im considering flaring my 914 but my dad gave me my teener and he is totally against the idea becuase he says it will lower the resale value of the car which well doesnt matter to me cuz i will never sell it, but does adding the flares detract from the value of the car?

If it's a nice, clean, original car, then yes, flares will detract from the value.

If it's a basket case that you are hot rodding, then I think it depends more on the buyer that you find. Steel will be worth more than glass.

If you don't ever sell the car, then the point is moot. But, there are a lot of other things that you should spend money on before you flare it... and flares are going to cost more than just the flares. You'll need wider wheels/tires, and along with that will probably be a five lug conversion. You'll need paint too. It can get out of hand really fast...

I have steel flares on the way for my car

Kind of depends. If you put fiberglass flares on it I think the value will go down. If you put on steel flares and do a good job and have a good paint job then the value goes up. The problem is steels flare will set you back $650.00, a paint job will cost $100.00 for home done rustoleum, $1000 for home done automotive paint or 5-10k for bodywork and paint if you farm it out. You may get your money back for your improvements at sale time if the car is otherwise sound. Putting all that aside, we do what we do to our cars to please ourself. If you want flares, a ginourmaus wing, fancy wheels, mudflaps, lambo doors, turbo corvair motor, then do it!

Look at it this way, if you are willing to except a "loss" at sell time, than go for it. Not to say that you will Lose, but at least it won't be a shock to you if it happens, but maybe it won't happen. Todd is definitaly rite though, it gets expensive real, real ,real ,real, real ,real ,real, real, fast. Ask me how i know. Go ahead, ask.

Steel flares and enjoy the people staring at your Fiat!

Flares did not lower the resale of my car...

1974 1.8 = $5000.00 maybe $6000.00

1974 - GT Conversion - Flares, 2.2 Six and some paint. = $35000.00 plus.

Real steel flares will not decrease the value of your car. That is just crazy talk... I would not flare an original six. Other than that, its open season...

And as far as looking like a fiat??? WTF is that all about? I would really like you to show me the fiat my car resembles.

Like they aren't staring at your un-flared SUBARU....

. Todd is definitaly rite though, it gets expensive real, real ,real ,real, real ,real ,real, real, fast. Ask me how i know. Go ahead, ask.
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ok just for kicks how do you know? im guessing experience

ok maybe full on flaring is too expensive and too big a project for me right now. and maybe not my style. i do like the looks but dont know if i could used to full on flares. ive seen pictures through google image searches of a couple 914s that had widened fenders but they werent gt flares, they must have been a custom job because they were more subtle than the gt flares but served the same purpose and im just curious if anyone here knows how to do that. id like to run wider and taller tires without rubbing and full on flares and this seems like the way to go. so has anyone done this here or do you guys know what im talking about. any info would help thanks

First off, my father was wrong and my boys always thinks I am wrong.
What is different in your situation?

Pick a tire size and wheel you like then ask what is needed to make it fit.

A hammer and dolly can get these fender out pretty damn far with no welding...just hammer and dolly work...about $19.99 in tools and alot of time...plus paint.

Rich

I cut my fenders and added a metal strip at the top. I attached a picture of the start of the process. After the cutting you need to fill in the open spaces and work the metal to make the fender look like you want. There are many different ways to pull the fenders like this and all result in a slightly different look. Mine look bigger from the top and back, but don't bow out as much as those on some other people's cars do.

It is a ton of work. I have done it on 2 cars now and while I knew where to start on the second one it still took a ton of time and a ton of work to get the quarters looking like I wanted them.

Rich is right; my dad is always wrong too. Ironically he now likes the subtlety flared look better than stock. He pushed my brother to flare his car too. These two cars should be able to fit correctly offset 8" wheels under them which is as much as we'll ever need here.

I would buy the wheels you want/can afford and make them fit with a hammer. It'll probably be faster.

BTW: The paint on the yellow car ran $750. It is pricey stuff. Its the "little" things like that add up quickly.

The cutting (car #1) #2 was cut a bit more for an even gentler blend from the front. These flares really can only be seen from the back or top, and you need to know the car.
Click to view attachment

The start to the welding. This part takes forever. This was before the entire quarter got stripped. This car had tons of dents and dings which took a ton of time to pound out as well.
Click to view attachment

In the finishing stage (car #2)
Click to view attachment

A final painted picture (car #1)
Click to view attachment



In any case, have fun.

Are you wanting flares for the cosmetics or wanting flares because you have 200+hp and there is no way to put the power down with only 205 width tires? As others have mentioned, adding flares is not just one step, but often one part of many more steps. While I would be very suprised to see you still with the car in question in 10 years, a "done well" flaring on a non concours car will not hurt its value.

well most likely ill still have the car in in 10 15 or 20 years thats the plan anyways i love my car its sorta my gradutation gift from my father when i graduate high school. and ive come to far with this car to sell it now. right now as it is it probably will never be a concours car,thats not my style or plan. it has some dings and dents. and for some reason about 90% are on the left rear quarter panel. i dont have 200+ hp so right now it would be for cosmectic purposes. however i plan to put in something with a little more balls in the future. but in any case it would have more traction if i got wider tires, thanks for all the help, guys, i need it in some areas, since im only 17, ill be 18 in jan. but for the tech stuff and machanical stuff i just go to my dad but hes not the greatest of helps when it comes to helping my modify my car. hes a concours guy, to the very core.

There is always the BFH option...

Original fenders pounded out with hammer and dolly. I have 225x50x15 on 8 inch wheels on the back with room to spare. The rounded look really enhances the car's overall lines.

Eventually I will do the same thing with the front fenders. For now, my 205x50x15 on 7 inch wheels fit just nicely.

Don't spend money on the flares, go to a driving school and build up your skills. With time, you can add power, wheels, flares, etc. to your heart's content.

i like your flare job spoke, but forgive me for being stupid but when you say dolly are you talking about a hand truck or something else?

I am partial to flares ... I like them with and without but here is the inspiration for my current project :

Click to view attachment

Hammer and dollly are body man tools. dolly is like a mini anvil with curves. You strike the dolly with the hammer to persuade the metal. I am no body man but thats my best shot at a definition off the cuff.

ahh i got it.
and holy crap that black car is sweet. i am partial to black 914s.

Honour thy father. Leave your current car as is, but pick up a roller and flare away.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you plan on putting on wider rims and tires, they probably are also going to be heavier, this means............slower car. So if you don't already have more engine power, it will feel like you have on the emergency brake when you step on the gas ! Ask me how I know , go ahead .....ask !!! ....Ya got ta have wide body man !!!

You could do the mini flares... Those are 225's on 8" rims.

This post got me thinking. I have always wanted to flare my 1973 2.0.
Being its a 73 2.0 still injected would flaring reduce the value. any thoughts

How original and perfect is your car and how much effort or money are you going to put into the flares. I think that unless your doing a very professional installation job on a car that's less than pefect, your throwing away money.

Amish or Mini skirt? -not a hard choice to make!

I have always loved factory flares, but also the stock lines of an un-molested 914. I could go either way. I'd say if you had an undamaged all stock 914, leave it be. Go buy something needing work and go to town on that.

Nice stock 914's are worth some good cash.

I think you can roll the fenders and put some 225's on 7" wheels... That is if you are looking for more tire.

If you put on flares, 5-lug is a must, then you have to buy new rims.....

Do you have a good place to work and will the owner of that place let you occupy it for a pretty long time? Do you have the funds to buy the flares, body tools, paint materials, and do you really want to tie up your time and car doing this? If you stick to the size wheels and tires the flares are designed to fit will that really be the look you want? The learning curve to doing these things yourself are long and exoensive. Can you afford to pay someone else to do this work. It's too bad your not a stripper you could have a fun job and pay someone else to mash their fingers. Really flares are really expensive for person to do thats inexperienced but it's great to dream.

I think your time would be better spent chasing women and studying to get a good education. Learn to redo cars after you've got a good income and can weigh the options of do it yourself or make the money at work and pay someone else to do the work.

I do all my own work but a lot of lifes challenges slows up the "project" work a lot. I also have a big shop and lots of tools. I have lots of fun in my shop but in my case I'm retired and my income limits my "project" dreams but they are still way ahead of most also I am past the "women" stage and that helps a lot and allows me to have a bigger project budget. My wide flare project cost:
aa flares about 700.00
916 fg bumpers (may not use) bought secondhand but new 200.00-250.00
aa gt rockers seems like 200.00
fuchs 8x15 and 9x15 replicas 200.00 bought a long time ago for a speedster project
900.00 5 bolt setup front and rear any way you do it I think
New paint job at todays cost the materials are about 800.00
Labor at 10.00 an hour 5,000.00 (500 hours)
100 hours for putting the flares on (butt welding and smoothing both sides)
50 hours for making them smooth
50 hours for prepping and painting the 4 fenders
50 hours or more to get the fiberglass bumpers to fit and be straight. Fiberglass is usually junk
If I got lucky and made the flares fit the rockers about 30 hours
maybe 40 hours to prep and paint the bumpers and rockers
80 hours to prep and paint the rest of the car
100 hours putting it all back together
I do work a little slower than collision shops.

A really good income for the time you are living in is a big boost to playing with cars.

After all the thoughts if you want to learn more check out John Kelly, PO box 233, Moclips, WA. 98562 I think it's Giaspecialities.com, He shows a metal worker at the best. He has reasonable dvds to study and shows lots of homade tools for metalworking.

After reading all this and thinking about it ($) ; I must agree with charliew and 749142 to do the right job it is very very expensive if done wrong you have just wasted your money and may the value of your car.) I Rather spend the money on restoring mine to a daily drive and no rust.

Smart man

I have to say that when we got our first 914, I wasn't big on GT flares at all. I liked the narrow body with a small spoiler on the back deck lid and that's it....

Slowly but surely - over 7 years - the car became a track car. Then I flipped it at LRP, so now was the time to decide - to flare or not to flare?

Then...I saw the AIR body kit on a car and fell in love.... not very practical for street, but makes a nice race car. - now known as Papa Smurf.

....slowly but surely I also started to like GT flares. So Huey became a GT flared car.... fully street legal, steel flares. In Huey's first life, we put fiberglass flares on, but they got a bit damaged at Targa Newfoundland in the crash, so we did steel this time.