Why why??
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,568
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From: Enterprise Oregon
Why why??
Why dosen't the majority of this forum like flared fender wells on corvette's--Granted it was the thing to do in the 70's but heck guys & gals it's still a vette and you can put more rubber on the road??Just wondering is all?? Some are mild and some severe??-Just thought i'd ask??-Glenn
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,359
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From: AUSTIN Tx
Glenn,
Some of us just feel that it is pretty hard to improve on the lines of an original body. I am doing a resto-mod, yet I still replaced the flared body panels with new stock ones. As to the fact that people did it in the 70's, look at the clothes that people wore in the 70's, do you still want to dress like that?
It is not that I look down my nose at flared cars, I would rather just keep the stock lines on my car.
Regards, John McGraw
Some of us just feel that it is pretty hard to improve on the lines of an original body. I am doing a resto-mod, yet I still replaced the flared body panels with new stock ones. As to the fact that people did it in the 70's, look at the clothes that people wore in the 70's, do you still want to dress like that?
It is not that I look down my nose at flared cars, I would rather just keep the stock lines on my car.
Regards, John McGraw
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,568
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From: Enterprise Oregon
John you owe me a keybord -the bit about the clothes made me laugh so hard i spilled my beer on the keyboard--oh and you don't owe me a beer tho - -just toooo funny
-Glenn
-just toooo funny -Glenn
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Sarver Pa
2021 C1 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I must be weird ! I like fender flares, 6 tail lights,and spoilers ! I like tire smoke, loud pipes and grabbin gears too !! Guess that's why they call me "Pops" .
Live Free or Die
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From: One thing is for sure this kind of discourse and BS would not be tolerated on the NCRS forum. Ohio
Originally Posted by Pop Chevy
I must be weird ! I like fender flares, 6 tail lights,and spoilers ! I like tire smoke, loud pipes and grabbin gears too !! Guess that's why they call me "Pops" .
...'cept they don't call me Pops. 
I like real flares. I think those widened stock type midyear fenders are
You making fun of my bell bottoms John ?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,257
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From: Mission Viejo California
I rarely like them because it's amateurs trying to modify one of the nicest auto designs in history.
Most back yard bubbas do not posess the eye and the skills to properly alter the car and still make it look like it left the designer's drawing board that way.
Same with modern cars or "Ricers" when punks put those cheap JC Whitney body kits on there and think they have a hot looking car. They look ridiculous.
Most back yard bubbas do not posess the eye and the skills to properly alter the car and still make it look like it left the designer's drawing board that way.
Same with modern cars or "Ricers" when punks put those cheap JC Whitney body kits on there and think they have a hot looking car. They look ridiculous.
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Race Director
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From: Camp Verde AZ
C1 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
2017 C1 of Year Finalist
Originally Posted by Seaside63
I rarely like them because it's amateurs trying to modify one of the nicest auto designs in history.
Most back yard bubbas do not posess the eye and the skills to properly alter the car and still make it look like it left the designer's drawing board that way.
Most back yard bubbas do not posess the eye and the skills to properly alter the car and still make it look like it left the designer's drawing board that way.
Auto design is more than adding things here or there, as it usually messes up the whole package. Things have to work together..... Except for International Harvester pickup trucks, I don't think IH had a design department, they just added things on the assembly line until the vehicle looked like it might be a truck.
the C3 could tolerate more flare than the C2 due to its abreviated tail, and unique front hood/fender design. The C2 isn't nearly as kind to flares, as they don't match the rest of the car. Flares on a C1 is getting into barfbag territory, IMHO.
i remember seeing a pic in a R&T or C&D (which ever mag has the parting shot on the last page) in 1974 of a mid '60's XKE coupe which had a 3 foot tall fiberglas/bondo vertical fin grafted onto the
back.
The caption of the pic was basically: "After years of trying, Neville finally found a way to make an E type repulsive to girls".
friends don't let friends do flares.
Doug
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,050
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From: Orange Ct
Originally Posted by Seaside63
I rarely like them because it's amateurs trying to modify one of the nicest auto designs in history.
Most back yard bubbas do not posess the eye and the skills to properly alter the car and still make it look like it left the designer's drawing board that way.
Same with modern cars or "Ricers" when punks put those cheap JC Whitney body kits on there and think they have a hot looking car. They look ridiculous.
Most back yard bubbas do not posess the eye and the skills to properly alter the car and still make it look like it left the designer's drawing board that way.
