can someone tell me how to make fender flares?
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can someone tell me how to make fender flares?
Why would you want to? Nothing says 1970's (worst styling period for custom cars ever)more than fender flares.
I would recommend you try to buy premade bolt-on flares, even if they are for a different body.
I have made them by wrapping a thick piece of foam rubber around the tire, with the edge sticking out beyond the fender. Cover with wax paper, grind the body, then lay fiberglass from the body, out onto the rubber, until it's at least 1/8 inch thick. Trim to shape, bondo, sand, paint.
thats your opinion .......:3dSMILE:Quote:
Originally posted by Don Hulgas
Why would you want to? Nothing says 1970's (worst styling period for custom cars ever)more than fender flares.
Some may think diffrent .
And if the guy wants fender flares ,who are you to tell him it looks bad ? :cool: :LOL:
T L
vettedreams ,
It just depends on how you want to go about it , and what type vehicle you are wanting flares for .
Many styles you can go with .
Stick with metal to metal , and glass to glass , as fiberglass doesnt bond very long to metal for any length of time ! The expansion and contraction of both materials are different and eventually cracking will occur.
If you are wanting metal flares , you can use 1/8"-1/4 " rod and form and tac weld it to the 1/4' s and fenders , then fill in with sheet metal , welding as you go .
Or make cardboard/ poster board paper templates then transfer patterns to sheet metal and weld to 1/4's and fenders .
With Fiberglass flares use cardboard templates and masking tape , then glass over the flares , then trim and bond to the glass , or wood templates , and glassing over them to make flares , then bond to vehicle .
SprayTech
Unlike some modifications u will literally be stuck with that one. Can u tell us what your plan is? Im interested.
Yeah, what paint said. I've used the same method myself and it works fine on 'glass cars. If you want flares on the Vet, done correctly they still look good. Try to find some pics of the old American Custom "Turbo" body kit option. It was hot in the late 70's-early 80's, should still be some of these cars around. Eckler's ( I think they have a new company name now) also used to make a couple of different styles.
Wow! Thanks for all the replies. I"ve got a 1947 Chevy Business coupe chop top, 4.5" s I"m told. It also has a 1979 Camaro front clip and rear end. I"ve gone through the chassis, built a 383 TPI engine. The thing is that the tires and rims were put on the chassis without the body on, so when I put the body on to motivate me again the tires stuck out past the rear fenders. The first thought was to make flares. The tires stick out about 2.5". The more I look at it the better it looks like it is.
Would it be possible to get rear wheels with a more backspacing in order to move the wheels in???? Or, narrow the rear end.
Another option, if you know a good sheetmetal welder, would be to split the fenders, and widen them.
I have a 48 (the same thing) and have a 79 Z28 Camaro front clip too. I hear these are too wide for 46-48, how is yours? Also you can buy 2 inch widened rear fenders for your car. Either that or make your own because it would be easy with these fenders. Can you post some pics of your car, I am interested in seeing how it looks, etc. I want to air bag mine with my 79 front clip too, 383 stroker or 400 SBC, etc. Rear end I am not sure on yet.
Split the fenders.The bulging fenders were the look of those cars anyway,a good custom add on for that car would be to accent that look by a couple inches.
Oh yeah, widened rear fenders on these cars are nice anyways because the front fenders stock stick way out and the rear barely comes out so widening the backs kind of even the front and rear a tad more or at least help not look like such a drastic width. See what I mean here?
How much more clearance do you really need and want? 3 inches on each side would be PLENTY I am thinking. If your going to cut and reweld them then might as well go a tad bigger than 2 inches and go with the 3 and be more on the safe side too. What size tires are you trying to fit in the rear and what backspacing too?
The tires are already about 1" away from the frame rail and I really did not want the added $ for the narrowed rear. Could the split fenders be hammer/ dollied into shape? How far apart should the cuts be?
Split fenders will take work, but in the end, I believe it will be worth it.
With careful measurement, good cutting, work on the welds, and good blending, I thing, downt the road, you will be glad you did.
You put that much work into it so far, what is a little body work?
I think adding rubber, or glass add ons, if they are still available would be a quick fix, but I think you will always look back.
