Flared 1G fenders for wider tires

[nightspeed87]

Yea looks good, doesnt look like it belongs on the street if you ask me .
All your probably missing now is a roll cage and more boost huh !
Im thinking about getting these 240z fenders you have, i just need to make up my mind
before i put together the money to get it painted. Im still not sure yet though on all my fender flare options.

 

[nightspeed87]

How does the handling feel compared to the old rim and tire package; and what about straight line traction even (fwd)?

 

[mavisky]

Just got it done the other day, really haven't pushed it yet. Straight line it now spins first a bit from a slow roll and then second gear hooks up. I've got a dual stage boost controller and a phantom grip (which sucks) in the car so it's not exactly stock. Of course the stiff rear spring rates help straight line traction as well.

 

[DSMraver]

Any chance you could take a couple "ass" shots? A couple of the guys here at work have been drooling over this for a little while now, and we're very interested to see how it looks.

Also, how much did you chop out of the front/rear fenders for tire clearance?

 

[Ludachris]

Nice Kyle! You probably didn't do any cutting did you?

 

[mavisky]

I've got photos of all the metal I've removed. Only got about 1/2 an inch out of the rear and still had to re-tack the seam back together. The fronts lost over an inch of metal.

I'll try to get an ass shot sometime. I'll be home later tonight so I should be able to get some more uploaded.

I did push it a hair the other day around an off ramp and found out that even with the light rear end, the 415lb springs still allowed the tires to hit the fenders when I hit a bump at about 75 or so while accelerating out of a corner and loading the rear tire. It didn't hit hard, just a little touch. I think I can solve the issue by simply raising the rear about a half an inch and it shouldn't weight jack it too bad I hope. The good news is that the off ramp was marked at 40mph and the car was coasting through it at 65-70. I could literally twitch the steering wheel tighter and it would nearly dive into the grass with almost 0 camber. With only 2500lbs or so to support these 275's (even on a street compound) are a ton of tire and traction.

Front driver's tire is just barely rubbing on the spring in hard left hand corners. I may have my old camber bolts in wrong though so that should be an easy fix. I can get so much camber with these new camber caster plates that I can actually go positive camber with the bolts to angle the shock further from the wheel/tire combo and still get enough negative camber by moving the shock that much further inboard. It puts the shock/spring combo at one heck of an angle, but it gets me all the bit and clearance I'll need. Hoping to have it all wrapped up in time for the race this Sunday at a new venue.

 

[Greg Collier]

Excellent job Kyle!!! Your car has certainly come a long way in a short time...

 

[mavisky]

Thanks Greg. Alot of credit has to go to Chris and the doors he's helped me to open through sponsoring the car. I couldn't be any happier with how things have turned out. I just wish I had more events to run locally to do more writeups. Good news is that they're building a new 2 mile road course right here in town. I think they're hoping to have tires to pavement in 2-3 years.

I'd have loved to see how much metal you were able to remove on your setup. I know yours was alot lower to the ground, but I know your body kit was keeping it looking lower than what it would have with the factory body parts. It has me considering one in the long term just to improve the car's aerodynamic efficiency.

I'm also working with a kid I know down in Indianapolis who may be setting me up with a Stoptech brake kit for a good price and then we may start working on some projects for the much overlooked fwd platform such as a set of adapters to allow people to run the front dual piston rotors and calipers on the rear of the car along with an adjustable panhard rod like you used to have.

 

[boosted spartan]

so those are the front fender flares from a z correct?? all the way around.

 

[Greg Collier]

Thanks Greg. Alot of credit has to go to Chris and the doors he's helped me to open through sponsoring the car. I couldn't be any happier with how things have turned out. I just wish I had more events to run locally to do more writeups. Good news is that they're building a new 2 mile road course right here in town. I think they're hoping to have tires to pavement in 2-3 years.

I'd have loved to see how much metal you were able to remove on your setup. I know yours was alot lower to the ground, but I know your body kit was keeping it looking lower than what it would have with the factory body parts. It has me considering one in the long term just to improve the car's aerodynamic efficiency.

I'm also working with a kid I know down in Indianapolis who may be setting me up with a Stoptech brake kit for a good price and then we may start working on some projects for the much overlooked fwd platform such as a set of adapters to allow people to run the front dual piston rotors and calipers on the rear of the car along with an adjustable panhard rod like you used to have.

