GT flares Fiberglass vs. steel, advantage / disadvantage Options

[Dirty Evo]

ok... so what are the DISADVANTAGES of fiberglass GT flares as opposed to steel fender flares? this would be for primarily a fun track car (non-competative, just HPDE) maybe occasional street use very seldom.

Should I avoid something with fiberglass? or is it not really a big deal ?

[Porcharu]

For a track car I would use fiberglass - you can get bigger flares and if you rivet them on they are a whole lot easier to replace if you break one. If I do a track car it will have FG flares - the street car is going to be steel.
Steve

[Rand]

I think the fiberglass is more prone to pitting and other wear damage over time. Might not seem to make sense because both steel and fg get painted, but the paint holds up better over steel because the material under it is so much harder and doesn't give when hit with dirt/debris from the road.

[RJMII]

Street car needs steel, so you can pick the car up by the fender still to fit the floor jack under it when it goes on jackstands.

[BenNC]

I'm replacing my FG flares with steel (street and track car).

FWIW - I thought I had the flares epoxied on really well. It took about 20 minutes with a heat gun and putty knife to get the first on off. The others will probably be faster.

[jmill]

Steel takes road debris way better. The FG ones will star crack on you from rock hits. You also can't butt weld fiberglass on. You'll have more filler if you bond FG on. I have seen FG flares bolted on very clean.

Here's Retrotech's car w/ FG:

[sean_v8_914]

COST.

[PeeGreen 914]

Coming from someone who has fiberglass flares I would have to say I really have no clue if one is better than the other (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) . After learning how easy the glass is to repair and work with it is really not an issue to fix. Sure the metal "should" be better for a street car I guess. I would say if you have a real 6 and you are making a GT clone out of true factory flares it would matter for the return$. For a track car... dunno if it really makes a big difference one way or the other.

[pbanders]

FWIW, my car has fiberglas flares. They were installed in 1977, the car was repainted in 1982. They're still perfect, no cracks, no issues.

[retrotech]

Fiberglass, Light weight!!! The gift that keeps on giving. The cheapest HP you will ever get is less weight.

[Root_Werks]

For a track car I would use fiberglass - you can get bigger flares and if you rivet them on they are a whole lot easier to replace if you break one. If I do a track car it will have FG flares - the street car is going to be steel.
Steve

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

I've put on a number of FG flares and they all seemed to have lasted years, one set over a decade now. If you do FG right, they are fine for street use. But if I had a choice, it'd be steel for street and probably removable FG for track use.

It's mostly about cost I wager. It was for me when I did FG flares. Just didn't have the funds at the time for steel flares.

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

steel also reinforces the body and makes the car much more valuable (no I am not tooting my own horn!!!!)

[jt914-6]

I've got steel flares and the car is a street/DE car. One advantage is it seems is FG flares let you use 9" rear wheels where it seems like the steel ones can only get 8" wheels. I've got three sets of wheels, 2 sets Fuchs/1set BBS and there is no way I can get any wider rears on. Maybe a differend inside offset in a 9" would work. A friend had a 914 with FG flares and the rocks from the track/slicks began spider cracking the OUTSIDE of his paint on the rears...A dedicated track car would be better off with FG...Have another friend who has FG flares and his 9" BBS fit just fine. We're going to try his 9's on my rear and see if they will go, but I'm betting they won't....

[iamchappy]

On fiberglass when you paint stick to light colors. The use of great stuff expanding foam on the inside of the flares will eliminate star cracks from damage caused by rocks and stones.

[DBCooper]

steel also reinforces the body and makes the car much more valuable (no I am not tooting my own horn!!!!)

No? Well of course you are!

So here you are, Doc. I assumed you'd be absent until the website thing got all straightened out. You commenting yet?

Edit: Oops, he was there when I posted, not there now. He'll be back....

[andys]

I've got steel flares and the car is a street/DE car. One advantage is it seems is FG flares let you use 9" rear wheels where it seems like the steel ones can only get 8" wheels. I've got three sets of wheels, 2 sets Fuchs/1set BBS and there is no way I can get any wider rears on. Maybe a differend inside offset in a 9" would work. A friend had a 914 with FG flares and the rocks from the track/slicks began spider cracking the OUTSIDE of his paint on the rears...A dedicated track car would be better off with FG...Have another friend who has FG flares and his 9" BBS fit just fine. We're going to try his 9's on my rear and see if they will go, but I'm betting they won't....

I'm nearly finished with the install of fiberglass flare, but also have a set of steel flares I recently bought. My 255/40/17 on 9" just barely fit the rear fiberglass flare and was wondering if those would fit under the steel flares. Let us know if the 9" fit.
Andys

[pcar916]

I've had fiberglass for 16 years with no worries. The only thing, which most know is for any rivets used during the installation to be drilled out and filled before painting.

They expand at a different rate from the surrounding fiberglass/filler and eventually bubble up the paint. But fiberglass is a cinch to repair.

Good Luck

[J P Stein]

The FG ones will star crack on you from rock hits.

There is a simple way to avoid that. It adds ounces to the weight and won't absorb water.

[andys]

The FG ones will star crack on you from rock hits.

There is a simple way to avoid that. It adds ounces to the weight and won't absorb water.

Care to share with us what that would be?

Andys

[jt914-6]

I've had fiberglass for 16 years with no worries. The only thing, which most know is for any rivets used during the installation to be drilled out and filled before painting.

They expand at a different rate from the surrounding fiberglass/filler and eventually bubble up the paint. But fiberglass is a cinch to repair.

Good Luck

Ron, wondering minds want to know......We have to see if your 9's fit under my steel flares.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)