When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
OP, Why not call Brian Hobaugh. He works at an auto shop in the SF Bay Area and you can google him. Perhaps he will tell you the source for his flares.
You know, it honestly never occurred to me that I should try to reach out to the Brian. I'll see if I can reach him. I'll let you know if I can get ahold of him.
I appreciate the response. It looks like you found the same flares that I found. They have that"mud flap" look that I was talking about in the original posting. I'm looking for more of a top heavy bubble flare. I bought a set of Thumpers from a forum member. They're projected to arrive tomorrow. I know the fronts will need modded, but, I'm extremely excited to get them.
My brother and father ran against Brian back in the day a few times
His car has been flared from way back, but it could be the newer tire and rim combo, but they do seem wider and meaner than we remember them being!
If i feel like or actually have any time this weekend, i will post some shots of some vintage original never installed on a car real ""Thumpers"" that I have as spares or that I have slated for install onto my second C2 car, my old slalom one. These are the same prettier unit that I have talked about on my first C2 the ole track car!
Last edited by TCracingCA; 05-08-2015 at 02:21 PM.
You know, it honestly never occurred to me that I should try to reach out to the Brian. I'll see if I can reach him. I'll let you know if I can get ahold of him.
OP, Why not call Brian Hobaugh. He works at an auto shop in the SF Bay Area and you can google him. Perhaps he will tell you the source for his flares.
The flares from that car have been on it since the 60's. I doubt they are readily available.
I appreciate the response. It looks like you found the same flares that I found. They have that"mud flap" look that I was talking about in the original posting. I'm looking for more of a top heavy bubble flare. I bought a set of Thumpers from a forum member. They're projected to arrive tomorrow. I know the fronts will need modded, but, I'm extremely excited to get them.
Congrats. Im jealous. It sounds like he should have auctioned them off, as there would be no shortage of bidders. I kind of like that they are not readily available so there is a uniqueness to the look. I think these images may belong to TC:
Local guy in Knoxville, TN where shop is located has a mobile scanning unit. Shop owner found him a few years ago when he was developing a platform concept for being able to make floor pan, ect for cars were part(s) were rusted out or where a new floor pan ect was need to fit engine, trans, tunnel ect so he could make parts that would fit wit out trial an error method.
Check around with some of the local machine shops that have 4 or 5 axis milling machines as well as locale community colleges see if they offer 3D modeling, CNC machining ect classes as they may have or offer scanning or know some one who has scanner. Also University of AZ engineering school . Sometimes you can get help from them as it gives students a real world project they could come out and do, then see results first hand.
Also you can contact below Company they sale portable scanners and either them or company that makes a portable scanner(s) may be able to find a person in your area with scanner that way.
I did a search or Portable 3D scanning in AZ and it brought up a $995 scanning special offer, call'em, and see what you can come up with. Might try the Yellow pages, maybe under engineering services or machining.
Thanks for the suggestions. I was searching for 3D mapping, and I kept getting Civil Engineer results. So, I'll employ your search when the time comes. I appreciate your help.
never was much into slalom myself, but did a few events with the NCCA guys when stationed up in Norcal. Then i did a few with the Asebring group down SD way! That picture is I think Willow Springs at a 1987 VARA event (practice only). I wasn't allowed in the race! I am keeping most of the vintage, but with some refinement. I am finally taking some vacation (been 1-1/2 years), so I plan to get some work in on the project. maybe i will snap some shots in the modern of that car!
Congrats. Im jealous. It sounds like he should have auctioned them off, as there would be no shortage of bidders. I kind of like that they are not readily available so there is a uniqueness to the look. I think these images may belong to TC:
I could always make a mold upon receipt of the flares, and replicate them for anyone that is interested. Speaking of, where does that fit in ethically? Is it okay to replicate these, or is that fiberglass plagiarism? I intended to smooth out the fronts more like Brian Hobaugh's car, bringing the wheel opening below the beltline (like the attached pic). I'd hate to throw away a piece of Corvette history without at least creating a means to replicate it. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thumper had earlier offerings units (flares) that I call the prettier ones or technically 8.5 flares that are not shown in this later 1970's pictures. Those are the units i was going to go pull out of the garage and show!
IMSA started as a small bore sedan racing series. SCCA Tracy Bird predicted the demise of large bore racing in 1970, because of production car smog, etc.. In about 1972 it all exploded. IMSA expanded to allow wider tires and created rules for allowance of just about anything. With less restrictions, IMSA attracted away competitors from SCCA. Thus SCCA countered with Trans Am.