JCwhitney.com has some for a quick fix to get legal. They are rubber and look ok on a mud bogger. Just do not stop there.
Most any decent welder with a wire welder can do the welding. I do not mean a buzz box, I mean someone with experience and decent welding equipment. You can do the cutting, and blending. You can fabricate a wooden jig so he just has to stack nickles and concentrate on the weld.
I bet she is going to be a sweet heart. I hope you send some photos.
If you are asking about my suggestion, I meant to spit them down the middle, and weld a strip in, making the entire fender wider.
You can also buy 2" and 4" wider glass rear fenders through "Yogi's" rod shop, they have a web site. You can get a pretty hugh tire under them and they look stock.
It is not difficult to split the fender lengthwise, pull the outer portion of fender out to a point where it covers the tire adequately, then weld a filler strip into the gap. There is actually less pain in that than in fabricating fender flares. Make absolutely sure that the car is setting at ride height, and is level from side to side. Try and keep the split-line on the flattest area on the fender all around. I find that the best way to hold the outer section of fender true and "square" is to build a plywood jig that has one peice running along the floor that you can set a couple of cement blocks on, and one peice sticking up perfectly vertical that you can position against the side of the tire and screw the outer portion of fender to. (dont mind a few 1/8" holes, your going to do a lot of welding anyways, so they can be filled later.)
You can not cut one long peice of metal to fill the gap. Make cardboard templates, and keep the peices to a maximum length of about 4" long. Weld one into place near the front of the fender, one into place near the rear of the fender, and 2 evenly spaced on the top side of the fender. Weld them full length on each side, (about an inch at a time, then jump to a different one to prevent heat build up). When you have those 4 fully welded, you remove the plywood jig to give you better access, then cut and weld peices to fill in the rest of the gaps. Use the same gauge of steel as the fenders are made of, (20 gauge), and use butt welds with a mig. Use magnets on the back side of the fenders to keep the filler strips flush with the original fender surface. I try to leave about 1/32" gap between the peices to be welded to ensure 100 percent penetration, and use 0.020 weld wire to prevent a large bead build up.----don't even think about gas welding this----mig with a gas bottle is what you need to use.
Knock the weld bead down first with a 3" x 1/16 wheel on a die grinder, then with a multi flap disc.
If you take your time and do this right, you can do it with almost no bondo.
Yep, Brian dialed it in. That is the best way, lasts the longest, and can be made almost invisible without Bondo.
Pay attention to the heat build up. It will distort the finished item. Take your time, think it through, make templates, and just feel good.
Thanks again, Buying the aftermarket wider fenders sounds good but the joint between the fender and body have already been filled and smoothed by the last owner. I"m working on the gas conversion kit for my Mig.
Ok, maybe I was a little insensitive in asking him why he would want flares, but I think every one of you agrees a 47 Chev with a chop would not exactly be cool with flares. With all the resources we have in 2005 there are too many options to have to resort to something that we did in the 70's.
The reverse offset wheels, or a narrower (or narrowed) rear axle could tuck them under the fenders, and seperate his car from one that is just thrown together.
The point tho Don, is that VetteDreams asked HOW to make them, not what we THINK of them. Besides, with that 39 Dodge...you have probably encountered a lil bit of controversy yourself...sometimes we do stuff just cause it's ours and we can...it's his car.
;)
True, but if you have built and seen enough cars in your lifetime you have seen things on cars that make you say "what the h*** was he thinking when he did that?
A perfect example is an all steel '32 Ford in my hometown. It is a chopped 5 window, full fendered, and totally traditional. Great orange paint, steel wheels, nice rake.......totally gorgeous.
BUT, the guy is a Harley lover, so he had the interior done in brown leather, with fringed saddlebags and all. I'm not talkin' nice tan leather, I'm talkin' Studs and fringe everwhere.
Every cruise or show he goes to, people walk up, look inside, and walk away shaking their heads. He ruined what was an otherwise terrific rod because "it was his car and he could do what he wanted."
You can say what you want, but if you put a bunny fur interior in your tranam,it will be crappy, no matter how you try to justify it. There is taste and there is lack of taste, and that was the point I was trying to convey.
