body parts and compatability?, my AA flares were WAY off!! Options

[degreeoff]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif) Hello all and happy Sunday to you,

I just ran into an interesting situation with my 914-gt. I was measuring up my GT side skirts, front and rear valance on a car I had put AA flares on some years ago, and BAM the skirts AND F&R valances were coming up short ....as in the place where the peices should have met the flare on the wheel well were 1.5" off/shy all the way around.....For those of us who have put the fiberglass flares on know it isn't as though you can easily torque these things out of shape as they are compound shaped and fairly ridgid.

WTF?? thats my question. All the other parts are from RENSPEED and so I did the next logical thing and ordered a new set from them after a lengthy phone call to make sure this was'nt an ongoing issue with their stuff.

OFF came the old and I'll have the new by wed. but what a BEE ATCH!

Any one else run into a prob like this???

Josh

[Joe Bob]

AA....enuff said....

[tdgray]

Yep What he said.

Count yourself lucky if this gets resolved.

I would guess that all parts have some fine tuning that has to be done. I'll admit that sounds like way too much.

Good luck.

[LvSteveH]

I had to extend my rennspeed GT rockers by 1.5- 2" to get them line up with the flares on my six. There is some discretion on the placement when installing fender flares. How did you determine the placement of the flares when you installed them?

[degreeoff]

I believe I centered them over the wheels.....and then I made custom skirts and bumpers so was not able to tell if they were off....I could caulk it up to my error IF the F&R valences were not off too and all about the same amount 1.5" all the way around....If I get the new flares in(from renspeed) and they dont match up with renspeeds stuff I already have they are REALLY going to hear from a PISSED off (and on ) idividual.

When I say they are off I mean they ALL come up short by 1.5" as though the AA flares were too narrow at the bottom of the car

[SirAndy]

are we talking steel flares? if so, the AA steel flares are *good* quality and fit nicely.

having said that, you absolutely *NEED* to mount the flares and flared rockers at the *same* time, otherwise they will NEVER fit ...

basically, you need to mount the flared rockers and then position the flares to mate up with the rockers ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Andy

[Series9]

I recommend against placing the flares on the car by using fiberglass GT parts as guides. If I had done so on the RS, the flares would be in the wrong place.

The flares should be centered over the wheel.

I eventually gave up on fiberglass rockers and decided to modify my steel rockers to fit. I also modified a standard fiberglass rear valence to fit the flares. Up front, I got a fiberglass GT valence to fit close enough.

[SirAndy]

I recommend against placing the flares on the car by using fiberglass GT parts as guides. If I had done so on the RS, the flares would be in the wrong place.

i guess that entirely depends on the quality of the FG rockers ...

i think the placement is pretty good on my car, FG flared rockers and FG flares positioned to fit the rockers.
the center of the flare might not be *exactly* over the center of the hub/wheel, but it all lines up pretty well.

i think.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Andy

[BKLA]

Going thru the stuff that my PO gave me when I purchased the blue GT conversion, I found some FG flaired end molds for the rocker panels. The PO told be that he didn't like the way the fiberglass rockers looked and worked with the flairs so he made up his own and modified the ends of the steel rockers. They look great on my car - and only the flaired edge is 'glass.

I was going to talk to Craig / Camp 914 about these and if there is interest, I could check to see what the cost would be to make up some.

Whaddya think??

[nomore9one4]

I had the exact same problem with my front flares that I purchased from Tweeks.if you measured the wheel well width they were 1.5" off form the drivers side to the passengers side.they may buy theirs from the same source as AA (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) Its a pain when you get to far along to stop to send them back. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[nomore9one4]

Going thru the stuff that my PO gave me when I purchased the blue GT conversion, I found some FG flaired end molds for the rocker panels. The PO told be that he didn't like the way the fiberglass rockers looked and worked with the flairs so he made up his own and modified the ends of the steel rockers. They look great on my car - and only the flaired edge is 'glass.

I was going to talk to Craig / Camp 914 about these and if there is interest, I could check to see what the cost would be to make up some.

Whaddya think??

I would be interested.

[degreeoff]

The real PITA is I have now added mucho work to my rustoration part dou, the AA flares were already on and sanded and painted for 6 yrs and I had the pleasure of grinding off the 50 SS rivets from each fender and wacking em ALL off with a mallet.......I'll say this they were a BEECH to get off.....

Progress report is as follows, rear pans welded in , full cage to include susp tie in, T4 engine mounts gone and the bottom only has a WEE bit left to be striped to bare metal (includes engine bay) DONT worry I have taken pics of it as I go but it will be a 6 mo project and I myself HATE having to visit a thread over and over to see progress...I'll post a HUGE thread when I am done (enough).

PS I'll do the sirandy bit and see if all the peices will line up BEFORE I attach it....

Thanks again for all the input...I may be a smart ass but there is a great wealth of knowlage here and it is GOOD...

A lil tease though...my spinner rotissseriii thingy (built from AA plans {FREEBIE}) makes it a hell of alot easier..

[jasons]

Going thru the stuff that my PO gave me when I purchased the blue GT conversion, I found some FG flaired end molds for the rocker panels. The PO told be that he didn't like the way the fiberglass rockers looked and worked with the flairs so he made up his own and modified the ends of the steel rockers. They look great on my car - and only the flaired edge is 'glass.

I was going to talk to Craig / Camp 914 about these and if there is interest, I could check to see what the cost would be to make up some.

Whaddya think??

Dude you need to bust those things out. I wondered why someone hadn't made glass flared ends to bond to steel rockers.

[914Sixer]

I had the factory steel flares put on my car. The bodyman plut them on in the center of the wheel arches like they were susposed to be. I waited about 6 months before I ordered the flares from A.I.R. Then the problems arose. My flared rockers were way off. I sawed the ends off the flared rockers and glassed them to another set of stock style fiberglass rockers. I DO NOT RECOMMEND A.I.R flares. They are cheaply made and do not fit!! Of course they come with the disclaimer thay some modification is NECESSARY!!! Yeah, right.

[scotty b]

Alright I'm gonna have to go underground after this posting but for the community I'll do it. This is kinda like the magician that gave away the secrets, I WILL be hated by the auto motive community for divuldging this BUT.......aftermarket panels NEVER fit perfectly and RARELY fit right!! I do between 1-3 collision jobs a week in addition to this restoration werk and can assure you that NO aftermarket part fits correctly. Typically there will be a semi-poor fitment PLUS there may be mounting holes missing and we deal with a good supplier. Case in point is a Jeep Wrangler i am finishing up, hood was decent pass fender fit like poo and doesn't have the mounting holes fot the rubber hood rest. You'll always have to beat it like a horny monkey to make it fit

[Eric_Shea]

My AIR rockers fit my factory steel flares (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[SirAndy]

My AIR rockers fit my factory steel flares (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

OMG that was you? i always thought it was a myth when people talked about the "one" ...

the one happy AIR customer that is ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) Andy

[Phoenix-MN]

I can't remember who I got this from but these measurements were said to be taken from a REAL 916 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) I used the rockers and the measurements to place mine and it worked out well.
Paul