So the flares I have are the very first SCCA accepted units that the SCCA guys fought for on the C2 cars, to stay competitive with the wider tire capable C3 cars. The IMSA rules caused Thumper and other glass manufacters to go wider and bigger as IMSA rules and T/A rules evolved. By the time that catalog shown units were offered these had been revised by the Company to correspond to the newest rules and subsequent acceptable rim and tire sizes! And these got nicknamed as IMSA flares or I call them the 10 flares (these big bulbous bubbled units- I also call them ugly- so I removed the bubbleness and put more beltline into my rears)! The bubble units were a necessity for racing and technically are well liked by many, and some think they are pretty, but I say ugly ""only"" in comparison to the early units!
So there are two differing series of Thumpers
A prettier front and rear early on and then the second series were the bigger bubble units. So everyone but me is mixed up on these beltline units- because cars have gotten a mix of early and late and then to further confuse everyone, the Thumpers fronts early and late could always be used also on the backs if you weren't wanting the more rounder units. As then to top it off, there arose other manufacturers that copied this style! I found two Companies just in los angeles area that copied the Thumper, because Thumper started in the Los Angeles area. And then guys that got creative!!!
I hope I cleared it up! You have early pretty ones and ugly later ones and cars were done with a mix of fronts/ rears, early and late. So alot of variations! And then guys would tweek the glass somewhat with a sander or shaping!
Therefore the history of the beltline Thumpers! As per Derek
Last edited by TCracingCA; 05-09-2015 at 01:41 PM.
never was much into slalom myself, but did a few events with the NCCA guys when stationed up in Norcal. Then i did a few with the Asebring group down SD way! That picture is I think Willow Springs at a 1987 VARA event (practice only). I wasn't allowed in the race! I am keeping most of the vintage, but with some refinement. I am finally taking some vacation (been 1-1/2 years), so I plan to get some work in on the project. maybe i will snap some shots in the modern of that car!
I for one, would love to see some pics. You owe to yourself to document any work that your doing on the car.
I don't traditionally like to show pictures of my car while still in the ugly stages!
Originally Posted by Jax65Vette
I for one, would love to see some pics. You owe to yourself to document any work that your doing on the car.
It will hurt my hard fought for Corvette guy image!
Yes yes yes, it is going on a bunch of years and one day I promise! Therefore i have just shown some of the goodies as teasers and made my fathers car famous. I am not into a complete build thread. I have unique mods , and am the type that will unveill at the end of the project.
Last edited by TCracingCA; 05-08-2015 at 05:39 PM.
I do have threads up on our forum covering racing!
But to summarize those.
SCCA allowed a plus 1.5 inch. Therefore starting with a stock 5.5 rim on a C2, they could run 7 inch in racing. Thus explains all of the 15 x7 rims!!!! No IMSA existed yet. 1967 Corvette got 6 inch rim, no rewrite essentially happened, because they didn't want to alienate the existing Corvette competitors, so those C2 cars to include 1967 were made to run still on the 7 inch. Then with the 1968 model appearing having 7 inch rims stock, a plus 1.5 gives you an 8.5 rim! Walla, 15 x 8.5 allowed on 1968 cars, thus seriously outmatching the C2 cars. Alot of guys with C2's went down to BP class because of this; pulling their big blocks and installing SBC's, because a big block C3 was untouchable with that much tire in comparison! The remaining C2 big block competitors lobbyied for a flare allowance to compete against the C3 along with the SBC guys naturally. In 1969, SCCA and International FIA group 4 rules were very reactive to the Manufacturers as long as they now proved Homologation (better than in the past- requiring stricter proof of the minimum built), so in SCCA the 1969 Corvette's 8 inch stock rims caused an allowance to 9.5 inch for racing with the 1.5 + rule. The rim manufacturers weren't that quick to produce that particular size (I do have an example in my garage of a widened 9.5 rally rim set, that i posted up shown in the past on one of my posts), so they allowed the 10 inch rims. And the FIA guys "International" allowed a 2 inch plus under GRP 4 homologation and therefore 10 inch rims, but for a time the Corvettes that were run had to stay GRP 3 which was requiring the the stock/production rim sizes. FIA Group 3 was essentially a true production class and Group 4 was a modified production class requiring less examples to be homologated to be allowed. But there were not that many Corvette cars dressed out to meet FIA rules GRP 4, because the flares had to meet FIA homologation first and that happened quickly for 1969 and the Daytona opener. That didn't really happen in SCCA till late 1971. IMSA arrival on the scene and 1971 GT and every Vette running, got to use at least 10 inch rims! And Pow!!!!!!, by the end of the 1971 IMSA season they had went up to 12 inch!!!! At the same time, guys took the C3 flares to make that happen. IMSA basically is the adoption for the most part of the FIA rules, but with their own revisions looking past basically the homologation requirements- is what IMSA started as!!!!!!!
