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Old IMSA Z flare / body kit


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It's still down in S.C. I thought it was coming up here soon, but that's not going to happen. With our hurricane relief effort, (flying E-2's in support of Search and Rescue missions), and what we have left up here in Norfolk where I am, I don't see it getting up here anytime soon. They were supposed to trailer it up here when it was done and I guess I'll hold their feet to the fire on that one. Right now I'm out of garage space as I was remodeling my kitchen and cabinets were all over the main garage and the second garage is full of storage items while I finish moving.

Too much info if you ask me! :-D

Trust me, as soon as its up here or I can get some pics of it down there, they will be posted here. :)

-Bobby

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I respect everyone's efforts in locating these flares, most especially Dudeboy's for sure; but I think I have decided that the geography, detail, costs, and coordination of the entire project might not meet all of our different expectations, in the end and as a group, and may not collectively work out as well as we need it to.

 

Consequently, I think I am going to give up this pursuit and focus on the big new Dodge dually fenders to use as the basis of my body kit, and might start another thread on it as I get more information. They are gorgeous, can be sectioned, can be rounded at the top, etc.; are cheap in junkyards, have cheap wheel well finish pieces. Hopefully they can even be sectioned further and reversed for the front as well. They would have to be blended into the door for the Can Am type race car look even though they might require a large air dam in front and a tall wing in back for consistency sake. However, my son and I's goal is to obtain an outrageous, purely race car look anyway. You can even place vents in the back of the rear flares for this Can Am type type look, which also helps you to not have to blend them into the very rear of the quarter at the exact same decreasing angle. Just chop them off at the end of the car as extended fenders like the old Jim Cook Racing rears and finish them off with vents of some sort like the ones on the top rear sides of the old Volkswagen bus (type 1). I am sure the Jim Cook Racing kit is nothing more than other Z fenders added on and not blended in to the original body lines, but rather run along side them. I think this is why the headlight opening is square in front and the vents were required in the rear, etc. I might have the name of the kit wrong but you guys know the one I am speaking of. The Z supplier in Canada has a drawing of it in his online catalogue. I would blend them into the doors both front and back, if the doors would open properly.

 

I know I have minimized it here, but am I crazy? Please let me know.

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Zlalomz, you come in and clarify the idea once again with a picture of a perfect example of what is in our heads. You must have an exorbinant amount of Z pictures at your disposal. This is EXACTLY the type of look we are going after and shows exactly the type of application you can do with most any flares; even those sixty's huge Volks Bettle Ferrari type add ons. I prefer this (with a little rounding off) to my old Z body kit.

 

Now, remove the wing and add a 3" 3-piece spoiler and you have a great overall Z shape. Can you imagine that Z with a hugely bumpity-bump cam and flowmasters pulled up next to a Viper at a light. I think he would end up writing Lee Iacocca a letter.

 

If our my minds weren't made up as yet; They certainly are now. Thanks much!!

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Oldestzguy,

 

No your not crazy, you have a vision of what your Z will look like and its performance. Neither you or I will ever be considered a "PURIST". But, I have scaled back my search for vendors or fabricators of flares and bodykits due to time constraints. I am leaning towards the Porsche Turbo flares for the rear, and the MSA street flares for the front and I have all the tools and materials to do it myself with some direction from my buddy Troy. I will get the drivetrain swap and brake upgrade done in the following months, and by the end of November I will commit to a choice of bodywork. Between now and then I will keep asking around as time permits.

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  • 1 month later...

anyone gotten anywhere on these flares as of yet? I like the Can Am look, and think it would look bad AZZ with some of Tim240z's brakelights. and no wing. real good look on that car, anyone know of the location of the car/owner, are they a member???? love to get more details on it.

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I can not give you any current tips for sources because I have not tracked where some reside these days, but I can clarify and muddle the issues for everyone a wee bit.

 

Long ago the IMSA body kit of highest quality and cleanest old school look and refined detailing was the "Tildon" IMSA kit. Some swear that it should be spelled "tilton". It is my understanding that Jim Cook Racing bought the molds to that kit over 20 years ago, but apparently moth balled them because they've never featured them in the catalog to my knowledge.

 

I extensively photographed and brokered for sale a Tildon IMSA rebodied G nose car with a somewhat modifed rear bumper mod to it years ago. The prints are all in storage and can not be shared at this time except one illustrative one that may interest some you. It is a small inset photo at top left at my gallery index page at http://www.zparts.com/gallery.html

 

 

It ran 345x35x15's on 12" wide wheels at the rear and unknown tire size on 10" wide wheels at the front.

 

Back in the late 80's ago I was contacted by a guy named Ron Emerson that had pulled molds from a set of Tildon flares who wanted to sell them. At the time, although tempted, I walked away from purchasing them from him. Fast forward to the year 2002 and up pops one of my customers and long time contacts into such things to tell me that he just ran across a guy named "Ron Emerson" with a set of Tildon molds and decided to buy them up as back ups to creating replacement flares for his own Tildon flared car which you can see a small portion of on my site at http://www.zparts.com/events/datfest99/99r8f03_m.jpg

 

For those thinking about it, please do not ask to get in touch with this guy. He has told me many a time that he is far too busy to get involved in what he considers a money loosing project of making Tildon flares for others. However, this guy has been showing me some pretty fancy carbon fiber Z car replacement interior and exterior body part prototypes in the past year so, hey, maybe he'll reconsider and go for it later on.