PS looked at you car pix....nice ride.
Seems like a lot of people are pretty interested in what the man is doing.... :HMMM:
"makes ya take a second look at that lucky shifter and bunny butt seats idea ya was dream'n up hu? Mr.Hulgas ! :3dSMILE: "
Just don't knock a guy for asking a question, is all we ask around here << ..... ;)
we try and moderate our self if possible.
Stop, drink a cup of coffee and think about what your typing before you hit post " & stop me if you see me doing it 2 " :LOL: ...
TL
Or maybe the guy is like me and just doesn't really give a flip what anyone else thinks of his ride....... I remember a bunch of Vettes, Camaros, Mustangs and the like from the 70's with rear flares done correctly that looked fine. It's not so much what is done to a car as it is HOW it is done to the car. Fit, finish, and detail far out weighs what is or isn't currently fashionable......... JMO
Or me! I would rather see polka dots on cars than see everybody chase their tails doing the same thing. After almost 50 years as an enthusiast, the most boring thing I can imagine is a car built the same way everyone else builds. If I see another black '32 highboy roadster with white-yellow-orange flames, and a blue pinstripe, I'll...........fall asleep!
I like the way some of the rat rods are built, because some of the builders are using unusual bodies and parts. One thing I dislike about them is the trend to paint them all the same color. Where is the "outlaw" attitude, when they all start to imitate each other?
If that is the way this hobby goes, I think I'll start selling license frames that say "Outlaw Sheep Car Club", or "No Club...Lone Sheep".
I find it amusing that I get an occasional customer who says: "I don't have any idea what I want. Just do something that everyone will like". The only thing that saves my sanity is that I also get customers who say: "I don't care if anyone else likes it, as long as I do!" Now there is an individual!!! :-)~
Don,
I totally understand what you're saying. There's lots of cars that i look at and go...huh...wow...that's just really freaking dumb looking...but then i look at the driver and i can tell by the way they handle the car...if they look like they feel cool...more power to em.
But, my point is...
VetteDreams isn't asking you what you think of it. He's asking how to do it. PERIOD.
Jeri
...with the soon to be tasteless cheetah seatcovers...and maybe some dice....may even paint my pontiac engine... orange :o ....;)
Outlaw Sheep!!! I really like that:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
Good! We've accomplished what a forum is supposed to be, a pulling of opinions and experiences. You have your opinions and I have mine.
You all seem to think the original question was how to build flares. I read it differently...he was asking how to get his tires to clear the fenders. Flares were just one of the possibilities he had considered.
My opinion was that, if he were able to tuck the tires under the fenders, it would fit the overall look of this chopped chevy better. What is puzzling me is why the tires stick out so far in the first place. If the front is the only part of the frame that has been changed, what has created the clearance problem in the rear? Fat tires?
He says his tires are 1 inch from the frame now. If he has a stock Chevy frame front clipped, there should not be this little clearance issue unless he is running fat Mickey's on the rear. Maybe the previos owner slid another frame under the car.
I'd like more info, because I would bet there is an easier better way to do it than flares.
In any event, thanks for all the stimulating feedback guys, I love a healthy exchange of opinions like this one generated. Bench racing at it's best.
Now I have to run to the garage ,,,,,,I'm going to wallpaper the tripower 394 Olds I'm building for the Dodge pickup.Wow! It feels so liberating not to care what other people think.
Anyone can tell what a 47 Chevy frame looks like. He has a Camaro rear end under the car if I remember correctly.
Don, you"re killin me!!!!!!!! At first I was thinking that the flares where the only way out, didn"t want to buy the bigger fenders, didn"t want to narrow the rear, money issue also. The rear frame rail is stock 1947 G.M and I"m not able to narrow the rear end because the tires are already close to the frame rails. I really should have done some more homework on the rear tire/rim selection, but $500 for the Firestone Hawks and Pacer Pro star rims I just could not pass up, that was for 4 tires and rims brand new, and now I"m paying for it! I think the split fender widening method sounds like the way I"m going. My ? about that way, do you split the whole fender ? Or do you leave some of the fender in tack? Thanks again for all the input, I feel important!!!!