Instantly the range of competitors grew greatly since that first sparse of competitors from 1971, because of this loosening of rules pertaining to modifications. The SCCA losing competitors counters and starts to let a 10 inch rim slide eventually in about 1973 for our C2's! In some pictures you will see wide flares on C3 cars and tire/rim combo's that dont seem to fit well in the flares. Those were IMSA/FIA flared cars choosing to compete in SCCA but fitting the smaller SCCA required max rim/tire or you see SCCA cars with the tires sticking out. Things get even crazier in IMSA with the advent of AGT American GT to counter the factory backed European Marques!
The rules created caused things like the bulbous bubbles to allow some competitiveness of the C2 with the c3 and L-88/Zl-1 cars and the addition of the bulbous bubble in the picture above allowed the fit of the 10 inch on the c2 cars, whereas the earlier Thumpers were good to 8.5 inch rims (3-1/2 to 3-3/4 BS)! And then the C3s went all wide body with the AGT and BMW/Porsche kept upping the ante! And the C2 then was a dinosaur finally! But realistically, the C2 had always trailed the C3 since the C3's introduction. By late 1973 the C3 box flares first showed up and then that exploded in 1974! Each time an allowance was made, the rules quickly evolved and back to square one for the C2's. It was hard to put big box flares on a C2 and i only remember just a couple of guys gave that a try in the later 70's era killing off the C2 usage at the top racing levels.
Last edited by TCracingCA; 05-11-2015 at 08:40 PM.
Thumper had earlier offerings units (flares) that I call the prettier ones that are not shown in this later 1970's pictures. Those are the units i was going to go pull out of the garage and show!
IMSA started as a small bore sedan racing series. SCCA Tracy Bird predicted the demise of large bore racing in 1970, because of production car smog, etc.. In about 1972 it all exploded. IMSA expanded to allow wider tires and created rules for allowance of just about anything. With less restrictions, IMSA attracted away competitors from SCCA. Thus SCCA countered with Trans Am.
So the flares I have are the very first SCCA accepted units that the SCCA guys fought for on the C2 cars, to stay competitive with the wider tire capable C3 cars. The IMSA rules caused Thumper and other glass manufacters to go wider and bigger as IMSA rules and T/A rules evolved. By the time that catalog shown units were offered these had been revised by the Company to correspond to the newest rules and subsequent acceptable rim and tire sizes! And these got nicknamed as IMSA flares (these big bulbous bubbled units- I call them ugly)! The bubble units were a necessity for racing and technically are well liked by many, and some think they are pretty, but I say ugly ""only"" in comparison to the early units!
So there are two differing series of Thumpers
A prettier front and rear early on and then the second series were the bigger bubble units. So everyone but me is mixed up on these beltline units- because cars have gotten a mix of early and late and then to further confuse everyone, the Thumpers fronts early and late could always be used also on the backs if you weren't wanting the more rounder units. As then to top it off, there arose other manufacturers that copied this style! I found two Companies just in los angeles area that copied the Thumper, because Thumper started in the Los Angeles area. And then guys that got creative!!!
I hope I cleared it up! You have early pretty ones and ugly later ones and cars were done with a mix of fronts/ rears, early and late. So alot of variations! And then guys would tweek the glass somewhat with a sander or shaping!
Therefore the history of the beltline Thumpers! As per Derek
Wow. Thanks for the history lesson. It's all making a lot more sense to me now. I'd love to check out the flares that you have in comparison to the ones that I bought. Please post a picture when you get a hold of those suckers.
It will hurt my hard fought for Corvette guy image!
Yes yes yes, it is going on a bunch of years and one day I promise! Therefore i have just shown some of the goodies as teasers and made my fathers car famous. I am not into a complete build thread. I have unique mods , and am the type that will unveill at the end of the project.
I cleaned up some of the post on tire/rim sizes above!
