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Old IMSA Z flare / body kit


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Well, after a holiday and a computer crash; I finally talked to Les at Classic Datsun. He said he does indeed, have the flare body kit based on the no. 47 Frizzelle car shown in these photos. He has not dealt with the molds or had anything to do with them for about eight years. The last time it came up was for a Japaneese guy and he quoted him 5,000 for the kit. When I got back up off of the floor, I asked him to detail the kit for me. To the best of his recollection, it consisted of rear quarters, flared front bolt on fenders, something like a g-nose piece that matched, hood, rear hatch, and maybe even a whale tail. I told him I felt like most people would just be interested in the rear flares and flared front fender kit because we could get most of the other stuff elsewhere and maybe he might want to come up with a quality assessment and cost for just those separately. He seemed like a busy man but he promised to find out from his fiberglass guy what condition the molds were in, etc. and that if I continued to email him, he would try to answer the cost, availability questions. I told him that we could probably put together an initial order of about 10 sets based on the posts here and elsewhere. My plan is to continue to email him, but the reaction research kit is looking pretty good about now; especially if you blend the rear quarters on with a two inch extra spacing of fiberglass (and maybe a fender vent in the tail) to make them wider. It does not appear that the cost of the ones I really want is going to be any less.

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Thanks for the update. I was hoping the Friselle flares would be and option. Quick info, I was able to locate some fiberglass bumper extensions (Porsche 930 Turbo), that could match up with the Porsche 930 Turbo flares, so you do not have to buy the complete Porsche bumper, unless you wish to go the route. Just mold the extension to the flares before molding on to the car. This will be the path I will take, and I will document the whole process ( My buddy Troy is an auto paint and body guy by trade, I will be the assistant !!!!!.

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Well, after a holiday and a computer crash; I finally talked to Les at Classic Datsun. He said he does indeed, have the flare body kit based on the no. 47 Frizzelle car shown in these photos. He has not dealt with the molds or had anything to do with them for about eight years. The last time it came up was for a Japaneese guy and he quoted him 5,000 for the kit. When I got back up off of the floor, I asked him to detail the kit for me. To the best of his recollection, it consisted of rear quarters, flared front bolt on fenders, something like a g-nose piece that matched, hood, rear hatch, and maybe even a whale tail. I told him I felt like most people would just be interested in the rear flares and flared front fender kit because we could get most of the other stuff elsewhere and maybe he might want to come up with a quality assessment and cost for just those separately. He seemed like a busy man but he promised to find out from his fiberglass guy what condition the molds were in, etc. and that if I continued to email him, he would try to answer the cost, availability questions. I told him that we could probably put together an initial order of about 10 sets based on the posts here and elsewhere. My plan is to continue to email him, but the reaction research kit is looking pretty good about now; especially if you blend the rear quarters on with a two inch extra spacing of fiberglass (and maybe a fender vent in the tail) to make them wider. It does not appear that the cost of the ones I really want is going to be any less.

 

So if you don't get a hood or hatch it could be less. I have $1600.00 in my hood and hatch. They are carbon. Hoover has also offered to let Les and his guy use his car to pop a mold from the rear flares. If we stay after this things can still fall into place. Personally I like Hoover's rear flares and the #47 front end for my use.

 

$5k for all of those parts is high, but they are the genuine real deal. I have seen the work from Les and Co. on other parts. The hand laid is the best I have seen. If he does one for me I would prefer the hand laid for strength and weight.

 

Think about it and stay in touch.

 

Alan

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Dudeboy, you have a great idea that ranks right up there with the flares we are all hoping for. That yellow Z car looks fabulous. If you don't mind, let me ask you this:

 

Are you talking about steel or fiberglass for those flares that match the bumper?

 

What width wheels fit underneath the widest flares avail for the 911, both front and back?

 

Do you have any more pictures of these applications?

 

This might be the best way to go for the factory look.

 

Thanks for any information, John

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Good evening John,

 

The flares come in steel or fiberglass. The steel flares go for $1200.00 - $1900.00 and the steel bumper extensions go from $300.00 -$450.00 and this does not include the shipping and a skilled/bodyshop welder $$$

 

The fiberglass flares go from $200.00 - $250.00 and the fiberglass bumper extension $100.00. The fiberglass bumper can go from $295.00 - $335.00. I have a neighbor with a 911 with turbo bodywork (fiberglass), and told me to also look for 911 RSR fiberglass as well. When I started researching this option my dad sent me this:

 

http://brentwoodrocketscience.com/rsr.htm

 

Tire and wheel selection for the front, has to be based on how you set-up your suspension, wheel backspace and offset. The range on a flared front can go from 245/40 17 to 275/40-17. Bob_H has 275/40-17 on the front(flares and coilovers come into play)and Henry Constanzo president of Georgia Z club has 245/40-17 on the front as well.

