navygunr001

Hello Fello Vette Heads

I am at the end of a 5-month frame off restoration. I am building my "Bucket List" ride. 1974 Corvette, 383 Stroker, Turbo 400 Trans, Possy 335 Rear Gears, 150lb NOS, Mr. Gasket Breather coming out of the hood, Hooker Header 4 inch chrome headers with the side pipes. She is a beautiful burgundy color and I am doing a custom black and red interior.

My next step is the body. I am located in Los Angeles and I have a very well-known and respected Corvette Shop that is going to custom build my wheel flares for me. "J &D Corvette". My question is this, if I decide to go with offset rear trailing arms and 18-inch tall rims how wide of a rear tire can I go with that will fill the wheel well and look bad ***, and what should the spacing be 3 1/2 or 4 1/2 inches. I have seen photos of a 335/30/18 on an 18 x 12 wheel but I don't know if that is the most room available. Any thoughts or advise?



This is the car before I started.



This is the car before I started.



This is the motor in it last stages before completion.

brent319

I am running the 335/30/18's. I don't think we can tell you how wide your wheels can be. I would hope the shop that is making these flares would be able to tell you that.
The car looks like a lot of fun. Enjoy.

3JsVette

You don't need offset trailing arms with 18" wheels. With 18s the frame is the limiting factor. As far as the flares go buy the wheels and tires and fit the flares to cover them. It's much easier to get the look you're after.

Sunstroked

Ive been going thru the ordering process of custom forgeline wheels. Actually finalized the order today. For instance, the 48 hr corvette, it initially had a stock 72 body with no flares. The wheels were 10.5" wide, The rears had a 5.5" back space. The fronts I think were the same. The wheels stuck outside of the fenders about an inch. Thats with the ridetech offset trailing arms, and all of the upgraded brakes/hubs. You can youtube the original build, but Im pretty sure originally they used an 18 35 315 tire. But, they added flares and went to 335 tires.
After careful measurements, I orderd 18x9 wheels with a 5.5" back space. I have a ridetech suspension. The rear frame prevents anymore backspace, and as I have no plans to flare my fenders, that is all I can fit inside my fenders. The wheels are actually 10" wide. But the way wheels are measured is the inside of the rim, where the tires contact the wheel.
So, if you are flaring your fenders, you can fit whatever you want. But...unless you start modifying your frame, about a 5.5" back space is all you are going to get.

CA_WxMan

I've been looking at this a bit too, as I'm planning on adding flares and 335/30-18s to my '75 vert.

I used the fitment of my '71 as a starting point for some calculations. See my post about 3/4 of the way down this page -->https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ombo-s-39.html

Those wheels are 9.5" wide and have 5.25" backspace with a 1/4" spacer, which results in 5" BS. They would fit fine on a stock trailing arm, but you may need to relocate the parking brake bracket to the top of the arm. The tires are 275/40-18.

The 335/30-18 tire that I intend to use on the rear of the '75 is about 2.4" wider than my 275s and the 18x12 wheels would be 2.5" wider than my 9.5". So theoretically, a 335/30-R18 tire on an 18x12 wheel with 5" backspacing should just barely fit inside 2 1/2 or 3" rear flare. However, what I more commonly see is 4.5-4.75" BS and a 3 1/2 or 4" wide flare.

I'm still undecided about which flares I want to use on the '75, L88 or Custom Image Corvette, but I think I want to go with 4 3/4" BS wheels for a little more clearance than what I have right now on the '71.

I hope that helps a little bit.
Please let us know what you end up with.

navygunr001

New Idea

I am currently using "REAL" Three-Piece Racing Wheels that are 16in Tall x 11in Wide. I am currently using 255/50/zr16 BF Goodrich tires on them. If I stay with my current rims and tires on the front and go with a 315/50/16 tire on the back. That will be 3 inches taller and almost 2 inches wider on the back and I can keep my rims the way they are.

navygunr001

navygunr001

Brent thank you for your reply. Please tell me the Orange car is yours. Are you running offset trailing arms and what is your backspace on your rear 18x12 wheels and I take it you are using 18X10 in front?

brent319

That's my orange 76 "Larry" It it has the Custom Image flares.
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152278796@N06/, on Flickr
I bought the wheels used and fit the flares around them so I am not sure of the spec's but can talk to the guys that made the flares and find out what will fit under there. I am running stock trailing arms. The rear tires are 335/30/18 and fronts are 275/35/18. I think I could go a little bit wider on the front if I wanted to.
As mentioned in another reply it is important to get the wheels on there before you fit the flares to get it right. It can make the difference between a really tight looking wheel gap and a sloppy one. In extreme cases like the Gas Monkey build *ack* where they changed the overall diameter of the wheel/tire it just did not fit. They moved the trailing arms a bit but it still looks wrong.


