Help re: Installing Steel GT Flares

[xcelabshop]

Is there a Guru steel GT Flares installer in the house? Apprentice seeking guidance please share any information would be highly appreciated thank you...

[URY914]

You'll get more advice over at 914Club.com and 914World.com.

There is more traffic and more folks that have completed the work.

[rfuerst911sc]

Pauls right there is a lot more traffic on those other forums. I did my flares last year so I can provide advice. I am just a shadetree mechanic but mine came out looking great so I did something right. Here is a basic outline of the procedure.

1.Line up the flares on the body hold them in place with duct tape if need be. Once you have them located the way they look good take a sharpie or pencil and make an outline on the body. Do this for all four. There are sketches out there that give dimensions to help get them centered.
2. Once you have the outline it's time to cut. I used a air driven rotary cutting tool. You want the cuts as smooth and precise as possible because the better the cut the better the flare will mate and you'll get a better weld.
3. Once cut it's time to place the flares in place. There are clamps you can buy from Harbor Freight or similiar stores called " butt weld clamps ". These are small cubes with a wingnut affair that holds the flare in place. These work great and are cheap.
4.Welding. I used my Hobart 140 mig welder with .023 wire with shielding gas. You make short burst tack welds moving around so you keep heat buildup to a minimum. Too much heat equals warped panels. Eventually you end up with a completely welded seam.
5.Time to grind. Once again be careful grinding you don't want too much heat. I used a angle grinder with grinding stones and then " flap wheels ". In my opinion this is one of the most important steps. If done correctly you'll end up with a seam that needs very little bondo to make everything straight. If done poorly you will have much more bondo work.
6.Once you think the grinding is done and you're happy with them I covered the seams from underneath with seam sealer. This protects from moisture getting in there and starting rust. I then brushed on 3 coats of an oil based enamel primer from Home Depot. I figured 3 coats was a good start !
7. Prime the outside of the flares with auto primer. This will help protect from rust and will give you visual contrast to see how well you did with the grinding. You will probably find that additional grinding will be needed.
8.From there either you or your body guy will do final finishing,priming and painting.

Hope this helps you out. Good luck.

[jess p]

Another helpful tip is that as you are welding keep a wet rag nearby to cool down the metal after short welds to reduce warpage around the welds.
Otherwise great advice from rfuerst911sc.

[xcelabshop]

Thank you very much installer guru's! appreciate the fantastic pointers...thank you thank you..

[RICK RAES]

When welding the flares on be careful the the fender does not move inward. Check often to be sure the fender line stays as original