AwtoMakina Z Flare - Type I

[Careless]

hey doods, and doodettes.

 

I just finished doing some mockups for some flares that I bought from Rob over at Showcars Bodyparts, here in Toronto.

 

Now, first off, Rob is not that bad of a guy. He's actually pretty nice. But organization and time management is one thing they never taught him in highschool (if he even attended), or perhaps it's all the fumes from the fibreglassing, but he does have a lot of quality parts, as well as some half-assed ones too.

 

He just moved to a new location in Mississauga, so he's sorta treking between the barrie store room and the new parts factory/store room.

 

I picked up the last set of IMSA Rear flares that he had hanging around. The condition they are in is a total mess, and I paid 180 dollars. The only reason I did so, was because I need a flare to start with (something to build my flare ontop of), and because if I had asked for a new set to be made, I probably wouldn't get them in time to give myself a christmas present for 2007, let alone 2006.

 

I worked up some glorious (if i don't say so myself) concepts of what the new AwtoMakina Z fender flares will look like. They're a cross between the old MSA Street Flares that are now discontinued, and have ZG bolt holes that dress the full-arch flare style. Something that this Z community is without as of yet.

 

I bought some short strand fiberglass body filler to mold on top of the current flare that I got from Rob, and then some Lightweight Body filler to get everything all nice and clean like. I will be using regular glazing putty, as I'm not using this as a flare, I'm only using it as a base to make a complete mold, and then from there, I will iron out the kinks in the mold and I can have some of these available to anyone who would like a set.

 

All things considered, I can probably let a pair of these go for about 200 US,and a full car set for about 350.

 

But I can assure that this product will be of the utmost highest quality attainable, or I wouldn't put it on my car (heck ,it's for my car to begin with, so I guarantee that)

 

As soon as I get access to a scanner, or a digital camera, I can show you what concepts I'm working with here, as I'm sure some people will be interested in what they look like.

 

Stay tuned. =)

 

Oh, btw. AwtoMakina is the new company that my room mate and I started and registered in order to get business accounts with parts dealers to be able to buy parts for cheaper and repair cars for friends at a better price than most mechanics would normally charge.

 

My room mate, who is a full-time mechanic, is handling the general repairs and coordinating schedules (I live in his house), and I am coordinating the Z as well as the custom design department, hehehe =)

 

Wish me luck!!

 

Raffaele

[Guest 280ZForce]

Sounds bad ass... now will these style flares you will be producing be bolt up like the ZG flares or will they need to be bonded on?

 

Pics would be great!

[Careless]

it's a bolt on affair.

 

which is the entire point of making these flares. they are replicas of the Street Flares that are discontinued, but they embody the ZG Flare bolt holes that were in place for homologation reasons for their race class which allowed them to extend the body to a wider size, If i remember correctly.

 

It just find it very nostalgiac how the parts that cars quickly had tacked onto them to allow them a bypass in racing classes easily to get an edge over the competition with suspension and track-width made those same quick-fixes a nice way to accent the car, and a very popular look amongst classic car lovers. It's no wonder why some of these fender flares are reproduced today for newer cars too.

 

But none quite like this, and I hope that no one takes the idea here, cause that would break my little itty-bitty heart =(

 

here is the pic i drew today, and it's the only one i'll have for a while until i start making the first set tomorrow.

 

 

Lemme know if anyone is interested in the creation of these flares. Production would be slow, but if your Zee is still on stands and still needs to be built, this could be a good item to wait for if you want to.

 

the REASON for these flares, as well, is the wider track width of the 240sx s14 subframe, which is about 6 inches wider, and which is going to be holding onto some wider wheels for my car as well, when I get to that stage, so for now, I'm going to create these flares how they are, and when the time comes to fit them, I'll knock some copies off.

 

they might be another one of those "long awaited" parts, as I still have a lot of work to do before this stuff.

[Careless]

it's been a while since i picked up a pencil, as well, so bear with the rather mundane quality of the photos, using scarlett coloured Col-Erase pencil.

 

I don't have photoshop installed here either (bro's comp at my parent's house) so I don't have a way of making it brighter until tomorrow.

 

When I do make it brighter and add some contrast in photoshop, I'll reupload the pic.

[Guest 280ZForce]

looks sweet, awesome sketch by the way (just add a wheel center, classic mesh wheel or the ccw *hint hint* lol)...so pretty much a wider version of the ZG style?

