Fender flares

Vegas_M · Postby **Vegas_M** » 19 Mar 2012 23:22

Hi all,

My TR7V8 project has progressed. Engine and drivetrain is complete. No I am onto body work. I put on larger wheels and the rear arches look way out of proportion. I started looking to buy a set of fiberglass flares. However, I really didn't like any of the rally ones available. They were either too wide (I am only looking for a one inch extension) or just plain ugly (to my eyes).

I did order a spoiler and front flares from Robsport. Have to say that I wasn't overly pleased with the fit or finish of either ones. The front spoiler fit after I added a 1/2inch spacer in the middle when I joined it up again where they cut it for shipping. It might have been able to spring out, but I hate it being under tension.

The front flares really don't fit very well at all. I'd have to stretch them at least 1.5" at the bottoms to get them to fit and even them I probably would have to do some major modifications to get them to fit snugly. Oh well. The joys of living on the west side of the Atlantic.

Mike Perkins, who is building a lovely rally semi-replica to run in the Targa Newfoundland rally, has a set of "narrow forest" rear flares that he got from a gent in Belgium, that I really like but doesn't have any spare ones to sell. A pic from Mike:

So finally I decided to make my own ones similar to the narrow forest rear flares. First thing I did was make a template out of cardboard.

When I was happy with the basic shape, I covered it with spray insulating foam to make a plug that I will use to build the flare on.

Then I trimmed the foam to shape.

Next I covered it in a layer of body filler to make a rigid plug to build on. FYI - I put a layer of masking tape on the car before I foamed it. The whole plug should peel off the car without too much trouble.

I did the same process on the other side of the car yesterday. Tomorrow I will start to sand it to the final shape I want, hence all the plastic to keep the dust to a confined space.

Then it's a heavy coat or two of wax and fiberglass layup. As the flares will be painted to same colour as the finished car, I'm trying to decide if I should just build one set on the plugs and not worry about gel coat, or should build molds off of the plugs and do the layup from the molds. Decisions, decisions.

More pics once the shapes are finalized and ready to fiberglass.

M.

Martin

[url="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BxOL0HRH5pDeNWRlOTVhZjgtMWE1Mi00ZWNiLWE3ZGYtOWNiODU1Y2JjOGQ0&hl=en_GB"]My TR7v8 Document Repository[/url]

Spectatohead · Postby **Spectatohead** » 20 Mar 2012 01:23

Looking pretty good there Martin. Mike Perkins has told me that mine are the narrow forest flares. I don't know for sure, they were on the car when I bought it. I do really like them though.

Jim Clark
'80 TR8
'97 Maxima 5spd

RJS · Postby **RJS** » 20 Mar 2012 01:56

Tim (mb4tim / http://www.morspeedperformance.com/parts.cfm) is the expert on fiberglass on this site.

When I did my hardtop, he was extremely helpful.

Good luck,
Rob

john 215 · Postby **john 215** » 20 Mar 2012 04:49

Hi Martin,

Look good mate, if you cant find what you want build your own [8D]

When i put the front spoiler on my DHC it needed lots of work to get it to fit also [:(!]

Keep us updated please

Cheers John

LIVE LIFE A QUARTER OF A MILE AT A TIME!

1976 Speke FHC Beauty

1979 3.5 FHC(STATUS PENDING!!)

1982 2.0 DHC NOW A 4.6,ON THE ROAD NOW KICKING AR5E !!!!

trekcarbonboy · Postby **trekcarbonboy** » 20 Mar 2012 11:15

Looks great! You did a fine job with those.

I would definately think about making molds, you never know when one might get damaged.

Craig '75 2.0 FHC

FI Spyder · Postby **FI Spyder** » 20 Mar 2012 13:22

Way to go....make your own. Jim's flares look right, aggressive yet not out of place. You wouldn't go wrong emulating them. They look good, even from the rear (when we were got heck for speeding in the entrance road to Portland International Racetrack.)[:p][}:)]

- - - - TR7 Spider - - - - - - - - 1978 Spitfire - - - - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - - Yellow TCT

mb4tim · Postby **mb4tim** » 20 Mar 2012 16:18

Rimmer's sells flares - and they aren't that expensive, even with shipping.

http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID006165

If the spray foam is too messy, you can also use the green floral foam from a craft shop, hot glued to the masking tape on the body.

Additional layers can be added with gorilla glue. Don't hot glue the foam together, as it doesn't sand well.

-Tim
http://www.morSpeedPerformance.com

Vegas_M · Postby **Vegas_M** » 20 Mar 2012 17:22

I looked at the Rimmers flares, but they are too wide for my tastes. About 3" wide. I'd need REALLY wide rims and tires to fill the opening then.. [:D]

The spay foam wasn't too bad, once I got the hang of it. Once it was tacky, I realized that I could use strips of cardboard to press it back, closer to the shape I wanted. This had three positive effects:
1. less foam residue stuck to my fingers (plastic gloves? not for real men! [V])
2. kept or minimized voids from forming in the foam
3. made the cured foam denser and easier to work with

I don't have any pics of the cardboard trick, done to the LH side of the car, which I figured out after I spent a fair amount of time filling voids on the RH side. [:(!]

