steel or fiberglass gt fender flars Options

[stevenhaas]

I just bought my first 914 and it just showed up this morning from the west coast. So needless to say, I’m new to the board and the car…. My first order of business is to start collecting parts needed to begin body work. This leads me to my question:

Steel GT fenders VS Fiberglass.

Has anyone used fiberglass fenders on their street cars??? Have they cracked??? Have they held up to the true test of time??? Or should I save up and get the steel ones??

Thanks for any feedback!

[Brando]

What are your intentions with the car? If you're wanting to track it then going with fiberglass would be better... shave some weight if you do complete F/G fenders. If it's just a daily driver or for looks, thens teel shouldn't be a problem...

I haven't bought F/G or steel fenders from anyone so I'm not sure who your best bet is. Just like with all body work there's a chance you'll get fenders that need a lot of work to fit right because of tool marks, lots of scrap/flashing left... Don't know for sure though.

[bondo]

STEEL! Every fiberglass flared car I've seen had some visible blemish or crack. Go steel and butt weld it. You won't be sorry.

[Eric_Shea]

I've had both...

Depends on what you want in the end. If you want to keep a really pristine GT flared car then steel would be a worthy investment. The new steel flares out there are a good deal. Check Pelican Parts.

If the glass work has been done properly then they should last a good long time. Like any job worth doing, it's all in the prep work. You "must" grind the adhesion area down to bare metal on the top and the bottom of the fender. You need to lay-up cloth behind and use Vette-Bond to mate them to the fender. Cover the top coat with a product called Mar-Glass. Fillers have come a LONG way recently. Can they crack? Yup... but if done right I don't see why they would have to.

Budget and purpose. If you've got the dough, go steel. It will require a lot more than just the fender flares. A good welder will charge $900-$2,000.00 to put them on. I also agree with the Steel = Street and Glass = Race thing (sort of). Not for weight (cause the glass ones probably weight about the same) but if you're going to race and you might be banging into things (like 911's that won't get out of the way), then glass is an easy weekend repair.

[SirAndy]

i got FG flares on my car. haven't cracked in 15+ years. if done right they'll last ...

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif) Andy

[Jeroen]

depends on the quality of the flares and bonding
I had f/g flares on my VW Scirocco and they were so strong, I could lift the car from the fenderlip (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

[don9146]

QUOTE (Jeroen @ Apr 9 2005, 06:39 PM)

depends on the quality of the flares and bonding I had f/g flares on my VW Scirocco and they were so strong, I could lift the car from the fenderlip (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

It also depends on how sound the car is structurally, which I would assume is THE reason Andy's hasn't cracked yet. A Scirocco will be MUCH structurally stronger in torsion and longitudinally when compared with a new 914, much less one that is 30 years old with unknown rust issues.
Body flex in a 914 will literally pull fibergalss flares from the car if the bond is weak or crack the flares if the bond is strong. On a street car, I would go with steel flares. On a race caar with a roll cage to stiffen the chassis and because of the wheel-to-wheel fender rubbing, I would go with fibergalss.

[Jeroen]

if you have THAT much twisting on such a small area of the car, you have other things to worry about than cracked f/g (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

[don9146]

QUOTE (Jeroen @ Apr 9 2005, 09:51 PM)

if you have THAT much twisting on such a small area of the car, you have other things to worry about than cracked f/g (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

Before the rusted longitudinals were fixed on my car, the windsheild would rattle every time I crossed railroad tracks! After it was fixed (and the Brad Mauyer stiffening kit installed), there is still cowl shake, but not so much it is scary.
With no roof, the longitudinals are the ONLY part of the car that resist torsional flex (i.e. chassis twisting). And with this car being drawn-up before CAD/CAM was available, it probably doesn't have one-tenth the resistance of a modern convertible, much less a current car with a permanent roof. And this is with a stock suspension. If the car is modified with current performance tires and upgraded suspension components, the effects are multiplied.
So yes, chassis flex will cause the flares to separate.

