JMortensen Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 I wasn't sure what to do about this, never done any fiberglass work before, so I thought the best way to start would be to cut away a stock fender for clearance. Looks like there is about 1" clearance at the front of the fender where the headlight attaches. That spot is going to be interesting with a flare, the fender, the light, and the airdam all coming together right there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Screw the flares-run it like it is! Love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 That thought did cross my mind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 DOW Deckmate Polystyrene foam. You can get it in blocks up to 4" thick. Because its polystyrene you have to put some bondo over it and a coat of gel coat or release before laying on the fiberglass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistah mofro Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Just curious but is that stock steering angle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 No, I had the rack shortened, so it is a few degrees less than stock. It just looks ridiculous because of the scrub. The tire isn't pivoting near the center of the tread as it would normally do. There is a lot more rim way out there swinging around, making it look like it has a lot of steering angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Went to Lowes, they didn't have the pink styrofoam, but they did have blue. Basically the same stuff I gather. I bought one sheet which is 24x96x2 IIRC, and took it home and started cutting it up with a jigsaw. The blade isn't long enough, but if you cut from the top you can snap off the remainder on the edge of a bench. Cost about $20. Glued the pieces together with a hot glue gun. Also picked up some polyurethane expanding foam. Haven't tried the two together yet, hoping the urethane won't melt the styrene and I can use it to blend into the body. If not I might have to use clay or something. The initial plan was to have the flare start after the headlight bucket. After looking at how wide the flare will be and the WALL of flare behind with only about 4" to shape it out to the full width, I think I might have to incorporate the headlight bucket into the flare to make a smoother transition. This in turn makes me think that I should make the whole fender in FG instead of just the flare. Having no experience with FG, I have no idea how I would do that. Seems like I would have to take the fender off the car and then lay the FG over it, but then the fender would be distorted in shape because it wouldn't be bolted top and bottom, front and rear. Wondering if it is possible to glass the front, then the top, then the side, all separately on the same piece. For right now I think I'm going to concentrate on getting the flares shaped and making sure they're the same shape left and right. Will finish this right flare first, then do the left. Figured I'd make some contoured shapes with some .25" round steel I have and check my flare shape against them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R3VO 3VOM Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Just a random thought (I assume they aren't big enough and are expensive): Do the IMSA style flares fit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Not big enough, and most require a G nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 If you can locate him (try Little Rock, Arkansas) "BlueOvalZ" Terry Oxendale is super at making modified fiberglass body parts for the Z-car. Try tracking him down and I bet he'll advise you. Thinking out of the box style wise. I think to the trailing edge of the flare: can you leave the back open (or make it look open) like a big vent or like an old 1950s Ferrari Testa Rosa? For the front, could you put a huge "brake duct" in the front or maybe a fog lamp?? Just some thoughts-you got a tough styling delimna. Big Sam had some huge tires, maybe you could find some cues there?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Terry used to be on this forum daily. He's a great guy, super helpful and I wish I had 1/100th of his FG knowledge. He's gone over his build in detail here and I always paid close attention to his posts, so I think I've got a pretty good idea of what he would say. Have you seen his Manta? I thought the Z was cool... http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/pictures?userid={7DC317B0-8EDB-4B2E-A837-F708D07C9769}&uid={7DC317B0-8EDB-4B2E-A837-F708D07C9769}&guid={D4293D6D-7AA5-481D-B59D-ADDE7519DB8E}&custdom=1 I've thought about leaving the back of the flare open, just basically doing the leading edge and the top, but I think it will look a little weird with the stock fender trimmed back, and it definitely won't match the style of the rears. I dunno. I might look at that again, because aerodynamically it makes the most sense and it's less work. I can't do vents in the front of the flare or anything like that. Not allowed in this class. What I'd really like to do if it were allowed is a front and top flare and then have the fender under the flare bend inward and hit the inner fenderwell. It would be like a spec racer ford, or Terry's Manta. Not allowed though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 (edited) Yeah, I was just brainstorming. On the front I was actually thinking more of a dummy brake duct. Could you have one for aesthetics that is blocked off with a backside panel that is painted flat black? Can you believe Terry does that in a 2-car garage? That car is insane. Edited January 