one set of wings and glass them into the original ones? David

I did just that with mine.....

Could it be that your original wings are one off specials as with the rest of your rear suspension, as Marlin used it for racing, so did a lot of radical changes to various components at the rear? Perhaps you could check to see if any other Sportster has the same width of rear wing that you have?

[Sportster-Green]

Re: rear wings: different styles --> different sizes?

checking online pictures of sportsters it seems that the wings with light posts are narrower, have a different radius and beading than the ones with hamburger-style lights.

so exactly what i marked in the above picture.

so, even certain parts on my car are one-offs, this item looks rather standard.


i guess marlin has not considered that there are some differencies between the wings with light posts and the others, therefore coudnt warn me b4 the order was placed.

sure it would be a possibilty to cut the light mouldings and glas them to the existing wings...but:

i have nobody here nearby who might be able to do such a fibreglass job.
the car wouldnt be driveable than (changing wings would have only taken 1-2hours)
and it would be a shame to destroy 2 new wings (which are already painted), also this will add further expenses.


can you all measure the widest part of your wings and post the measurement here?

[Sportster-Green]

Re: rear wings: different styles --> different sizes?

got in contact with one of the workshop guys at marlin:

"wings with light posts are always narrower than the ones without"

the guys in the workshop know this issue...the person from the sales unfortunately not...so i bought a set of wings in good faith, which i cannot use.

the final solution from marlin is now:

they will make a new mould of the wide wings, still incorporating the hamburger´s, but at different angle.


hmmm.....any idea how this might look like, as i´m not impressed about this solution.

i have the feeling that this will result in the rear looking like a beach-buggy....and thats definately not what i want!!


the modifications of the moulds are free of charge, but the resulting wings are fully chargeable.

this means i have now: my original wings still fitted, a new set narrow wings (already painted) which i cannot use, plus i will have to buy a further set of wings.....omg!!!

[Sportster-Green]

Re: rear wings: different styles --> different sizes?

Is it not possible to cut the light mouldings out of one set of wings and glass them into the original ones? David

this might be now the best idea!!! meanwhile i have found also somebody into fibreglass work.