1973 RSR flares

[jgparker]

I'm building an 1973 RSR clone and I'm looking for opinions on Flares (9" and 11"). I would really like full metal fenders and quarter panels, but I don't think the exist.

-Were the factory RSR flares one-piece or grafted?
-Are metal 1973 RSR quater panels and fenders available?
-Do the available fiberglass quarters and fenders have acceptable fit and finish?

Thanks for the help,

JP
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[stormmaster]

There was a set of metal Turbo qtrs (used) on the parts board if I am not mistaken....it may have been on Rennlist....they turn up on Ebay from time to time as well....You might be able to get some from a Porsche dismanteler....the glass ones are available from several suppliers....ask 100 people you will get 100 different answers as if fit and finish is acceptable....they all need work to make them fit properly....it just depends on your skills and how much time you are willing to put into them....just my .02

[javadog]

JP,

The flares started out as metal at both ends. Fiberglass came later. A friend of mine made a '73 RSR clone a while back using metal flares on both ends, but they are probably impossible to find now. Frankly, the flares on a real (early) RSR look a bit funky. I'd use a turbo flare in metal on the rear and a fiberglass copy of the front RSR fender. Keep in mind that the turbo flare is different (a nicer shape , in my opinion) than the RSR flare. A good body man can make the turbo flare into a decent copy of an RSR flare, if you want the original look. Or you can use turbo flares on both ends if you want. Might look nicer, in the end. Porsche didn't start using quarter panels with the flare built in, until the mid-eighties. Previously, they were welded onto 911 quarter panels that had been cut.

JR

[Joe Bob]

RS and RSR original stuff has a tendency to look not quite right....even the graphics look funky and over the years the copies and other people's interpretations seem to be more accpted than exact copies....

Do what you feel looks/works the best.

[TRE Cup]

you can use the steel turbo front and rear flares. Up front you will have to get a filler piece made where the longer sides of the 73 down fenders need to be fabricated. Do a search here for doug wierenga's car- he had his front steel fenders extended for the 73 rsr look. i think his call sign is dwsd

[Porsche Doc]

Hey Man!
The 1973 2.8 RSR's had front and rear steel flares that were added on to an RS chassis.
The rear flares are unique and a little different from the early turbo ones you can get now.
If you want steel flares this is what you would use now.
I saw a real set of rear RSR steel flares sell on eBay a couple of years ago. They sold for $3500! I haven't seen a set since.
The front fenders flares are NLA now also.
So yea have to use turbo flares and do all the work to make them work. This is a lot of work, and there several ways you can do it.
I am currently doing this conversion on a 90 C4.
There is a look.
Update C4 RSR Project
I did manage to buy a desent set of real 2.8 RSR front fenders a month or so ago.

Or you can use all fiberglass. But fiberglass don't do as well on the street.

Good Luck Man!

[Jack Olsen]

I suspect that even if you looked at a dozen original RSR's, you still wouldn't be looking at the original flares -- at least, not if the cars had race histories. It would be interesting to see an authoritative look at what the factory originally welded on there.

Clearly, there's a lot of variation in what's there today:







I would guess that the fiberglass ones on my car are based on rounded-off early Turbo flares?

[cnielsen]

The top pic that Jack posted is a 911ST so the rear flares are narrower than an RSR but wider than RS flares. The fronts should be identical though.

[rphillips]

D*MN!!! Every one of those is hot! I want one...

®

[jgparker]

Jack,

Who sourced your flares, and what size wheels and tires are you running?

Thanks,

JP

[zmayne]

Doug's car. Steel turbo flares.

[Jack Olsen]

Originally posted by jgparker
Jack, Who sourced your flares, and what size wheels and tires are you running?

The flares (and fenders, quarters and doors) are from Rennspeed Motorsports. They were stock fiberglass front fenders with Rennspeed's flares bonded to them. All the body work and paint was done by Automotive Innovations and Restoration by Pelicanite KevinP73.

The wheels are 17-inch Lindsey Racing 2-piece Fuchs. They're made with a 16x6 Fuchs center welded into a one-piece barrel. They're 9.5 inches wide in front and 11 inches wide in back. The car tires are 275's in front and 315's in back (although in these pictures the fronts were 255's, which is why it has a little too much rake).

Another look: