adding fender or wheel well flares, and related info

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
69MYWAY posted this install list posted below, its pretty much similar to the route Ive gone several times so use its info, the only major differences Ive done is use POP RIVETS to temporarily hold the fender flares in place and the rivets need to be drilled out later, and Ive used resin/hardener and talc mixed with fine cut glass fiber as a bondo replacement.
keep in mind the fender flares serve a function, they not only look slightly more AGGRESSIVE, in some applications they prevent a great deal of road crud and micro bits of tire and brake dust from flinging up on the fenders and in some cases only tires that fit (INSIDE the WHEEL WELLS) are legal to run in some race classes.
do yourself a HUGE favor and think long and hard about this mod, it usually requires cutting the wheel well openings larger,and because its difficult to reverse, back to the original look and requires a lot of work and repainting the car to do it correctly.
done correctly it looks really nice on some cars IF its not taken to extremes, and done so it looks like a factory option, done badly it looks horrible!
remember you DON,T NEED THIS MUCH FLARE
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NOT A TA said:
Sanded the flares down to plastic. Hot stapled the cracked areas. Clipped staples off and ground down the stubs below finish level. Applied adhesion promoter and then 3M hard plastic repair material and let cure 24 hours. Sand plastic repair material and prime, fill nicks, then sand/prime till ready for sealer.

reading links and sub linked info may not be fun,
but you may be amazed at the amount of wasted time and money,
you can save from being wasted with the info gained in the process
you may not find the link you need, specifically,
but the info you do read, should make you think,
and question the process, ask the related questions,
and look at all your options carefully.
and yes if your installing a suspension, measure accurately several times..
assume nothing is correct until its carefully verified several times,
and yes your very likely to make mistakes,
so Id suggest you measure with the suspension and tires sitting on the ground,
before, you decide on tires, clearances , Finnish welding of the suspension links , spring perches, drive shaft angles etc. are finalized/ begins


http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...asuring-for-a-new-drive-shaft.478/#post-67321

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ear-axles-and-differentials.11848/#post-73266

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/getting-a-camaro-or-firebird-to-bite.4067/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...c4-corvette-wheel-tech-info.12099/#post-75335

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...nks-that-may-help-your-musclecar-handle.3526/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ouve-got-a-camaro-nova-etc-this-may-help.460/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-and-info-to-help-get-the-chassis-right.9012/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/suspension-springs.5622/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/disc-brake-kits.6579/
http://www.urethanesupply.com/Staples-1/
I love the convenience of hot staples used in SMC ,
(corvettes use this rather than true fiber glass in many years)
but Ive had a few rare times when they failed to provide enough structural rigidity
( YEAH..I WAS PROBABLY USING THEM INCORRECTLY)
I borrowed the tool from a friend, who had one and raves about it recently, I don,t own one yet!
I've usually gone old school and grind and fill the area with screen. in the past
008X008S0280W36T.jpg

shop carefully it comes in 10ft and 100 ft long rolls and in 24"-36"-and 48" wide rolls the larger rolls cost nearly $200 the smaller 24" and 10 ft long rolls are far more reasonably priced and its also good for shrapnel screens in lifter gallerys
Jackson Wire11061715 Redi-Roll Hardware Cloth,on EBAY 1/8" x 48" x 10' $32 a roll, easily enough to do a dozen engines, shrapnel screens ,plus a few fiber glass repairs
faceshielddf.jpg

repmask.png

http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Paint-Pro ... /100195886
remaskq.png

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-Safet ... /202220499
at times when repairing fiber glass cutting a 1.5" wide strip of #8 hardware cloth screen thats an inch longer than the crack your repairing so the reinforcing screen extends 3/4" past the crack, on all sides, to allow that screen acting like re-bar in concrete, a firm anchor into the surrounding material,and epoxying it below the surrounding surface, on both sides of a crack and then covering it with chopped mat and resin can add a great deal of additional strength if you find the area repeatedly gets cracked helps a great deal, yeah, it takes a bit of belt sander or die grinder time, too lower the surface enough to allow the screen to be place and held below the surface so its properly epoxied in place below the surrounding area, and youll need a face mask, and face shield, and dust mask,and goggles, you don,t want to breath fine ground glass dust, or get it in your eyes
tools like this make grinding out fiber glass fairly fast and easy in experienced hands

