Ducktail (original) actual value ??

[kuzu356]

Eminence,
You got some experience...Amazing how I missed that area...You are perfectly correct.Please see the pictures...There was original style latch frame there but
must got crack or? they cut it and put a sheet metal one, reminiscence of fiber glass in the area where the end of the latch frame curves and attaches to....

[TB73]

I paid $4K for a tail a few yrs ago ...here are pix

[RSTarga]

Here is a shot of the underside of mine. You can see the type of fiberglass is a bit different, same as Chucks and TB73. I've repainted the inside a couple of times and the paint has smoothed out some of the rough portions. Someone may have put a new glass lid on your original frame.

[kuzu356]

David,
Looks original and well done so Do not know....Harvey was saying two different Co.was making them...And still Questioning the raised area in near rubber grummet on the aluminum frame...mine does not have that.
Could it be one I have the earlier version?

[mobius911]

I also have an aluminum framed ducktail on my RS and it has the long brace, same as kuzu's. Also held on by rivets at the rear. I always assumed the original bracket failed due to the extra flexing caused by the alumimum frame and further enhanced by my car having A/C. Maybe it's original?

Will get some pictures when I get home from current trip.

[RSTarga]

David,
Looks original and well done so Do not know....Harvey was saying two different Co.was making them...And still Questioning the raised area in near rubber grummet on the aluminum frame...mine does not have that.
Could it be one I have the earlier version?

Well, mine is definitely later than yours, I got mine around 82 or so from the factory. I think the aluminum ones were definitely different. It will be interesting to see Mobius tail. See what the fiberglass looks like. I continue to think someone grafted newer upper to an original from. Take at the look at the aase repro. They used an aluminum one as an original.

[edmayo]

David, I think I've seen that weave pattern in original race engine fiberglass pieces.

[fryardds]

I also have an aluminum framed ducktail on my RS and it has the long brace, same as kuzu's. Also held on by rivets at the rear. I always assumed the original bracket failed due to the extra flexing caused by the alumimum frame and further enhanced by my car having A/C. Maybe it's original?

Will get some pictures when I get home from current trip.

Your first theory is correct Jeff. A straight latch brace is a replaced, non original, fix to a commonly broken piece of an AL tail. I am quite certain an AL frame tail would not have a raised area. Those were only on later steel frame tails. As with most things there might be exceptions that exist.

Is your straight latch brace steel? I am thinking it is most likely.

[gumby1953]

The "Twill" weave cloth (german) material is used on all the Factory racecar Duck-tails. Very light, cool and very rare!! If you bought it for 4K its at least worth 10K without cleaning it up!!! The Glass-Matt finish is way ezzier to make and heavier so this is the material used for the street cars. You could order a racing tail with the alui frame for a Lightweight RS if you knew about them.....but most-all Lightweight RS's came with the mat finished tails with both alui and steel frames.

The curved bracket vs the straight bracket are also factory installed. The long bracket was added for extra strength as the tube that is in the valley of the tip of the spoiler (inside).

Done a few.... seen more..... and wish I owned that Factory 73' RSR tail...wanna sell it?

KJ

[RSTarga]

Wow, that's an Antique Roadshow find! Completely missed that.
Ed and KJ are real experts in this, so you can take their opinion to the bank.
By the way here is a close up of a 911R hood I used to have, showing the same weave material.