Side note: this is the car that I bought the wheels from. I had seen it on the internet, the VBP catalog, and in some magazines and fell in love with those wheels. Through some weird circumstances, I found out that the car had been shipped from Florida to Iowa and was in a garage a block away and that he wanted to sell the wheels and the rebuilt Richmond six speed trans. SCORE!

by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152278796@N06/, on Flickr

Good luck with the build. I'll be fun to watch it progress.

Scott13GS

I'M RUNNING 18x9.5 285/40/18

I also have CIC 2" flares. I moved the ebrake to the top of the trailing arm.
PS..Navy also..BB63

navygunr001

I went to Performance Plus today and picked out my package that I am going with. It is the same setup that you have but a different style wheel. I am going with American Racing 18X12, 4.5 BS, VN425 TORQ THRUST SL, Chrome Wheels with 335/30/18 Tires Rear, 18x10, 4.5 BS, Front with 275/35/18 Tires. I am getting a really good deal but they take 4 to 6 weeks to come in. They are built only after purchase so it will be a nice wait for them to come in. Then the car goes into the body shop to have the flares built.

navygunr001

Well, Brent and Scott, I had my hopes up just to be let down. I absolutely love the look of both of your Vette's with 18-inch wheels. I was all ready to put the money down and order my American Racing Wheels with a happy face......"STOP"....... Research find's..... American Racing Wheels are made in China. If that is not enough surprise Foose Wheels are made in China.

Now listen to me when I say that I am not prejudiced but when I am paying that kind of money for wheels I have seen, read, and experienced about products coming from China. If it was bone china I would be happy but we are talking about wheels that protect me and my passenger. With the horsepower and NOS, I am putting through this engine I have made a final change in my wheels design.

I am staying with what I have. "REAL" 16x11 wheels with bigger tires on the back. Thank you, Scott, for posting your car photos because that is what helped me decide.

Brent, I think your car is the best looking C3 Vette I have ever seen in my life. I absolutely am blown away by what you have done with that bad *** 76. Right now I am going for more of a Strip look over the street so I will have a fat meat of rubber in the back on my American made "REAL" bead lock racing wheels made in Iowa. I will still have a taller tire in the back than you have. The 335/30/18 is 25.9 inches tall, and 13.2 wide, my 315/50/16 is 28.4 inches tall, and 12.4 wide. I am still going to use your car as a demo of how I want my flares done.

I will keep everyone posted as the build progresses. I am doing something that Chevy never did. I am putting a Red and Black interior in my 1974 Vette. Tell me what you think about the seat design I chose.

Scott13GS

Good looking seats. Certainly quality workmanship. I opted for the C5 seats. Used original C3 tracks. I'll be following, I like what you're doing. Don't tell Brent about how nice his car is...it'll just go to his head. He already has a hard time getting all 6'+ wedged into that ride!

brent319

Wow, "Larry" says thanks!
Sounds like you got it figured out. Keep us posted. That should be a blast to drive when it is done.

navygunr001

I have been working hard to get my baby back on the road. The interior is looking good.

navygunr001

I love the new tires.

69autoXr

Does the car have any ties to the midwest? it looks familiar. could be a coincidence though.

navygunr001

I actually bought it from a used dealer from Ohio and had it shipped to Long Beach CA. I am down to my last page of items to complete and I will be on the road again. Not bad, complete frame off restoration in five months by myself and a small amount of help from my brother.

69autoXr

I think it IS the car that I'm thinking of then, it was owned by a guy from Ohio when I last saw it. I think it's the car in the top center photo on this webpage:

http://www.westohiocorvettes.com/

If I find any more pics (I may have some from an NCCC convention) I'll post them for you.

Sorry to derail your thread.

navygunr001

It has been a few days more than six months ago that I started my frame off re-build on my 74. Tomorrow it will breathe fire through its lungs for the first time in over six months. I can't wait.