 

I've heard there are wider versions of the ZGs out there somewhere, but I have yet to ever come across a set.

 

I'd probably be interested in a set. I have the typical ZG setup right now.

[Careless]

yah, I'm glad someone got the wheel question out of the way.

 

let just say I'm not the greatest at drawing wheels from angles. HAHA.

 

And if I do happen to pull off a nice wheel design, It would take away from the flare design.

 

To be precise, it's not quite a larger ZG version.

 

The 240ZG came with flares that are a tad larger than the ones everyone buys, if I remember correctly from a previous post. I am not recreating ZG Flares, I'm incorporating the fastening method of the ZG Flares into a MSA Street Flare style, or more precisely, a modified IMSA Street Flare.

 

I'm putting bondo over my IMSA Flare to make it like an MSA Flare, and then adding the ZG Bolt holes.

 

 

what you don't see in the picture is the edges of the flare.

 

where the flare meets the car, there would be a 5 - 8mm flat area, before the in-ward curve starts. (just at the top of the bolt holes.. you can see it in the bottom right isometric view)

 

and on the lip closest to the wheel (outermost flare edge) there will be a 10-20mm flat area that will make the flare look FLAT if viewed from behind, rather than having a rounded edge.

 

This makes the flare look complete with a very well chosen offset, and makes the car have that "Flare ends here" type look.

 

All business.

[wickiewicked240z]

i think these flares should have the same bolt pattern placement and as the ZG flares so people who already have the zg flares don't have to drill more holes for the flares your working on..... just saying:icon6:

 

just read you previous post it will be perfect.....

[Careless]

i think these flares should have the same bolt pattern placement and as the ZG flares so people who already have the zg flares don't have to drill more holes for the flares your working on..... just saying:icon6:

 

just read you previous post it will be perfect.....

 

I was thinking the same thing.

 

But I don't have money to drop on a ZG Flare to do that sorta test quite yet, and currently, I am only making the flare round enough to look right, i'm not yet doing the bolt holes.

 

HOWEVER, if someone in the Greater Toronto Area would like to donate a set of ZG flares that they arent using, for a temporary research and development period, I could whip off a pair of these flares for the cost of materials, or perhaps free when the time comes. =)

 

=)

[Guest 280ZForce]

I got 1 spare zg flare i could send your way lol... only driver side front though.

[Careless]

I got 1 spare zg flare i could send your way lol... only driver side front though.

 

hmmm. working on rears for now.

 

ideally i would only need one side per pair, as i could hope for the best to get the other ones to line up by holding two sets together.

 

what i WOULD do to make it the best possible fit, is just leave the area with the bolt hole undrilled. so that they can be fitted accordingly.

 

but that might be hard, if everyone's already sealed their fender well.

 

hmmmm.

 

 

also, does anyone know where i can get the supplies for fiberglassing?

 

wax release agent

hardner

resin

non-woven (stranded) fiber cloth

gel coat

 

? toronto would be best.

[zedevan]

so they kinda look like these flares?

 

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13020&cat=500&ppuser=2116

 

but with the zg bolt holes?

 

sounds awesome

[j260z]

that spirit garage car is my dream car... if you plan to create a set of flares like those i will bow to you.

[Careless]

so they kinda look like these flares?

 

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13020&cat=500&ppuser=2116

 

but with the zg bolt holes?

 

sounds awesome

 

 

wow, i like those flares. they are probably an inch wider than what i'll be doing, but those look pretty damn gangster.

 

it will be something like that with bolt holes.

[Careless]

so anyways. the 260z chassis i was supposed to buy yesterday night (had the money in my wallet for it), was sold to someone else.

 

this makes me somewhat mad. but I guess i'll just have to work with what I have.

 

reason being, because the car has original panels, where as mine was once replaced. therefore, I don't feel confident enough that it will look proper on any of your guys cars if I were to make them.

 

So now my plan is two times the work load. I'm going to try and repair the bad history of body work on my car by cutting out the seam weld, and making the car a semi-widebody, semi-flared rear.

 

This probably isn't a bad idea since my car will have the wider rear, and wider tires now, to boot!

 

but I have to admit, this change of plans really costs me more money to do what i wanted, and although i've spent money in weird places regarding this car, which I didn't mind.... this one the one that hurt me for real. especially the way this stupid sale went down.