Lengthwise you spilt the whole thing down. Like someone on here said, find the flattest spot on the fender. Where I would do it (since my car is the same as yours) is at the very top where it's kind of round before it bolts to the car. That will be the only spot to do it. Also how is that 79 front clip of yours fitting? Does it fit well? I have the same clip but not sure if it's too wide or not.
I will try to post some pics soon. I have not yet put the front clip on yet, almost afraid to! Well here goes, guess I"m going to cut her tonight . Also thought about channeling the body to set the tires up underneath for that "bad" look.
Vettedreams---ya cut the whole fender off at the "split line" (which you determine). If you leave any of it intact, then you can't pull it out the 2" or whatever you require.---go back and read the answer I gave you earlier. Thats why you use a plywood "jig" to get the "cut-off" portion aligned correctly before you start welding things again. You sure don't want to go to all that work and put it back together all cock-eyed crooked. I see that whoever you bought the car from has molded the fender to the body---be aware that the heat from welding a strip full length of the fender to widen it is going to totally destroy all the filler that the guy used. I hope that if you have cut it all ready that you used a pneumatic cut-off wheel or a good sabre saw to make the cut. (I have seen people try and do this with a torch---Oh Ugly, ugly, ugly.) I am old and jaded, and I well know that a "red hot deal" and lack of planning up front can cause a ton of heart ache and extra work at the other end to avoid something that looks like a cobbled up mess.
Yeah Brians idea with the jig is a good one. If you don't make some kind of jig then you will have different looking fenders on both sides and picky people will notice it and never stop giving you hell about it. There is another way to do this too but probably way too hard to type it out here.
Get a book called "Metal Fabricator's Handbook" by Ron and Sue Fournier. Probably one of the best books I have bought so far to teach you the basics of making your own metal forming tools, buying them at a good price, making jigs to make COMPLETE front end grilles, roll cages, chassis, exhaust and headers, gas tanks and way more. Check this out and it should help you so you can feel more comfortable cutting up your fenders. www.Amazon.com has the book and it's where I got mine from. Fournier makes more books and they are good as well I am pretty sure because the guy is one of the best metal fabricators ever next to a few others.
I belive this is one of those 'problems' which is actually a gem.
Your tire/wheel selection is going to force you to widen the fenders... way cool, and more custom is better, right?
The plywood jig is the way to go. But one thing I would add.. don't weld the filler strip in pieces. Make a form and hammerform the fill strip.
After you cut the fender, you can put a piece of cardboard up to the cut edge, and transfer the body line exact.
Next, get some MDF and cut it to the profile, about six inches wide. Stack the pieces until it is wide enough to form the strip. Glue the pieces to gether, forming a top and bottom form. Think precision.. the finished piece will be only as good as the form.
Now, just cut some nice fresh 20 GA to length and width, plus about a quarter inch in width.
Pinch the fill strip between the two forms, using a bunch of C clamps to squeeze the forms together. The piece should protrude equally about 1/8" .
Now, gently hammer the protruding strips up around the form, so they will protrude to the top. When you got the edges formed all the way around, then you are done. Un-clamp the form and remove your center strip, now perfectly formed as if it were factory pressed!
The two 1/8" lips will allow the strip to keep its form, and will give extra stability against warpage while you weld. Once you have it all welded up, just grind away the lips.
Firebird77---Not necessary to build a hammerform, etcetera. That method has merits for some applications, but not this one. Old Chevy fenders are humoungus, and it would be damn near impossible to do what you suggest. Hammerforms are good for 3 dimensional curves and "complex shapes, but they are not required in a situation like widening a fender. And yes---you do need to put the filler strip in in peices. If you haven't done this yourself, don't try and advise someone on how to do it. Reading Ron Covell books does not qualify someone to give advise. That filler strip is going to end up being about 48" long, and there is no way in Hell to line everything up so perfect that you can do it in one peice.
Brian is right, you have to do it in MULTIPLE pieces. The way the 46-48 chevy rear fenders are shaped are weird... They are rounded out and just don't keep one round shape, it changes and widens and then narrows. Hard to explain and too hard to see in a picture.
Hey Vettedream , what width wheel is on the car now?