 

Regarding the Prima Donna kit and specifically the white one, I had a customer that was a personal friend of the designer and producer of that kit. He almost ended up buying the molds when owner offered them for sale, but instead an odd little man down the street, won out in the end and carted them off to a horridly small storage attic with claims that he'd be selling kits eventually. He promptly turned into recluse and hid the molds and himself from public contact and nothing has been heard of either for many years now.

 

I have spoken with the creator of the Prima Donna several times in the past. My understanding is that there were a total of 4 turn key cars made and possibly several disassembled kits., but only 3 are known of these days, the white one formerly owned by Mike Oullette of SF, former employee at the Scarab factory, Alan Pong (black one) in Half Moon Bay area and a third and obscure red one originally purchased by someone in Sacramento, CA

 

A long time customer/contact of mine, HC, came to me in 2000 asking if I could help in him purchasing a Prima Donna car. At the time, it was my understanding that neither MQ or AP were approachable about selling their cars, but to my surprise, HC contacted me a month later to inform me that he had purchased the white Prima Donna car from Mike Oullette. Several months later i hooked up with HC at the show in Palo Alto and afterwards we drove to photo location I had setup along the SF Peninsula where at I took extensive photos of the car from many angles under a non helpful setting sun situation that hampered me in getting the body detail and design photos that I was after.

 

Since then I believe HC told me that he had sold the Prima Donna car but I forget to who he told me about. Might be the guy in Tennessee?

 

One last comment. For years I have had in my position the original IMSA style, 280ZX race car molds for Frank Leary's white and green ZX race car, which some of you may have seen photos of in Z car racing history books. All total there are molds for the massive and dramatic looking front end with integrated air dam, R & L front flared fenders, integrated R&L door panels and dramatic IMSA style rear fender sections.

 

I am now faced with a large relocation project to move my entire Z parts salvage yard before Mid February. Reluctantly, I plan to sell these molds to first person that offers a reasonable price for the present condition they are in if that buyer will pick them up in person at my Richmond, CA location. I doubt that these molds would be good for producing a commercial product but someone with some body working experience wanting to do a wild looking custom ZX project car probably would get pretty excited with the potential of producing a one off car from these molds.

 

I am now actively searching for a SERIOUS buyer for these, so speak up soon or tell your buddies into 280ZX hybridz cars.

 

Please DO NOT send me a PM about comments in this post because I seldom check my PMs. Email me direct at eric@zparts.com

 

OK that's all I can think of to add at the moment.

 

Eric Neyerlin - owner of ZPARTS.COM

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College is an exciting and busy time. Wouldn't it be great to have a rolling chassis as a graduation present? Then do the engine install as a father son welcome to the real world project. I do not know your family situation but I find it sad that your dream must fade away. I am in a family of non- automotive enthusiasts so I work alone but it is still fun. Good luck and still visit this site, I will miss someone who mentions Can-Am and IMSA in the same post.

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This has to be one of the longest threads I've read so far. And it ends like a jap novel with the hero dieing in the end. (Oldestzguy's Z)

I say get a car cover for it, and let it sit untill your ready. I've into Z's since I was 18, and now on my 5th Z. It's taken me almost 15 years to find one worth doing something with. It's not the fastest I've had but it's in excellent shape. I'll be putting in an RB26DETT in the spring, and I expect about 450 Hp with some mild upgrades. Hence the need for some fatter tires, and fender flares. And the IMSA flares on the Oldestzguy's Z look sweet.

Your Z has been around for over 30 Yrs. it will be around for a few more. Besides there is always Spring and Summer breaks.

:b_hand:

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Is anyone going to be at the Turkey Rod Run mega car show inside the Daytona Speedway this weekend with a v8 hybrid z? We go every year and I would sure like to "stumble" across one. Maybe I could change someone's thinking a little easier, or better yet, as I drool; decide to make one for myself.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Well there does seem to be one person still making the wide body kits and here is the link

 

--> http://www.reactionresearch.com/280yzgallery.html

 

I do not know how good his parts are yet but I am working on some ideas that I will show them and see if he would be interested in making those changes. Some of the changes I am working on is headlight mounting areas, but not sure if they should be fixed mounted or flips, also cooling ducts for the brakes front and rear. There maybe a few more things that would really make the body kit look really slick so you might also want to talk to the guy at Reaction Research. It seems like they make a good product but I have not seen in myself as of yet.

 

Also, has anyone out here used their kit and how did it work out and how is the quality? Just looking for honest opinions on their product because they seem to be the last one out there making kits like these.

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I do like your old IMSA style flares and I am trying to find out from this group what modifications would be nice to make to these. I am thinking about having him mold a set and make modifications to them at his hourly rate. If others come up with some ideas then maybe I can see if he is willing to do them also and who knows he may be able to create a new line that others could benefit from. My thoughts are two add brake air ducts and to figure out a headlight assembly that might fit and have him make the mounting additions to the body parts.

 

Thank you Oldestzguy for your comment on that it is not wide enough, but is seemed from the pictures to be wide, but that is from the picture. I really like your old style flares and to bad they are no longer being made.

 

So any of you out there have any ideas that might look good or be a good functional add on, well let me know and I will see what I can do to combine the ideas that will work and see if he would be interested in making a set or a few if others want them.

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