I found some 8" "Centerline" wheels on Ebay afew months ago for $300. After I got them they are really "look-a-likes". They are not real Centerlines. These are one piece with fake rivets. Real Centerlines are two or three pieces. Oh well, they're 8" wide and weigh the same as my 7" Revolutions. But they also have a shollow backspacing so they stick out more. After the 225/50 tire is mounted, they end up being 5/8" wider at the tire and 1" wider on the car.

This is your typical 914 story. Where one thing leads to another.

To get my new 8" wheels to fit I needed to install GT flares. Back to Ebay I went. I found a set of fiberglass GT flares still in the box for $200. Now I take a jigsaw to my very nice, recently painted fender and cut the crap out of it. I then butt mounted the flare, instead of lapping it on.

I'm not done yet but here are some pictures.

Paul

Here is the new (to me) 8" FAKE Centerline.

Here is the differance.

Time to cut. Jigsaw, please.

Oh the pain!!!

Fit up and let the 'glassing begin...

Now time for the bondo...

How much weight do they add?

The wheels are the same weight, 7" vs. 8".

The flares will add a little, but not much. The f/g fenders I cut out were street weight not racing pieces, so they were relativly heavy. They were about 3/16" thick. The GT flares are thinner.

Paul

Will the maddness everstop
JM

more pain. this time on the right.

And the left side is coming along nicely...

will the flare on the right interfere (sp?) with your air-intake in the door ????

looks cool otherwise! can't wait to see the finished product.
Andy

I'm going to take out the NACA duct in the door. I couldn't get the f/g to bond to the ABS plastic of the duct. It kept cracking.

Paul

Problem.

When I installed the fender panel and bumper/spoiler for a test fit. Things didn't line up. The bottom edge of the fender was about an inch away from the edge of the spoiler. And the bumper at the turn signal was about 1/2" off.

see...

Its kinda hard to make out the line of the bumper in the last shot.

here is another...

huh? how could that be? isn't that the same fender that came off the car?

confused,
Andy

With fiberglass you can't pull it and hammer it into place so what to do?

Andy,

Yes same fender, but I cut so much out of the front, when I glassed in the flare I didn't hold the remaining piece in the correct position. I glassed in the flare while it was laying on the table, not mounted on the car.

Paul

Make some dive planes that cover the gap

So I drilled a few holes in the fender at the bending point to releave the stress of the glass. Then I used the c-clamps to hold it in the correct position. Than I built it up with glass. After it cures it will hold it's position. I'll than go on the inside and grind the glass off to get the weight out of it. Right now it about 3/8" thick. I'll get it down to about 1/8".

And I took some material off the outside surface of the bumper and will build up the inside of the bumper and than grind the outside again. To get it to where I need it.

A lot of work to build up than grinding off but by working both sides you can bring everything into line.

I could just mud it up with bondo but way too heavy and it could sperate from the glass if too thick.

Paul

I'm going to plan B.

I took some modelers putty and used it for filler. I spread it over the area and applied two layers of 1.5 oz cloth. That way when I grind from the back side and I get into the putty I know when to stop.

In the picture you can see the putty around the bottom of the turn signal openning. I've already covered the putty with cloth on the side.

Paul

wwww

make sure you wear a respirator.

seems like it'll be just fine!
Andy

My garage is covered in white dust from this little project. I take the yard blower and clean it out.

Paul

Paul I wish I'd known you were doing this project, as I'm sawing my car up to put flares on too. Good luck with the rest.

Come on over to my house and share the pain.

Paul

Hey Paul,

look'n good....

for your C-clamps, is that the brand or a constant reminder that you can turn the little handle on the tool???

Mike,

Sometimes my wife uses them and she'll take them and walk in the house. In a little while she'll come back into the garage and says, "These aren't big enough, they won't work." I'll have to take them and show her that they are "adjustable" when you turn that little handle.

Paul

Tonight I ground (grinded?) the f/g from the inside of the fender off. This left me with about 3/32" of glass which was enough to hold it's shape. Than I added another layer on the outside. I also layed up glass around the base of the turn signal as this was low and not meeting the bumper edge. Tomorrow nite I'll grind this down from the back side.

