Hi guys, i'm getting the vette sprayed this summer and along with putting in a '69 front end and side gills i'm wondering whether it's possible/been done to widen the bodywork say just an 1"? Something that isn't too noticeable at a glance but with 1" more dish on the wheels would look awesome

I don't mean putting flares on the car, more like widening the bodywork so it still looks stock if you know what I mean, the muscle guys do it cutting the arches and widening them and welding back together with the arches 'stretched', fibre glass is obviously a different deal I know but thoughts?........

 

I've thought about that idea for years. I like the flow of the original bodywork but have never been happy about the limited amount of tire that will fit in the wheel well.

(I got my fill of messing with fiberglass years ago, so I've spent my efforts trying to get weight out of the car to make up for the tire deficit.)

Post some pictures if you end up modifying the bodywork.

 

When I read this thread, it brought me right back to 1982. In those years custom body work was all the rage, I was fortunate to learn the trade from the best.

A 'well healed' client purchased a new 1982 Corvette, had the engine replaced with a LT1 and then sent the car to us for a 'custom body' flare job on the fenders. He wanted stock but wanted everyone to do a double take to see what had changed. We even went to painting a 'mural' on the hood of the car as pictured from an above point of view and within that mural was the car again and again and again until infinity. It was really cool.

To do a discrete body wide conversion it quite simple. You will want to gently sand blast the insides of each wheel well near the outer edge and once done take a 'jig saw' and cut on the outside the fender 'lips' in the middle of the curve starting at the back through to the front but not cutting it off completely.

Once the fender edge has been seperated, you secure it 1" inch out from the body with strapping and screws and use 'masking tape' to fill the gap. Now go to the freshly sandblasted inner wheel well and 'fill' the gap with fiberglass mat and resin to reinforce. Once dry, sand blast the new gap on the 'outside' of the fender curve and fill with fiberglass and mat to build the gap. Finish the body work and you have created a custom flare.

1" is about all that you want to do as anything more will start to look to 1970's and you will need to paint it with metal flake paint to show case your work. I wonder if those days will ever come back?

 

I Did This On the Rear Of My 73. IT Isnt Noticable On The First Glance But It Fits Over The Tire better. Cool mod.

 

Hi kv,
How did you deal with the extra inch on each side at the chrome bumper, (ac asked about a 71), and at the cowl.
Wouldn't the fender actually need to be 'bent', and the 1" slice added would be in the shape of an ellipse?
Regards,
Alan

 

Good point Alan 71.

You would cut 'back to front' on each wheel well but do not cut the fender completely off. You would stop about 'midline' on the car at the front of each wheel well.

The forward cut 'gap(s)' would only be minimal but gets wider as you move back to set it up for the desired gap. The leading edge of the front fender would not interfere with the bumper as it would remain stock.

As for the rear 1/4, you would use the same stop at the front 'midline' as there really is not enough material there anyways leaving the leading edge as stock. As the fender has only widened by a small amount and not left it's original 'opening' it would not interfere with the rear bumper.

To think of it, imagine looking from the back of the car and you physically stretched the fenders outward. The leading edge is stock, the flare begins there and then continues towards the back of the fenders and 1/4's.

Dan,

 

Hey Aaron,

check this bad boy out:



Yes, its wider than stock however, you would never know.

I want my 80 to fatten up to look like this one

 

That looks cool!

I don't think i'll ever do it as it seems a lot of work, if I had more money i'd do it but i've just wiped the cam on the car so I need to fix that.

You never know though, my friend's Dad is stripping the car in a couple of months so we'll see?

 

My '72 vert came with a killer garaged burgundy paint job that was approaching 15 years old, but it was a knockout old show car that at one time had wicked flares.....and lord know what for tires/wheels....

but when it grew the burgundy paint the flares were cut back, and so they are about 2" wider, best as I can guess, at this point, if I compare to a dead stock chrome shark, they are wider, if I compare to a later shark, like an '82 they seem more or less stock.....

I fit 275/50/17 in the rear and 255/50/17 in front on '89 vette wheels....which are 17x9.5 all around.....the 275 tire is NLA, and the only company to make them was NITTO,

the car is shown on sites below.....I repainted it, due to the paint by now would be pushing 25 y/o and the back was sun damaged, the front wiped out due to two accidents, headlights/deer, and a Verizon truck hitch....