RebekahsZ Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 (edited) I am learning about the various "ZG-style" fender flares out there on the market. So far, I have in my possession: Full set of fiberglass flares from RHDJapan. These are supposed to be the standard or narrow version. A pair of rear fiberglass "clone-ZG" (my terminology) fender flares from a US manufacturer out of California A pair of rear BAMF wide flares in carbon fiber from Z-Force ALL of these flares are incredibly thin material. These cannot be very tough or impact resistant. I consider them all to be trim accessories only. They are not tough like ABS or injection molded plastic. They are not tough like the production pieces you would find on a Chevy pickup or a Jeep CJ. None of them are pre-drilled. I guess it is on us to avoid cracking them when we "drill" them. Things I have noticed. The RHDJapan flare has the following features that distinguish it: 1. Smoother (more smooth?) finish. Made from random fiber fiberglass mat. I don't think I would bother with any prep prior to paint. 2. Flange on body side. This looks really nice. The other flares dig into the paint with a sharp edge. 3. Pretty roll or edge to the tire side-the others don't have this-it gives a nice "factory" look to the flare and probably makes it a little stronger. 4. Curve to follow body line. These are not straight where they meet the body. The fronts are very curved. 5. Off-white gel coat. 6. I have not fit these to a car, but I just sold them to a friend and I will get more feedback on the fit later. 7. These are marginally thicker material than the clones below. But not much; still very thin. The US "clone-ZG" flare 1. Rough finish, will need some filler to fill pin holes in gel coat prior to paint. Made from knitted fiberglass cloth. 2. No flanges, no roll, no curve to follow body line. 3. Surface cracks formed in gel coat when flexed to fit curve of body. 4. Very thin material.-like an egg shell. The Z-force Productions BAMF carbon fiber flare 1. Smooth, nice finish. Ready for clear coat with no sanding. Very pretty carbon fiber mat. 2. No flange, no roll, straight body edge. 3. With a little flexing (very little), these fit to the car without any cracks so far. 4. The thickest material of the three. Try not to reply to this thread yet, I will post pics in an edit later today/tonight. Then let the discussion fly. Edited March 25, 2014 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 Standby guys. I'm at the beach and the connection messed up my first post. Will add to this later tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z-ya Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Standby guys. I'm at the beach and the connection messed up my first post. Will add to this later tonight. Rub it in why don't you . I live in NH, and it was 15F at my house this morning.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EF Ian Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 RHD Japan sell both a set of thin ones (Race) and a set of thicker ones (Daily drivers) Your carbon ones are flat on the backside at the top? How well do they fit, they are meant to curve in a the backside top to follow the lines of the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS30-H Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Try not to reply to this thread yet, I will post pics in an edit later today/tonight. Then let the discussion fly. I'll have lots to say on the subject when you're ready, but I think now is the time to point out that you should make it clear who manufactures the parts that you are getting "from RHD Japan". RHD Japan is not the manufacturer. You should quote the name of the source, not the agent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 Pics are added to the original post. Let the flogging begin. I'm not going to argue on this thread. Anybody else can argue if they want, but not with me. I'm just going to post what I see from holding the actual parts in my hands. If you have something smart to say, say it with pictures that show your flares in a way that teaches something to someone considering buying a set of flares. Then we/they can make an educated purchase. That is all I seek - information. I do not desire a pissing contest with any one. And I don't know who manufactures anything. I just buy from folks who are selling. It is a shame that the folks who make things often don't sell them, because it makes it hard to track things down when problems arise. So unless the source sells them directly somewhere, I don't think it really matters who the source is. I think it is pointless to talk about flares that are no longer available, so lets not have a history lesson. I am happy to unsubscribe from this thread if it deteriorates into a chest beating match. Lets just help folks make informed purchasing decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rturbo 930 Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 ^ The RHDJapan flares are made by Marugen Shoukai http://www.rhdjapan.com/marugen-shoukai-wide-over-fenders-zg-wide-type-nissan-s30-s31.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse OBrien Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Rub it in why don't you . I live in NH, and it was 15F at my house this morning.... And we're getting a nor'easter 'bomb' tomorrow evening, if the weather is reasonably accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 I believe the white flares shown above are the Marugen Shoukai wide over fenders, RHD Japan product #68595. I am trying to get confirmation from the hybridsz member who sold them to me, and it seems I need to indicated if they are the racing version or the deluxe version. HS-30H, I see your point: RHD Japan also has similar looking flares made by Kameari over fenders. So I get your point about being more specific. There was no receipt in the box, so I will post it up as soon as he replies. Point taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS30-H Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS30-H Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I presume your "history lesson" comments are directed at me? Sorry, but how can you possibly hope to have an objective discussion about products available to purchase today if you don't know what they are professing to be copies / replicas / knockoffs of. You used the term "ZG flares" in the title of the thread. That means something specific. Especially to people like me, who happen to own the real thing. The point about The Real Thing is that they did fit properly, and they were manufactured in a way that allowed them to do that. Some of the so-called replicas I've seen are nothing like the originals in terms of their shape, so I can't see how they can ever possibly fit the car properly. It's no wonder we see so many different positioning results with such parts, and no wonder people often - mistakenly - fit them to the wrong side of their car. It's almost impossible to do this with the real thing unless you are a complete dunce. Above are some photos for reference. This is a genuine NOS OEM 240ZG 'over-fender', marked with the OEM manufacturer's