As you can see in the above pic the top edge of the spoiler end panel does not follow the curve of the flare. I'll change this by grinding the inside of the spoiler end panel until paper thin, than contour it to match the shape of the front of the flare. Than I'll add glass cloth back on it to strengthen it and hold the shape. I'll have to move the location of the dusz fastener so it is on a flatter section of the fender.

Paul

Wow Paul, I go out of town for the weekend and you go crazy.

I'll try to come by Saturday, if you're going to be home...

Looking good.

I'm back at it tonight. I found that the pieces still weren't lining up right so I decided to add a little "prestressing" to the glass. I rigged up a c-clamp and a line to pull the edge of the fender out. Than I glassed up the area. Hopefully tomorrow when I remove the clamp the fender will remain in position or close to it. You can see tha I pulled it out beyond the point that it hits the end piece of the spoiler.

I'm also fitting the fender so it butts up to the end of the bumper. On a stock car the fender tucks under or inside the bumper on the ends. Why? well its less work to butt the pieces together than it is to have everything interlock.

I also took my grinder to the back side of the spoiler end plate so I can pull it out to meet the lower fender line.

If everything holds and lines up when I release the clamps tomorrow, I'll take the belt sander to it and take off the high spots of the glass. Than I'll put the first layer of bondo on it. Most of the first layer will get sanded off anyway but its easier to see what you have after that first bondo pass. If the glass gets too thin after the belt sander I'll add a layer of glass on the inside.

Paul

This is not your typical f/g job because with f/g you want to be working from a mold. So the finish side of your piece is toward the smooth side of the mold. You lay up the glass in a mold, the glass cures, you pop it from the mold and with a little sanding you're done. When you're working like I am, I working on the unfinshed side of the part so I have to glass, grind, belt sand, bondo, sand, bondo, glass, sand, prime, sand, finish paint.

Much more work.

Paul

Ahhhhhhhh! I'm getting itchy just lookin' at the pics!

Looks good! When people marvel over fibreglass creations I tell'em it's easy it comes in a can!

We need an itchy smiley This will have to do

Well I took a few days off so my lungs could clear up from the f/g dust. Here is the lastest...

Roughed up the 'glass with the grinder than spread on some bondo to see how it looks.

I need to do some detail work at the edge of the panels where they meet. I need to grind it down, apply glass to each side at the edge than file and shape it so it is meets the ajoining piece nice and tight.

The bright white is the gelcoat on the glass, the dull white is the bondo, the tan or light brown is the fiberglass without the gelcoat, the dark red is the crack filler. Everything else is paint. I covered the corner of the hood 'cause I don't want to nick it and have to repaint it.

I also have to do the final shaping of the end plate of the spoiler where it ends at the tire. I want it to follow the line of the fender opening down until it ends. The radius of the fender carrys through. The 996 GT's front spoilers do this.

Paul

I forgot the pic

This is thickening up the edges so I can grind them down and the will fit right and be strong. If you don't do this you'll sand the edge down and it will crack.

After sanding and shaping.

Now I have enough material to put the pieces together and sand them as one piece without the fear of sanding through.

I also cut out the right side and test fit the flare. It doesn't fit worth a crap. So I have a lot more work to do here to.

I think the problem is fitting two f/g pieces together that are made by different companies. No two pieces are the same. If you ever buy glass parts get ready to do some work.

Paul

Here it is clamped and taped on as best as I could get it. I'll fill in the lower left corner. This fit is a little different because the right rocker panel is molded to the door/fender.

From this angle it doesn't look too bad, now does it?

Now check out the front view. Oh well.

The stock f/g reproduction fender has a diffenent radius than the flare. So I'll have to remove a section of the flare to get things to line up. I'll glass the left side of the flare to panel than cut and fit as I work it toward the front.

Paul

Paul, you're an animal.

Great seeing you and the car this weekend, keep up the good work.