5diegr.png

http://www.homedepot.com/s/4.5+grinder?NCNI-5
the fact that you place the screen embedded and epoxied on both sides , of the crack prevents it from easily flexing, and adds a great deal more strength in areas you can access to do this.
Don,t be afraid to grind out SMC or fiberglass its very easy to work with and very strong when properly worked and layered, your local professional auto body supply's will have both materials and tools and advice.
http://fiberglasssupply.com/Product_Cat ... evlar.html

http://www.fibreglast.com/category/Epox ... 7AodkGYANw

The process is as follows.

1. Hand mount flare on car, position to desired location.
2. Tape in place, then zip screw in place.
3. trace around flare with a nice sharpie
4. pull flare off, measure 3/4" below the trace line for the cut line
5. Cut the fender off at the cut line (ouch this hurts, because there is no turning back now).
6. Grind the back side of flare and fender
7. Mix a mild fiberglass reinforced filler (long strand).
8. Smear filler on the 3/4" lip
9. Push flare on car, and rivet through the mounting points
10. Push and smear the filler in tight from top and bottome.
11. Grind excess, and mix more filler for rivet dimples.
12. Grind again, and put one layer of fiberglass matt over the joint.
13. Grind high spots
14. Now start will regular light weight body filler
15. Long block at all different angles
16. Skim filler
17. Primer
18. block primer
19. More primer
20. Guide coat and spot fill
21. YOu are ready to move on to the next project.

ADDING FENDER FLARES ALWAYS RESULTS IN THE NEED TO KNOW TIRE CLEARANCES AND WHEEL OFF SET ETC. YOULL FIND THIS THREAD AND SUB LINKS USEFUL

viewtopic.php?f=71&t=533&p=667&hilit=back+spacing+wheel#p667

http://www.corvettefever.com/techarticl ... molds.html

http://www.vetteweb.com/tech/vemp_0804_ ... index.html

http://mcspeed.homestead.com/Flare_Install.html

http://www.grandsportregistry.com/store.htm#GSFLARES

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/C4-Corve ... 0002r18854

http://www.greenwoodcorvettes.com/Racecars.html

http://www.corvettesouth.com/corvette-e ... 7ded721019

http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/Sebri ... Flares.htm

http://www.corvettefever.com/techarticl ... index.html

http://www.tropiczoneracing.com/Rebuild.htm

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Last edited by a moderator:
MYBAD79 said:
These are 2" flares without the mudflaps that I bought from Vanacor. I thought I posted this info before but couldn't find it when I was looking for it tonight... so here we go:

100_1623Small.jpg


.narrower at the bottom but wider at the top.... shows more tire than the stock fender but covers it at the top. very cool :cool:

100_1625Small.jpg


.
This is a 295-50-15 tire on the stock aluminum rim with a 2" spacer and the stock fender:
100_1637Small.jpg

.
I cut a section from the new quarter to make it fit like the L88 flares - there was no reason to cut out the stock quarter. While the flare was clamped into place I drilled holes for self tapping screws (needed during final install)
.

100_1642Small.jpg
.

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after dry fitting I sanded the mating surfaces with 60 grit

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covered both pieces with Evercoat SMC adhesive:
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Glued in place and bolted to the stock quarter with above mentioned self tapping screws:

100_1671Small.jpg

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Fiberglass putty/body filler:
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more filler:
100_1684Small.jpg

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First coat of primer. Note the high spots around the fender radius
100_1697Small.jpg

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Sanded the high spots down:
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Last coat of primer after wetsanding. The panel is still wet, looks like clearcoat...

100_1709Small.jpg


Two years later with fresh paint:

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:thumbs::trumpet::thumbs::trumpet::bump:
 
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