silver sticker indicating the fitment location ( 'FR' = Front Right ). Notice that - when laid mating-surface down on a flat surface - it will not sit flat. In fact, it sits like a 'tripod' on both ends and one point roughly in the middle of the panel. The gaps - measured roughly at their widest points - are as much as 20mm. The OUTER face on the other hand will sit pretty much flat on a flat surface. It doesn't need to be bent or twisted in order to fit the front right fender / wing correctly, and is under little or no stress when it is attached correctly. As far as I am aware - and this is something that I watch carefully - the only aftermarket pieces that have the same shaping details and the same standard of fitment as the OEM pieces are manufactured by Marugen Shokai in Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan. In fact. it was that company's original raison d'etre to accurately reproduce and replicate the OEM 240ZG parts when the originals became NLA, and they expanded after being set up on that premise. They are - to all intents and purposes - pretty much a one-man, artisan operation. I have dealt with them, have bought some of their products for myself and also sourced some for others. Never any issues. Great products. It would probably be better if the people who design and manufacture their own "flares" did not refer to them as "ZG" flares unless they were acceptably close to the shape, detail and fitment of the originals. That's not going to happen though, is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psdenno Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Thanks for posting the pictures of the "real thing". The photos answer so many questions and show how different the current aftermarket flares are from the originals Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 (edited) HD-30H - thanks for your contribution. I just would like this thread to be a place where folks can put pics of their flares to better understand what is out there and where to get it. I totally understand your points and I have followed a bunch of your posts over several years on the subject. I just don't want to be critical of what's out there. Lots of folks are OK with the "cheap" flares. If I bust a flare, which is a probability with as much jack-handle rash my car accumulates in any given year, I need to be prepared. It may be "worth" waiting a month or more for a replacement but I may not want to. For what it is worth, I have a set of Maugen Shoukai flares on-order right now. I'm also looking at interchangeability. The guy that I sold the Shoukai flares to found that either one or two holes were in a different location than on his cheap flares. That kinda sucks. I tried a set of cheap flares on my rears after I drilled the holes for my BAMF flares, and the drilled holes lines up well enough that I only had to enlarge a couple of holes a bit on the cheap ones. It is nice that RHD Japan tells us who actually makes these flares. I have not found US suppliers so forth-coming. Wonder why? Cause lots of cheap-skaters will try to go around them to try to get flares direct. This understandable lack of transparency makes it impossible to attribute each flare to its creator. Wish they signed their product like surfboard shapers do. Edited March 25, 2014 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB26powered74zcar Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Awesome.... Alan, those pics just verified I do have a "real" set. Mine are a exact match to your pics. They were presented as the real deal when I bought then, but I never had a pic to authenticate them. I removed the rear ZG pair awhile back, and installed new "ZFarse" wide flares on the rear, due to rubbing. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osirus9 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 I've got a set of the marugen shoukai "street" flares, and I can say after fitting them to my car that they match the body contours on the front PERFECTLY. It is pretty much impossible to put the flare on the wrong side as they are contoured to the body very well, and they fit without bending once you figure out where the "sweet spot" is. The rears fit the body very well too, but the back of the car is flatter and you can kind of move them around a fair amount and still have them "fit". Mine are bent slightly in the rear to make the flares more circular and match the body contours more, although you certainly don't have to do that. I wish I had pictures, but my car is still at the body shop getting new paint/rust/dent removal. (since mid november....). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 Post 'em when ya got 'em. In fact everybody: post 'em up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECUAdam Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 I would like to comment on the Marugen Shoukai flares that are purchased from RHDjapan. If you search this forum you will find a thread about a member that originally tried to start a group buy for the flares. In this thread he talks about language barriers and the difficulty he had in trying to find out the price. Then a person from rhdjapan stepped in and said he would deal with anyone from American that wanted to purchase the Marugen Shoukai flares. RebekahsZ was kind enough to let me purchase/ replace the Marugen Shoukai flares he bought from another forum member here. They are an exact copy of the flares you have pictured in your post HS30-H. They have defined curves in the flares to match the fenders perfectly. The quality is second to none in my opinion. I will go outside and get good photos with my camera and post back to this thread. They fit 10000000 times better than the copies I tried from another supplier. If you want something that is as good as zg flares then look no further. They cost more money than other copies, but sometimes you just have to pay to play. Fender flares are one of those times. Blown away by the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stock Car Mafia Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 (edited) I don't mean to dig this post up, but overall this debate has some darn good information regarding these flares. Edited January 21, 2016 by Stock Car Mafia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS30-H Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Companion piece: http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/117331-oem-factory-240zg-overfenders-the-truth/ Consider it the Main Course to this thread's 'horses d'oeuvres'... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitsnaugle Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) Companion piece: http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/117331-oem-factory-240zg-overfenders-the-truth/ Consider it the Main Course to this thread's 'horses d'oeuvres'... Ps. a "you're welcome" to everyone who's finding the MARUGEN SHOUKAI flares via RHD. I tried to setup the group buy and ended up worked with Russell @ RHD 4-5 years ago to get them to add the MARUGEN SHOUKAI flairs for us. Edited April 11, 2016 by spitsnaugle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.