[boxstr]

I currently have three cars with flares. One steel flared car and two glass flared cars. I like the idea of steel, but I have to admit the glass flares look excellent, majority of that is the installation was done correctly.
Here is a pic of the six with glass flares, built by Dan Root.
CCLINFLAREFORFASHION

[Joe Bob]

Looks like a slab sided 1.8 to me.... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool_shades.gif)

[Aaron Cox]

QUOTE ("Z" @ Apr 9 2005, 09:32 PM)

Looks like a slab sided 1.8 to me.... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool_shades.gif)

lol... he changed the pic. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[boxstr]

Steel flared car.
CCLINFLAREME

[Joe Bob]

Yeah....well. I was talking about Craig.....

CCLWITHFLATSIDES

[boxstr]

Looked like it to me, not anymore.
CCLINQUICKFLARES

[boxstr]

This is a V8 with glass flares, front flare recently installed by Dan Root. Another excellnt job.
CCLINBULGINGTHIGHS

[Joe Bob]

Bulgey is gud.... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/clap.gif)

[Jeroen]

QUOTE (don9146 @ Apr 10 2005, 05:10 AM)

QUOTE (Jeroen @ Apr 9 2005, 09:51 PM) if you have THAT much twisting on such a small area of the car, you have other things to worry about than cracked f/g (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif) Before the rusted longitudinals were fixed on my car, the windsheild would rattle every time I crossed railroad tracks! After it was fixed (and the Brad Mauyer stiffening kit installed), there is still cowl shake, but not so much it is scary. With no roof, the longitudinals are the ONLY part of the car that resist torsional flex (i.e. chassis twisting). And with this car being drawn-up before CAD/CAM was available, it probably doesn't have one-tenth the resistance of a modern convertible, much less a current car with a permanent roof. And this is with a stock suspension. If the car is modified with current performance tires and upgraded suspension components, the effects are multiplied. So yes, chassis flex will cause the flares to separate.

yes, a 914 chassis will twist
but to say that the f/g flares will crack because of that is a lot of (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/bs.gif) IMHO

[BIGKAT_83]

Got to admit that the f/g flares will crack after time. Mine held great for the first 18years but started coming loose in one place 2 years ago and caused a hair line crack in the paint.

Maybe the bonding agents are better now than in 1984. I sure hope so. I would hate to have to redo it in 20 more years.


(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smilie_pokal.gif) Bob

[don9146]

QUOTE (Jeroen @ Apr 10 2005, 11:52 AM)

QUOTE (don9146 @ Apr 10 2005, 05:10 AM) QUOTE (Jeroen @ Apr 9 2005, 09:51 PM) if you have THAT much twisting on such a small area of the car, you have other things to worry about than cracked f/g (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif) Before the rusted longitudinals were fixed on my car, the windsheild would rattle every time I crossed railroad tracks! After it was fixed (and the Brad Mauyer stiffening kit installed), there is still cowl shake, but not so much it is scary. With no roof, the longitudinals are the ONLY part of the car that resist torsional flex (i.e. chassis twisting). And with this car being drawn-up before CAD/CAM was available, it probably doesn't have one-tenth the resistance of a modern convertible, much less a current car with a permanent roof. And this is with a stock suspension. If the car is modified with current performance tires and upgraded suspension components, the effects are multiplied. So yes, chassis flex will cause the flares to separate. yes, a 914 chassis will twist but to say that the f/g flares will crack because of that is a lot of (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/bs.gif) IMHO

Can anyone think of another reason why the following scenario occurred:

A FG flared 914 owner's flares would separate from the body, so he used an aerospace glue to bond the flares to the car. The new adhesive worked great, but now that the flares will not separate from the car, the flares cracked. To me, that seems like an obvious problem with chassis flex.

I hope that I'm wrong and everyone with fiberglass flares has no issues, the owner of the car lives long and propers, the seed from his loins is fruitful in the belly of his woman, etc. I also promise that if anyone's fiberglass flares separate from their car or cracks I will not say "I told you so!" since I gave that phrase up in the 3rd grade.

Later,
Don