I took a good 2-inches if not more off the front fenders and all the way up to the mono-body seam in the rears. The body kit definitely helped in putting the car on the ground. With the splitter the front the car has about 2-inches and maybe 3-inches with the side skirts (it made for an interesting problem in jacking up the car and going up trailer ramps)...

 

[mavisky]

so those are the front fender flares from a z correct?? all the way around.

Nope that's the normal kit from them. fronts on the front, rears on the rear.

I took a good 2-inches if not more off the front fenders and all the way up to the mono-body seam in the rears. The body kit definitely helped in putting the car on the ground. With the splitter the front the car has about 2-inches and maybe 3-inches with the side skirts (it made for an interesting problem in jacking up the car and going up trailer ramps)...

Now are you talking the seam up about 4-5 inches from the fender lip or the one where the fender meets the outer skin about half an inch in from the fender lip?

 

[Greg Collier]

Where the fender meets the outer skin about half an inch in from the fender lip....

 

[mavisky]

Ok, that's where I went. Ended up cutting into it just a hair but tacked it back together in about 10 spots. Unfortunately my welder can't do stuff that thin well so I'll have to have someone who's good with a tig to come back in and seal it up 100%. That's the nice thing about these bolt on flares is that I can remove them at any time.

 

[nightspeed87]

What I love so much about your car mavisky is that it started as a plain ol non turbo dsm.
You were the one to somewhat inspire me to do my nonturbo to turbo swap on my first dsm with your write up which was sucessful and ended up being a fast car, ( though now I have awd ) Was just wondering... Once youve conquered all the boundries of fwd will you ever contemplate swapping to awd? If anyone pulled it off on a 1g itd be you at this point.

Also can you resend the link of the fender flares you bought the last one you sent I couldnt find were they were located on the main page. I probably wont get those because they buff out a little farther than i want, and I want a thinner less protruding flare but they are a consideration and look decent.
Thanks for making this thread so interesting.

 

[nightspeed87]

I'd have loved to see how much metal you were able to remove on your setup. I know yours was alot lower to the ground, but I know your body kit was keeping it looking lower than what it would have with the factory body parts. It has me considering one in the long term just to improve the car's aerodynamic efficiency.

Why dont you make yourself a lip, for example-

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

Edit: Oh and this may look similar to the color of my gst in my avatar but its not the front end of mines
as much as id like to take credit for it ...

 

[mavisky]

Oh I will, I've already got the supports, as well as all of the attachment points.

The thing is that the car performs better aerodynamically when its closer to the ground. In this case you can't lower the car more to accomplish it so you've got to lower the body instead. Easiest way to do this is with a body kit that provides you with adequate cooling on the front end without creating unneccesary aerodynamic drag and side skirts that get as low as possible while still maintaining smooth laminar flow down the sides of the car. The kit Greg had is probably the best out there for accomplishing that goal for the early cars.

 

[nightspeed87]

Oh I will, I've already got the supports, as well as all of the attachment points.

The thing is that the car performs better aerodynamically when its closer to the ground. In this case you can't lower the car more to accomplish it so you've got to lower the body instead. Easiest way to do this is with a body kit that provides you with adequate cooling on the front end without creating unneccesary aerodynamic drag and side skirts that get as low as possible while still maintaining smooth laminar flow down the sides of the car. The kit Greg had is probably the best out there for accomplishing that goal for the early cars.

I understand. just a suggestion ,to a lot of dsmers body kits is taboo.
But yea your car would be better off if it were lower to the ground just wont be possible
with those monster tires on it, well ill be waiting your next write up

 

[mavisky]

What I love so much about your car mavisky is that it started as a plain ol non turbo dsm.
You were the one to somewhat inspire me to do my nonturbo to turbo swap on my first dsm with your write up which was sucessful and ended up being a fast car, ( though now I have awd ) Was just wondering... Once youve conquered all the boundries of fwd will you ever contemplate swapping to awd? If anyone pulled it off on a 1g itd be you at this point.

Also can you resend the link of the fender flares you bought the last one you sent I couldnt find were they were located on the main page. I probably wont get those because they buff out a little farther than i want, and I want a thinner less protruding flare but they are a consideration and look decent.
Thanks for making this thread so interesting.