So racing is what dictated the flares constructed and rim/tire offerings! I typed the sizing rules things above completely off of the top of my head just to relate what and why things were happening! I do have a ton of more exact precise notes down to specific races and the Corvette cars!
I now want the smaller prettier flares on both of my cars, but still running the 10 inch rims on the back (10 inch to stay Vintage to the old evolving rules), doing so with changing the rim backspace on my Vintage Modulars! Going with a deeper backspace to fit under the narrower pretty flares! The problem is i lose front rim width, to an 8.5 with 3-3/4 BS unless I decide to cut out the inner fender! I haven't explored the maximum BS capable on the fronts of a race car and neither has that been talked about on our forum. the restriction on the fronts is the body inner fenders. Or do I keep the other ones and stay with the rims as they are configured!
I had three garages and lost one of them! I need the vacation to get back over to my storage garage and organize, so i can get back to work. I have stuff stacked on my cars presently in both garages, so not a good photo op anyways! I slowly have been moving the Corvette parts around taking them over to where I have my good car. I keep that one where their is security etc., but the times I can go there are restrictive and during the week, i can't get off work early enough before they close monday thru Friday. So as I pull something out of the pile, i have shot pictures and shared those pieces of what came off of the various cars or stuff that will be added to the builds. I am taking a whole two weeks off next month, hopefully I can get to the point to start working again. the last vacation i hurt my back and got the flu on top of that, I hope to not have a repeat.
Last edited by TCracingCA; 05-09-2015 at 12:56 AM.
I could always make a mold upon receipt of the flares, and replicate them for anyone that is interested. Speaking of, where does that fit in ethically? Is it okay to replicate these, or is that fiberglass plagiarism? I intended to smooth out the fronts more like Brian Hobaugh's car, bringing the wheel opening below the beltline (like the attached pic). I'd hate to throw away a piece of Corvette history without at least creating a means to replicate it. Any advice would be appreciated.
The Hobaugh car is one of my favorites of all time. I know some don't care for the updated look, but I love the 18x12 wheels all around and the blacked out chrome. The car oozes testosterone just sitting still, and the bubble flares are the main reason it looks so muscular. Not only is the car gorgeous to look at, it is a purpose built race car, and it wins! It doesn't sit in a climate controled garage only to be taken out on days where humidity is under 25%, its raced and raced hard. What other race car besides maybe a 250GTO has such a perfect form away from the track? Not enough for you? The car has a racing history going back to the day it was purchased new, and back then it was raced by Brian's father. That is awesome. I absolutely hate red cars, and refuse to buy one. So, imagine how cool a red car must be to be one of my favorites of all time.
I personally love the modern looks of Brian's car,
Originally Posted by Rickenbach
The Hobaugh car is one of my favorites of all time. I know some don't care for the updated look, but I love the 18x12 wheels all around and the blacked out chrome. The car oozes testosterone just sitting still, and the bubble flares are the main reason it looks so muscular. Not only is the car gorgeous to look at, it is a purpose built race car, and it wins! It doesn't sit in a climate controled garage only to be taken out on days where humidity is under 25%, its raced and raced hard. What other race car besides maybe a 250GTO has such a perfect form away from the track? Not enough for you? The car has a racing history going back to the day it was purchased new, and back then it was raced by Brian's father. That is awesome. I absolutely hate red cars, and refuse to buy one. So, imagine how cool a red car must be to be one of my favorites of all time.
and somewhere i have pictures somewhere! of Brian's car from back in the day and probably of his father's era!
But I am going to hold to Vintage 10 inch on mine, becauise of the history I just shared. In the modern there is a movement to these wider and larger diameter tires, but that 10 inch rule is nostalgic to me. Yes it cracked in about 1971- 1973, for essentially the 1974 season with the wide body racers (1974 RSR actually Porsche 1973 season's narrower RSR homologated 11 inch rears and dominated), BMW CSL, and the Greenwood Corvette, but actually Greenwood wasn't the first wide body Corvette!
I am not going to go crazy sharing pictures, but here are a few more pictures of beltlines to keep the thread interesting!
and i have a whole lot more!
Last edited by TCracingCA; 05-11-2015 at 08:41 PM.
05-08-2015, 01:48 PM
Calling Brian?
. I kind of like that they are not readily available so there is a uniqueness to the look. I think these images may belong to TC:
I am not into a complete build thread. 
, and am the type that will unveill at the end of the project.
