DavyZ Posted April 13, 2001 Share Posted April 13, 2001 This seems to have been a topic of late and came from an idea on a thread in the Brakes & Chassis Forum. Here's the deal: rolling the inner fender lips in the rear of the Z. Since many of us are running some wide meats in the rear, we have a choice of going to flares if the fit is too tight or rolling the inner fender lips flat. I have heard of several ways of doing this, but would like to have someone who has direct knowledge to reply (anyone can chime in, though with questions/answers/ideas). Here is what I know, and tell me if I am wrong: 1) the baseball bat/broomstick method. This involves literally putting a bat or broomstick between the tire (smaller one, not the one you want to run) and the lip, while getting some friends to sit in the back of the car causing the lip to bend inward while you roll the car down a driveway or whatever. The idea is the lip rolls up nicely while the car moves. I saw a bad example of this done to a very nice Z at a show recently, and it looked like crap sice the rolling was not uniform and the paint cracked around the shoddy, uneven work. 2) Cut and massage method. This idea came from a person who doesn't do bodywork, but hey, neither do I--so what do I know? The inner lip is cut every few inches and then pounded or rolled upwards into the inner fenderwell. The bad part is that this leaves bare metal exposed between the cuts. Not good in the rust areas. I had a 510 that had very wide rear wheels. The previous owner did a stunning job to roll the inner fender lips and they were not cut, were not uneven, were not visible from the exterior, but were done in such a way so as not to trap debris from the road, thus saving me from any rust issues. Good/better ideas are welcome here! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Drewz Posted April 14, 2001 Share Posted April 14, 2001 I have done bodywork in a couple of shops and received my journeyman/interprovincial papers. I do not know it all but I have done this on several of my former cars as well as a few street racers from down in my neck of the woods. What I have done in the past is to use a dolly on the outside of the panel as support and using a small dinging hammer I slowly tapped on the lip working back and forth slowly rolling the entire thing from front to back until the desired contour is acheived. Patience makes the difference from a good job to a top quality look. Time is free but repairing a twisted 1/4 panel is not. Time is the first ingredient and patience is the second. This can be done by anybody if they use some common sense while doing it. I am waiting to do my coilovers and get my rims before rolling the lips on my new 1/4's. I have a line on a set of coilovers for $300.00 Can. funds so hopefully it will be sonn! ------------------ The only stupid question is one you wanted to ask but never did!!! http://ca.photos.yahoo.com/andrewzcars Drewz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeromio Posted April 14, 2001 Share Posted April 14, 2001 About 2 or 3 years ago I saw a web page that described fender lip rolling ( I think it was on a BMW). The guy had apparently borrowed a specific tool from some tire store - I think it was Tire Rack. He had to pay for shipping (and a CC for deposit). They sent him this fancy tool that bolted to the hub in place of the wheel. It had a soup can sized roller (like a giant skateboard wheel) and a handle. It worked by rolling it back and forth and cranking it each time so that each pass pressed a little more on the lip. He also said that he bought a heat gun - like a paint stripper heat gun from the hardware store, to soften his paint so that it wouldn't crack. When he was done he sent the tool back. ------------------ 240Z.jeromio.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted April 14, 2001 Author Share Posted April 14, 2001 Thanks for the replies! Ahh, the sound of reason and fact, not folklore! Drewz: that sounds like a realistic method, but I am no body & paint guy. I am, however, a mangler and I can baseball bat that fender lip something good... Jeromio: if that tool exists, I want one..NOW! I can practice all day at the junk yard on some wrecked Z car to get good at it before attacking my own car. Gracias David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 14, 2001 Share Posted April 14, 2001 Ok, I stand corrected, its not folklore! Here is a pictorial on how it works with a Bat! Ok, its a Honduh, but we'll make an exception. (hey it was the only article to come up!) http://integra.vtec.net/wheels/rollfender.html Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted April 14, 2001 Share Posted April 14, 2001 Drewz has the idea down real good. Patience and allowing plenty of time are the key. If you try this in too few a passes, you chance stretching the lip, so a little bit at a time. The heavier the dolly the better the job will turn out. I even used a piece of 3/4" X 4" X 8" steel plate (it did not bounce back) covered with and old T-shirt. Once done, be sure to undercoat the area real good. This keeps water from sitting in the bottom (inside) of the lip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oltmann Posted April 14, 2001 Share Posted April 14, 2001 Here is the page Jeromio was talking about. It is from a French company called "Haweka." If you search for thier name you'll get a bunch of info. http://www.bmw-m.net/Gallery/haweka.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted April 14, 2001 Share Posted April 14, 2001 I've done this - on the Mustang. One of the things to beware of is that if the lip is large it will want to tear or stretch th emetal as it's rolled up - this is why cuts are sometimes made. On th eMustang I had to make cuts and I used vice grips to hold the edge. A small hammer was also used and it should be backed up with a dolly or stiff sandbag. Bare metal is no biggie - a little metal treatment and it's fine, spray paint it afterwards (shrug). I've heard of the bat treatment - and have heard of people really hosing it too so.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted April 15, 2001 Author Share Posted April 15, 2001 Sweet information, guys! Thank you! The tool is cool and relatively cheap to rent. I do, however, feel courageous enough to try the bat method now that I have seen the Honduh example. This is going to be cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zfan Posted May 23, 2001 Share Posted May 23, 2001 Hey guys, Super Chevy has a good article on the proper way to roll fender lips. Its in this months Super Chevy that I just picked up last night. Just thought Id let you all know in case someone was still interested. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted May 24, 2001 Author Share Posted May 24, 2001 Thanks Mike, I'll go out and get it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted May 26, 2001 Author Share Posted May 26, 2001 Thanks RacerX, I'll do when I'm ready to crank it out! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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