I remember talking you through that swap for awhile. I get asked this alot, but I've got so much invested into this car as it is I'll probably stick it out for better or worse. I still have some crazy ideas I could enact on this car. More than enough to keep me busy with odd little one-off projects for the next few years.

As for the link.

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/7BSA02/50-1562

 

[mavisky]

Raised the rear about a 1/2" last night or so. Took a hard left today with a slight dropoff and still hit the fender on the passenger side now. Gonig to have to go up again back there another half an inch or so or possibly stiffen the rear shocks or god forbid raise the spring rates all the way around.

Chris what kind of rates are you running right now to keep yours from rubbing on the rears.

 

[Eagle 5]

I know he is running 500 front/ 400 rear with Konis and GC's (same as mine) but he also only has 255 wide tires, which I can see being a reason why he would not rub when you do since you have aa extra 20mm. Also, the OD of your tires are also a little bigger, and combined with the +24 offset of you wheels compared to the +27 of the wheels he has, could probably be enough to make the difference on why yours rubs in the rear.

I also don't think he lowered his as much as you have. Do you have any negative camber on your rear wheels or what is the camber on them?

 

[nightspeed87]

I remember talking you through that swap for awhile. I get asked this alot, but I've got so much invested into this car as it is I'll probably stick it out for better or worse. I still have some crazy ideas I could enact on this car. More than enough to keep me busy with odd little one-off projects for the next few years.

Thanks for the link, and yea you helped me out a lot in the past putting my gsts engine in my n/t car.( long story)
but suppose you found a cheap awd shell with everything needed id say go for a awd swap. It would be the ultimate statement on that car, and then with the traction youd be able to add tons of more power to it. I wouldnt get rid of your car either if i were you even if john shephard gave you his, your car has a lot of hardwork, money, memories, and history in it and i know how that is so yea stay with it.
and it Sucks that you have to keep raising it higher, maybe a stupid question but cant you somehow roll/push/ or cut out some of the inner tire well to make more clearance, i mean I dont know how thick the material is in there considering you already did some cutting, but just a thought. And stiffer spring rates on the rear should help, and wouldnt hurt you in drag, but doing all of them probably wouldnt be ideal for autox with them as stiff as you mentioned.

 

[Ludachris]

Kyle I'm running 500/400 with a 27mm offset and 255 tires. I don't think my tires being more narrow make it so they clear the fender though. They stick out enough to where they should rub with the suspension compressed enough. It just never goes that low. I have noticed some slight rubbing on the inside of the tire on the drivers side though when making a hard left turn. Nothing on the outside fenders so far, front or rear.

Not sure why yours rub and mine don't.

 

[RipperXX]

You know it's a fairly common practice for muscle car guys to cut out there wheel well aka "tub" and replace with a larger one.

However I doubt anyone makes a larger replacement for us, so it would have to be a one off piece.

 

[eclipsh]

Kyle I'm running 500/400 with a 27mm offset and 255 tires. I don't think my tires being more narrow make it so they clear the fender though. They stick out enough to where they should rub with the suspension compressed enough. It just never goes that low. I have noticed some slight rubbing on the inside of the tire on the drivers side though when making a hard left turn. Nothing on the outside fenders so far, front or rear.

Not sure why yours rub and mine don't.

It isn't a good comparison. You have different contact patches and different suspension designs so the reactions are different. For a good comparison you'd need to get Greg in on this problem.

Is there a chance the springs were just not as stiff as was claimed by the manufacturer? What condition are your struts in?

 

[mavisky]

I know he is running 500 front/ 400 rear with Konis and GC's (same as mine) but he also only has 255 wide tires, which I can see being a reason why he would not rub when you do since you have aa extra 20mm. Also, the OD of your tires are also a little bigger, and combined with the +24 offset of you wheels compared to the +27 of the wheels he has, could probably be enough to make the difference on why yours rubs in the rear.

I also don't think he lowered his as much as you have. Do you have any negative camber on your rear wheels or what is the camber on them?

No rear camber here, you've got to bend the rear axle to get any. I think I just need to raise it up as the outer diameter of the tire is probably causing most of it. The only time it rubs is when it's loaded hard and I encounter a sizeable bump. I may try to stiffen up the rears, but these damn Koni's are a pain in the ass to adjust the rears since I have to completelely remove the shock, then disassemble it down to be able to compress it enough. And then once I do, I can't get mine to "click" like it says it should.