Same with modern cars or "Ricers" when punks put those cheap JC Whitney body kits on there and think they have a hot looking car. They look ridiculous.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 297
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From: Greenville SC
I am in the other camp. I do not like most I have seen, but I have seen a few that are tasteful. I would rather leave it stock and add offset trailing arms if I wanted a little more rubber in the rear.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: If I say it's safe to surf this beach ......then it's safe to surf this beach
Originally Posted by Shumdit
I am in the other camp. I do not like most I have seen, but I have seen a few that are tasteful. I would rather leave it stock and add offset trailing arms if I wanted a little more rubber in the rear.
In the 1960's there was a shop on the west side near Donaldson AFB operated by the *** brothers, but I'm not sure if that was the actual name of their shop. These guys were taking brand new and nearly new Sting Rays and flaring the fenders, shaving the front turn signal pods off, fabricating custom grills, etc, etc, etc. They also worked on C1's of course. I don't know if they're still around.
All of their work was hand fabricated in those days. Most of their flares followed the original "flat top" shape as opposed to being rounded, but these guys could do it all. People would actually take their brand new Vettes to them for body mods, which I've always been OK with.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
If the flairs are done properly, and don't stick out a mile, then I accept them for what they are (a way of getting more rubber on the road). Rarely do they add any "style" to the Vette.
But lets face it, most flair jobs (done by amatuers) look just like plaid bell bottoms on a fat Bubba.
Note that the correct phrase is:
"The C1 body style is poetry. Don't mess with it."
Plasticman
But lets face it, most flair jobs (done by amatuers) look just like plaid bell bottoms on a fat Bubba.
Note that the correct phrase is:
"The C1 body style is poetry. Don't mess with it."
Plasticman
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 7,246
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From: Going too fast over the hill. Iowa
Originally Posted by Duntov-097
I like real flares. I think those widened stock type midyear fenders are
Having said that, you will notice that my car sports stainless mud/stone guards on all 4 wheels. It took less than one year of driving without them to convince me to have them for the next 20 years. Laying on your back touching up paint is a pita.
PS Glenn - your car doesn't have flairs, the flairs have your car. It's the most outrageous example of widened stock fenders (rather than a wimpy lip around the wheel well) that I have ever seen.
Last edited by magicv8; Aug 23, 2006 at 09:31 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Westport CT
hmmm, fender flairs - do I have to add this one to my list of hotly debated topics?
I have to admit, when I was a young guy and the "cool guys" (in other words, the guys who were two years older and seemed a whole generation away) had their Camaros, Firebirds, Novas, Goats, Chevelles, etc. done right or at least done in a way that we all thought was cool, it was headers (almost always Hooker), a high perf carb (Holley), a Hurst shifter, a hot stereo with cassette and some 6x9 speakers in the rear shelf, "mag" wheels (Cragar SS) and bigger rubber (Dunlop) in back, ladder bars, and definitely flared fenders (flared fenders said "my tires are high performance drag slicks!) If someone went to the trouble of taking their car beyond primer grey, so much the better.
So, I do have a soft spot for fender flares, but mostly on muscle cars. I have seen some that look pretty good to me on C2s, but to my eye, the C2 body does not need modification to make it look bad-***, as it already oozes bad-*** to me.
I have to admit, when I was a young guy and the "cool guys" (in other words, the guys who were two years older and seemed a whole generation away) had their Camaros, Firebirds, Novas, Goats, Chevelles, etc. done right or at least done in a way that we all thought was cool, it was headers (almost always Hooker), a high perf carb (Holley), a Hurst shifter, a hot stereo with cassette and some 6x9 speakers in the rear shelf, "mag" wheels (Cragar SS) and bigger rubber (Dunlop) in back, ladder bars, and definitely flared fenders (flared fenders said "my tires are high performance drag slicks!) If someone went to the trouble of taking their car beyond primer grey, so much the better.
So, I do have a soft spot for fender flares, but mostly on muscle cars. I have seen some that look pretty good to me on C2s, but to my eye, the C2 body does not need modification to make it look bad-***, as it already oozes bad-*** to me.
Last edited by ctjackster; Aug 23, 2006 at 02:48 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 206
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From: S.C.
For the most part custom guys are more laid back and like all types of cars. The NCRS # type, tend to be more stiff and look down on customs. NOT ALL BUT MOST!!!
That is what I like about the Streetrod guys, they appreciate all the work and creativity, that goes into all the other guys cars.
I have owned many Vettes stock and custom and love them all.
"CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG"
That is what I like about the Streetrod guys, they appreciate all the work and creativity, that goes into all the other guys cars.
I have owned many Vettes stock and custom and love them all.
"CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG"
Live Free or Die
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 7,943
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From: One thing is for sure this kind of discourse and BS would not be tolerated on the NCRS forum. Ohio
Originally Posted by 65Corvette
The fenders on my '65 were flared in 1966 and I think they look great.
I like them all custom or stock, but looking at 300 stock restored to the way the book said to Corvettes at a show is boring as hell.