Martin

[url="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BxOL0HRH5pDeNWRlOTVhZjgtMWE1Mi00ZWNiLWE3ZGYtOWNiODU1Y2JjOGQ0&hl=en_GB"]My TR7v8 Document Repository[/url]

Triumph TR7V8 coupÃ© · Postby **Triumph TR7V8 coupÃ©** » 21 Mar 2012 07:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Vegas_M

The spay foam wasn't too bad, once I got the hang of it. Once it was tacky, I realized that I could use strips of cardboard to press it back, closer to the shape I wanted.

Martin

[url="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BxOL0HRH5pDeNWRlOTVhZjgtMWE1Mi00ZWNiLWE3ZGYtOWNiODU1Y2JjOGQ0&hl=en_GB"]My TR7v8 Document Repository[/url]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hi,

Nice work indeed.
Just one question; do you have any information about the spacers you use how do you bolt them on and what are the dimensions also do you use spacers in the front?

Regards, J.

Vegas_M · Postby **Vegas_M** » 21 Mar 2012 10:40

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Triumph TR7V8 coupÃ©

Hi,

Nice work indeed.
Just one question; do you have any information about the spacers you use how do you bolt them on and what are the dimensions also do you use spacers in the front?

Regards, J.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'm not too sure what you mean by "spacers". The outside edge of the flares are 1" (25mm) outwards from the original fender rim, and follow the same shape as the rim opening. When I am ready, I will create recessed mount points for screws to bolt the flares to the body.

Depending on how they look when finished, I may make them removable and use a black plastic edging where it meets the body, or permanently bond them on and fair them in, similar to Jim's Green TR8.

M.

Martin

[url="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BxOL0HRH5pDeNWRlOTVhZjgtMWE1Mi00ZWNiLWE3ZGYtOWNiODU1Y2JjOGQ0&hl=en_GB"]My TR7v8 Document Repository[/url]

jclay (RIP 2018) · Postby **jclay (RIP 2018)** » 21 Mar 2012 13:34

So, why don't you and Tim do a deal so that Tim can build the flairs for everybody?

Clay

[url="http://web.me.com/jclaythompson/Site/Welcome.html"]My Triumph Site[/url], [url="http://web.me.com/jclaythompson/Technical"]Technical Stuff[/url], [url="https://public.me.com/jclaythompson"]My Public Folder[/url], [url="http://web.me.com/jclaythompson/tr8/Welcome.html"]My TR8 Site[/url]

mb4tim · Postby **mb4tim** » 21 Mar 2012 16:56

I thought about buying a set from Rimmers, but to buy them, make molds, it still cheaper for people to buy them from Rimmer's...LOL Mine might be a bit more solid, but that's a hard sell, some times.

If the Rimmer's units were to wide, I would have started with them and tightened them up. From scratch, it's too easy to not get them to match up without a ton of measurements and profile guides...

-Tim
http://www.morSpeedPerformance.com

Vegas_M · Postby **Vegas_M** » 21 Mar 2012 21:36

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by mb4tim
If the Rimmer's units were to wide, I would have started with them and tightened them up. From scratch, it's too easy to not get them to match up without a ton of measurements and profile guides...
Tim
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I thought about doing that, but opted for "a ton of measurements" instead. As I learned in Project Management training years ago, you can do it good, you can do it fast, you can do it cheaply, but you can only pick two of those...... [:0]

Back to sanding tonite. Should have some more pics by the weekend.

M.

Martin

[url="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BxOL0HRH5pDeNWRlOTVhZjgtMWE1Mi00ZWNiLWE3ZGYtOWNiODU1Y2JjOGQ0&hl=en_GB"]My TR7v8 Document Repository[/url]

darrellw · Postby **darrellw** » 21 Mar 2012 21:54

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Vegas_M

[quote]Originally posted by Triumph TR7V8 coupÃ©

Hi,

Nice work indeed.
Just one question; do you have any information about the spacers you use how do you bolt them on and what are the dimensions also do you use spacers in the front?

Regards, J.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'm not too sure what you mean by "spacers".
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I think he was asking about the wheel spacers/adapters that you have.

-Darrell

Darrell Walker
66 TR4A IRS-SC CTC67956L
81 TR8 SATPZ458XBA406206
Vancouver, WA, USA

Vegas_M · Postby **Vegas_M** » 21 Mar 2012 23:45

Ah, wheel spacers.... foolish me.
The spacers are 25mm thick, convert PCD to 4x100. I've got 16" rims with a 40mm offset & 205/55-16 tires. Here is a table that shows the differences:

My rims have 10mm less offset than optimal and my tires are an inch bigger in diameter, but nothing seems to rub when the car is on the ground. I did have to roll up the lip of the fender well to prevent the tires from rubbing, but that was it.

Martin

[url="https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BxOL0HRH5pDeNWRlOTVhZjgtMWE1Mi00ZWNiLWE3ZGYtOWNiODU1Y2JjOGQ0&hl=en_GB"]My TR7v8 Document Repository[/url]

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