25, 2013 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share Posted January 26, 2013 Still mulling Keith's idea on the fronts, so today I mounted up the IMSA rears. I'm going to put 2 more bolts in across the top of the fender, but I need to trim the flares and then glass in some pockets so that the bolts go in straight. Trimming is one of those things that makes me a bit nervous. I guess it's FG, so mistakes can be undone, but having zero experience makes it a bit nerve wracking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 With flares that wide, you know side pipes (ala AC Cobra) would look really good (while I think they would look stupid with my un-flared fenders). Maybe not in this thread, but I'd love to see your concept for exhaust routing. It really sucks trying to fit exhaust under these cars that originally had like 1" exhaust pipes. I think your car could pull it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share Posted January 26, 2013 I really want to do side pipes but I don't think I have clearance under the frame rail, and I already did a lot of surgery in that area and don't want to hack into it again. I'm going to check if it's possible after I get the motor mounted, but if not then the plan is to run a Y to a single 3" pipe and put the muffler in the right rear corner. I left just enough room next to the fuel cell, but will probably need some heat shielding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZROSSA Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 I like your car John! Expecially as it taken even longer then mine to build!!!!!! When I did the glass work on my car i used gib stoping over polystyrene. I think you call it sheet rock in your part of the world......so its the bog you use to smoth out the gaps and nail holes. Get the basic shape with the foam then fill in the rest with the bog ....really easy to sand and shape....then you just paint it and pop a mold off it. Fiberglassing will be a piece of piss with your skills! look at all the other things you have learned while building this car. I knew absolutly nothing about it when I started mine. Its pretty easy really......Hurry up and get it done! Cheers, Douglas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted February 3, 2013 Author Share Posted February 3, 2013 Hey thanks. Coincidentally, I had the same thought. I had refinished a bathroom a few years ago that had cracked and flaking textured drywall. I skimmed the whole bathroom and found the "mud" or "plaster" as we call it very easy to sand, so I bought a big bag of the 20 minute set stuff last week, thinking of doing exactly what you had done. Nice to hear that it works from someone who has done it first hand. Spent the last few days trimming the rears and glassing some recesses across the top of the rear flares. That is done, so now I need to turn my attention back to the fronts, or fix the wheel arches which I didn't take quite enough meat out of the first time around. Just because of my lack of skill with FG I think I'll probably end up cutting and welding the rear arches, but that's not going to take any time at all, so I'll be back into the FG thing soon, like it or not. Looked at the rules again and talked a bit with tube80z, and it seems apparent that I can push the area behind the front wheels in to the inner fender well, just as long as the wheel arch looks like the stock shape as viewed from the side. I had wanted to do this for a couple years as it makes better aerodynamic sense, and you see it on everything from Spec Racer Fords to ALMS cars, to Australian V8 Supercars. Of course this makes me want to do the flare differently. I might just do a shorter flare that follows the lines of the wheel arch more closely and then finish the rear of the fender mods later. I don't want to get too hung up on this, as I'd like to get the engine and transmission in, but I really need to make my splitter so that the air dam and fenders can match up to it, etc. That needs to work with a radiator duct. It is another order of operations nightmare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZROSSA Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 I think you are over thinking this John. You obviously are like me and stop on your project and go study the pros. Then what you have done seems as though its not enough. (you should see my corolla project.....or my zed or my quatrro or my 635csi all out of control). Do it like they do in the DTM! Im sure you know what I am talking about but for those that dont....Picture a big flare on a car. Behind the flare where there should be the fender....push the fender back into the unibody at the trailing edge so that air can have smooth flow from the front difuser that you will now want to build. The flare would then really look as though its floating at the back but would probablly still meet your regulations. I have made the front end of my old corolla like this but i dont have the same regulations so it like an old can am car. You can also put a gurney at the front of the opening to help create a vacume for the air....but you know that already! Cheers, Douglas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 A little fender inspiration: http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/02/true-dedication-under-suzukis-s15/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fhptom Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 You can have the first Z car in the DTM if you do the complete body.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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