 

The rear tire choices are 315/35-17, 335/35-17 and (Thank you for the link to the IMSA car on Ebay) 345/35 -15 Pirelli Pzero Giallo. Also Michelin has a vintage racing/tarmac/street tire called Michelin TB5 and TB15 same price as the Pirelli, and the size is 345? or 335/35-15 also but they are 15 inch!!. I have only located the Michelin in the UK (Longstyres and Classic Tire and in Australia) Longstyre returned my e-mail promptly and indicated two rear tires shipped to the USA is about $900.00 ( about the same price as buying the Pirellis from 1010 tire).

 

There are several pictures of the yellow Z at http://www.grombil.com, and there is another smoke grey Z with porsche flares in some older bodywork posts. I have pictures of Porsche Turbos, RSR's and Group 4 Panteras in different stages of bodywork just to get some ideas and look at angles. IMHO, steel flares would be the best, but I know how to work with fiberglass and I can cut up the fiberglass flares to fit the rear tires I utilize. I have some pictures of Z,'s you may want to see. Shoot me your e-mail and I will also PM the information about the Michelins.

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DOBI does not exist anymore.

Performance World in San Diego, CA not in business anymore.

ARIZONA Z CAR sold the molds(TIM 240z posted the information of the mold buyer)

Show-cars Body parts: Questionable quality and customer service issue.

 

Z shops or fiberglass shops that made IMSA GTU or widebody flares are not in business anymore, and/or the shops that are still in business no longer have the molds for the 70-78 Z. Every now and then a body kit will show up on Ebay, or you will hear of a salvage yard discovery. Showcars-bodyparts have some kits, but previous posts indicate a customer service and quality issue (Other members with experience with this company can chime in on this issue). MSA, Victoira British , and Jim Cook Racing sell flares, not

as wide as the IMSA bodykits -maybe they can be modified? Until there is some money to be made (profit) by making the IMSA GTU bodykit, the alternative maybe to modifiy existing kits from other cars, make a mold from a Z-car with the bodywork, start from scratch and make your own -which can be done, or you might get lucky and find a kit at a salvage yard, old Z repair shop or a local Z club.

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Forrest,

 

I forgot about Erik's car. I have those picture's as well, also Erik makes surfboards and other fiberglass/carbon fiber parts for Zs. I e-mailed his shop to see if he could make the old Datsun Competiton hood scoop a while back, and indicated he needed a scoop to make a mold. If he still has the car (it was up for sale)maybe he could make the molds of his flares from his car? As far as I know he has the facilities. Need to get in contact with his shop, this thread may be of some interest.

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  • 2 weeks later...

For those of you who are interested and have a lot of money; the black IMSA Z featured above on this thread (I believe Eric Bernstein's) which is a supercharged V8 is now for sale on this website under classifieds: hybrid Z's, for $35,000

 

Happy motoring.

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I think it is time to make someone a collective offer to build these flares for us or it is never going to happen. I also think we should work out, as a group, some creative shipping arrangements because of the very serious cost of shipping these items also. For example, I live in Orlando, bought another Z car in Minnesota recently. Just before I left to go pick it up, I sold a rebuilt motor and a bunch of new parts to a guy in Ohio. Believe it or not, I left Orlando, last wednesay night 9:00pm with a car trailer (pulled by a Ford escort - don't ask) and the motor and parts with me. The Ohio guy met me in route and picked up his motor, etc. in his pickup and I went on to Minnesota, picked up my car and arrived back home Sunday night a 1:30am. It only worked because it was a very minor road trip for the entire family and we all took turns driving. (We don't get out much) I made enough money on the other parts I inherited in my first Z group purchase to pay for the trip, the Z I really wanted, etc. and kept $2,000 extra. Free Z, free trip and made some money for four days. Next summer I am planning a long road trip from Orlando to Ridgecrest California (where I was born), tour old route 66, etc. and goof off a little in Bakersfield etc. (we like country music). If we can talk Eric Bernstein into making us all sets of flares off of his georgeous car before he sells it; I would be willing to take a trailer, bring a whole bunch of prepaid kits back along my return route where you guys could make little trips to meet me and pick yours up. I don't want to make any money; I just want to get someone interested in making these flares; and the only way that is going to happen is if we order a lot of kits at one time and holding the shipping cost down for ourselves would help us do that. Chipping in for a little gas is a lot cheaper than shipping giant boxes thousands of miles. Let's cut out the middle man. Does anyone here know Eric very well?

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