welding flares, longhood RSR, alignment questions.

[eimkeith]

OK, so I've finally been futzing around with the steel 930 flares I'm attaching to my 72 RSR project, and some concerns have arisen.

I've read a ton of threads about how these things go on, and apparently I've missed the threads with the fine points on flare alignment. These flares WILL sit nicely against the contour of the quarters and front fenders - and at the same time decrease the height of the wheel opening. I'm going to run the car LOW, so I can't lose height in the wheel wells.

I've had to do some significant finageling (how does one spell finagle, anyway? Finaegle, Fenagel, Fenagle?) to make the flares "one" with the contours of the car and maintain the same upper wheel well lip height on the rear. Careful measuring against a customer's 930 verified proper front to rear and overall width at leading and trailing edges (although I allowed an extra 10mm width at the top of the rear fenders for a vintage look - see photo below)

On the front, I've actually had to rotate the leading edge upward about an inch above the top of the turnsignal opening (which would be the lower edge of the fender on an SC, etc.) to get the same height on the wheel opening. No big deal, I'll make a taller lower fender front filler panel to compensate.

Here is where I am gettting cross-eyed: The front flares want to lay vertical (the arch, viewed from the front) ala 930 (of course).
It seems that all the photo reference of the RSRs and STs show the arch rolling in toward the bumper in a significant diagonal, viewed from the front, as in the photo below...


It occurred to me that if I knew the width of the original RSR or ST from bumper, I could make my front flares land where they should (using the known width of my stock 72 front bumper as something to work from), and hopefully, get the diagonal taper close to accurate.

I need to achieve a proper symmetry to the front of the car, and I will be flaring my steel bumper to meet the fenders, so I need to be as accurate as possible here.

Anyone have advice/measurements for me on this?

[eimkeith]

bueller?

[87coupe]

I'll take a stab. Looking at the picture you posted, it appears that the front bumper is a narrow body bumper, maybe slightly contoured to the flare? It also seems that they used a rear flare for the front as well? It seems to reproduce that look, you would trim a wedge from the lower portions (front & back) of the flares, so the arch would have the angle pictured above. The reason I'm guessing they used a rear flare is it would probably be easier to heavily trim a rear flare than to add material to the top of a front flare.

[87coupe]

[eimkeith]

hrm... interesting.

so you're thinking there isn't a real difference in the 9300 front flare section and the RSR/ST?

Now I REALLY need sa bumper width measurement....

[87coupe]

Not really sure of anything, I'm just going off the limited amount of pictures I could find when I searched to see what you were referring to. I think one could definitely take a 930 flare and make it look like the picture above.

[klaucke]

The 930 flares are most definately different from the ST/RSR flares. The 930 have a verticle lip (or more so) and the ST/RSR are more rounded. Also, like eimkeith said the flare arch is not as verticle when viewed from the front, where it intersects the bumper. But ST/RSR flares differ so much between cars it is hard to really know what is exactly correct, if such a thing exists. I don't think the 930 flares are exactly verticle at the front either.

Here are some reference photos (disclaimer: these may not all be "factory" flares):

[klaucke]

.

[eimkeith]

these are great examples of the issue!

I wonder if there is a standard width among the fiberglass manufacturers for these bumpers. I'll ask Getty today if I get a second.

[eimkeith]

65 3/8", it seems... (thanks to Getty Design)

[tom1394racing]

Here's some pics of a real factory RSR with the original steel flares.

A Real RSR - Pics

My RSR clone with Fiberglass flares is very vclose to the original.


let me know if you'd like more detail on the flares

[eimkeith]

Tom - I'd love anything you could give me to help me be overly critical about mine, LOL.

Any chance of measurements and head on and aerial shots?

[tom1394racing]

Here's some pics of my RSR clone.
Let me know what specific measurement you'd like or other shots.

[village idiot]

Tom , your car is inspiring......

[87coupe]

Originally posted by village idiot
Tom , your car is inspiring......

+1

[eimkeith]

so, back to this issue.

- had a long talk with boba - who has done significant research on RSRs and STs and the short version is, as Klauke said previously, that there is no single correct RSR flare, as they were often put on by privateers updating racecars to RSR trim, and replaced repeatedly by teams as they were contacted during racing. Also, apparently there were deviations between the the years from Porsche.

In any event, I talked to Getty design, and took some measurements from GT Racing's front RSR fenders (the silhouette of the leading edge where it meets the fender) as apparently Hank pulled from an original RSR for these molds.

As indicated above, there is an obvious taper from the apogee of the wheel arch to the bumper, in both the front and rear. I feel like this is significant to reference for the "feel" of a RSR or ST application. Since my car will "reference" a 72T upgraded to RSR trim/specs in it's past (albeit with modern touches, like G50, turbocharger, etc.), I'll be "encouraging" my 930 steel flares to adopt a posture acceptable to the RSR lines.

That being said, here are a few pictures of the rough mounting of the flares (not entirely massaged into place) with ride height mocked up and wheels/tires borrowed from 78targa's '72 RSR for visual effect (I will runner smaller diameter wheels)

[eimkeith]

mo of dat:

[eimkeith]

and

[eimkeith]

finally:

[village idiot]

looks like it's coming along nicely... I'm jealous