fender flares?

[funnyguy]

Ok guys... I know many people put on the fender flares, and down the line I intend on as well. Well, steel fenders would be ideal, but at $800 a set *cough*. Is there a company that makes reproduction steel flares? I'm going for no bondo in the car, so I want... How do the fiberglass fenders install? Do they screw into the current fender, and you must bondo and smooth them in? How many options can I go with? I'm looking to go with flares that are what came on the GTs, nothing HUGE.

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Mike Brancato
AIM: funnyguy00
ICQ: 9348858

[whitemike_04]

The fiberglass flares must go on with bondo. This creates a problem cause fiberglass does not bond well with the body of the car.


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pimpin it with mah baby-blue 914.

[oredith]

uhhh.. where are you finding the steel flares for 800?.. they're well over 1k for the set, IF you can find them..

f/g flares are cheap, and replacable..

you don't bond the flares to the body with bondo, i've been told you go down to the marine (watercraft, not like the military-marine) supply, and buy mar-glass.. and applied correctly, the sheet metal will rip before the bond will give..

just what i've been told.. my flares are still held on by screws..

Jeff

-wow, so many smilies to choose from..

[funnyguy]

Well, Pelican has them at $880 a pair. I wasn't talking all 4 in the price quote. But ya, its around $1500 or more to do a car.

I'll have to run down to West Marine and check out that stuff maybe.

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Mike Brancato
AIM: funnyguy00
ICQ: 9348858

[This message has been edited by funnyguy (edited 07-26-2001).]

[Mittelmotor Germany]

Well, we stock the flares at 828.00 Euro for a set of four, what is at the current exchange rate $ 720.00 plus appr. $ 75.00 for shipping.

Mittelmotor Germany, www.mittelmotor.com

[Brant]

Mittlemotor,

I tried your link and didn't see them at all. Do you have any more info. I assume you are talking about glass flares, but the way you wrote the response it almost sounded like you meant in metal. Please clarify.
b

[jabb]

try this for bonding suppose to be good stuff. I never tried it....

www.duramix.com

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• Joe A.
• 84 911 Targa
• 75 914/6 3.0

[rich]

As I understand, marine epoxy won't cure properly if applied to resin type
(non marine)fiber glas. go to your autobody supply store and get Vette panel adhesive.

[funnyguy]

who wants to make a bolt on glass fender set with flares already in, or not? great weight saver, no?


is these feasable? would anyone buy glass fenders that bolt on? with or without the flares.

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Mike Brancato
AIM: funnyguy00
ICQ: 9348858

[oredith]

someone already makes that.. i don't know if it's AIR.. but i know you can buy full quarter panels..

i think PP is carrying everything AIR sells.. so might be worth a call..

if not, try brad @ all914.com

Jeff

[derek_sf]

if you want factory steel flares at a great price, try contacting Gert in Belgium. his price is $1250, that's with shipping from Europe to the US. his site is:

http://user.online.be/gcar/cpx.htm



[This message has been edited by derek_sf (edited 07-27-2001).]

[Mittelmotor Germany]

The flares are original parts at the listed price, but you are right, they are not on our site. There are no reproduced flares available yet, though Automobile Atlanta are developing them.

[pbanders]

My flares are fiberglas, the PO (a friend) installed them in 1977. I spoke with him recently about the install, he used resin and fiberglas. They're going on 23 years with no cracks. Don't use Bondo.

Brad Anders

[DDS]

I used marine type epoxy and it bonds fine to fiberglass. The reverse is not necessarily true. I know nothing about corvettes, but the chopper gunned flares that are for sale are no different that the cheap boats or truck caps that I've seen. I've sued lots of both, and find it very hard to believe that any polyester-based product can adhere as well as properly used epoxy.

I installed my fiberglass flares with the help of the gentleman restoring my car. He has used 'kitty hair', bondo, and other polyester-based products before and was very impressed with the epoxy, stating that the results were the best he's seen. (try removing steel fasteners from epoxy vs polyester resin and you'll see why. You need to heat them with a soldering gun.)

Epoxy is amazing stuff and if you want to play with some, its cheap to start. These guys have a $10.00 trial kit including a book which is worth twice the price.

http://systemthree.com

Having done it once, I'd do one thing differently. I used a long-strand glass and silica-filled mix of epoxy to bond the trial-fitted flares to the clean steel. Screws held it in place and while the resin cured I sculpted the squeeze-out inside the fenders to ensure a smooth transition from glass to steel. I then overlaid the joint with woven 'glass tape inside the fender, and fille the weave. Smooooooth.
What I should have done prior to that last step is peppered the steel adjacent to the glass flare with holes along the length of the joint, then ground the glass flare to be nearly flush, and epoxied glass tape to the inside AND outside. The resin would meet through the holes and make a very strong epoxy/glass/steel/epoxy/glass sandwich.
Next time.....




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-- Dave
Pics of my '73 project here: http://members.tripod.com/mike4g/dds73_b4pics.htm

[J P Stein]

Here is an example of what can be done with adding flares, just stretching the metal that is there.

Hope John Blonk doesn't mind me posting this.

JPIII

[This message has been edited by J P Stein (edited 07-29-2001).]

[J P Stein]

oops, better try again.

[oredith]

Mittelmotor (sorry, don't know your name),

i hope you guys aren't waiting for the AA steel flares.. i think they've been promising those for a couple of years now, taking people's deposits, but never producing any product.

it's actually one of the great examples people cite when complaining about AA, and their inability to deliver what they promise. I think i've even seen the ad in recent Excellence?..

just a FYI,

Jeff

[Eat-um-up]

Ive heard that fender flares lower the value of the car becouse you cut it up. is that true?

[Bleyseng]

Only if it's a 2.0l car (4 or 6)with less than 50,000 in orginal condition. Other than that I think it's a bonus, plus it looks good! Just think of all the big rubber you could use!
Geoff

[oredith]

the "value" of the car is really dependent on the buyer.. but as a general rule of thumb, non-flare fetches more money, UNLESS it's real-steel-flares..