 

sooooooo, i'll keep you guys posted on it.

 

I'll have to change the thread name to Type 0 now, since they will be test models for interest in the product.

 

 

and another thing i noticed. about making the nutsert location the same as ZG flares... this is not possible, for the reason that a lot of people have their zg's mounted higher or lower than every one else, and not in the EXACT same location. because the AMZ1 flares (codename for mine) go from the top of the arch to the bottom, and have the curve of the lower portion of the car molded into the flare side that attaches to the car, mounting them higher or lower will create fitment issues. since most nut inserts are aluminum, or brass, one could just make extra nut insert holes and put some in, and if at any time they wish to switch from ZG's to AMZ1 flares and swap wheels so that their offset allows different stances, that would be their only option.

[Mikelly]

Careless, Please go HERE: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=93146

 

Now, as your product matures, please come to the admin staff FIRST before posting your product. We've had so many problems with others who decide they're getting into the body parts making business, and it creates a lot of work for the admin staff when things go south.

 

Good luck with your parts production and aim low for your initial production, and for everyone's sake, don't take a single dime for orders until you've got the production process nailed down and have stuff ready to ship... Search here for other examples of what NOT to do.

Mike

[HS30-H]

Well the flare you drew are similar to the: akira z full work spoiler.

this is the picture:

 

nismoztune,

That's the second time I've seen you do that on this forum.

 

Let's get this straight. The "Akira Z Full Work Spoiler" ( sic ) manufactured and sold by ARITA SPEED in Japan is NOT the same as the bodykit on the car that you are using as your avatar, and have pictured above.

 

It might look the same to you, but it is not the same thing at all.

 

If you are going to use historic works cars to illustrate points, you will need to make sure that you get your facts straight ( please! ), so as you don't lead others astray.

 

Cheers,

Alan T.

[gretchen/jason]

Where can one get flares similar to that maybe not as fat though Sure makes it easy to put in a wider tire . My tires are under the stock fender lip and are only a total of 9 1/2 wide tread is about 8 1/4 wide id like some that are about oh with a 14 inch wide tread .

 

Jason

[Mikelly]

nismoztune,

That's the second time I've seen you do that on this forum.

 

Let's get this straight. The "Akira Z Full Work Spoiler" ( sic ) manufactured and sold by ARITA SPEED in Japan is NOT the same as the bodykit on the car that you are using as your avatar, and have pictured above.

 

It might look the same to you, but it is not the same thing at all.

 

If you are going to use historic works cars to illustrate points, you will need to make sure that you get your facts straight ( please! ), so as you don't lead others astray.

 

Cheers,

Alan T.

 

Alan, If thise were IZCC or another site, this kinda comment might fly. Here, it doesn't. Most people don't care about the pedigree of the parts. They're just happy to have parts sources.

 

Take these comments elsewhere.

 

Mike Kelly

[HS30-H]

Alan, If thise were IZCC or another site, this kinda comment might fly. Here, it doesn't. Most people don't care about the pedigree of the parts. They're just happy to have parts sources.

 

Take these comments elsewhere.

 

Mike Kelly

 

 

I'm not sure that you understood my point.

 

'nismoztune' is leading people to believe that the 'Akira Z' body kit manufactured by Arita Speed is the same as the one that the NISMO-owned works race car uses. They are quite different. The width and profile of the rear Overfenders in particular are quite different ( the works car is at least 6cm wider overall at the rear than the Arita Speed kit ).

 

Can you imagine how somebody would feel if they ordered a kit from Arita Speed expecting it to be exactly the same as that on the NISMO car?

 

I don't see what is wrong with pointing out the difference?

 

Alan T.

[Owen]

I'm not sure that you understood my point.

 

'nismoztune' is leading people to believe that the 'Akira Z' body kit manufactured by Arita Speed is the same as the one that the NISMO-owned works race car uses. They are quite different. The width and profile of the rear Overfenders in particular are quite different ( the works car is at least 6cm wider overall at the rear than the Arita Speed kit ).

 

Can you imagine how somebody would feel if they ordered a kit from Arita Speed expecting it to be exactly the same as that on the NISMO car?

 

I don't see what is wrong with pointing out the difference?

 

Alan T.

 

 

It's always good to see there are people who know all the facts down to the very last detail. If this were zcar.com...

 

Maybe you should try to sound a little less "historian-like" when you correct somebody. Or better yet, just PM them.