My experience with CC flared front fenders
10-07-2018, 02:51 AM
#1
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My experience with CC flared front fenders
I figured since I finally have my car back from the body shop, and I've been able to clean it up / make it presentable that I should post up pictures of the finished product and give those that are interested in these fenders an honest assessment of my experience. First, I'll say given what I went through to get to this point, I am happy with the way the fenders turned out. If I had to attach a numbered rating, I'd give them somewhere between a 7.5 / 8 out of 10. I took these fenders to the same reputable GM body shop that I had taken my car to last year to have my TPE T2 rear quarters installed and painted. By comparison, my car spent a few weeks in the shop for the rears, and almost a month for the fronts.
Initially, out of the box, these front fenders both looked very good to me. I am by no means a body man, and pretty ignorant to this process. When I brought them to the body shop, the manager initially noticed some contrasting differences in quality between the passenger and driver's side. The passenger side was very good, and did not require much body work. The driver's side had numerous air pockets underneath the primer, as well as other imperfections. That said, he wasn't overly concerned, and confirmed he could have them both looking like new.
After about a week, the initial body work was finished on both fenders, so I brought my car in for fitment and painting. This is where it got really fun. The passenger side fitment was actually very reasonable. I would not go so far as to say it fit like OEM, but by my standards, it was well within the realm of acceptable, and probably better fitting than either of my TPE T2 rears. I don't believe any material had to trimmed on the passenger side, and it was more or less just a matter of playing with the fitment. The gaps between the door and hood were again, very good.
The driver's side was a different story. The upper corner where the fender met the door / hood required trimming on both fronts. Without trimming, the door would catch the fender when opened, and also stick up noticeably past the body line of the hood. At one point during this trial and error process, the fender cracked and had to be repaired. After another few weeks of playing around with the fitment, and doing what they could to add extra reinforcement to the fender where it met the door, the car was finished and ready to be picked up. The gaps between the door and hood were not quite as good as the passenger side, but still acceptable to me.
Like I mentioned above, overall I am satisfied with the final product. The body shop did, in my opinion, a phenomenal job getting these fenders to fit like they show in the photos. They could not possibly fit any better. Aside from everything I have already said, I have one main grievance with the driver's side fender. If you look closely, you should be able to see the arch is not quite as "true" as the passenger side. There is a slight deformation. From certain angles, it is quite hard to see, but if you look at it dead on, it's definitely not as round as the passenger side. Of course, this wasn't noticed until after the fender was painted and installed. The more I see it, the less I care that it exists, but I am open to suggestions from everyone on how to "hide" the imperfection in the curvature.
All in all, this is by no means intended to be a smear campaign against these fenders. I put them in a similar category with the TPE T2 rears, in both quality and fitment, albeit my body shop had an easier time fitting the rears. Your experience with these fenders may be vastly different than mine, and hopefully yours both fit like OEM. Anyway, I don't post many threads unless I feel like I have some meaningful to contribute to the forum, so hopefully that's the case with this one.
Aaron
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10-07-2018, 07:19 AM
#2
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Good review of the fenders. I’m sure it will help someone who is considering those items for their car.
10-07-2018, 11:30 PM
#4
Le Mans Master
I have one main grievance with the driver's side fender. If you look closely, you should be able to see the arch is not quite as "true" as the passenger side. There is a slight deformation. From certain angles, it is quite hard to see, but if you look at it dead on, it's definitely not as round as the passenger side.
I want my wheel arches round, and I want them to match. I wonder why they can't check this stuff before they release new products. You would hope someone who specializes in body parts would think "Hey, let's make sure the left side looks like the right side". Yuck.On a positive note, your car looks amazing! Would you mind sharing what size wheels and tires you ended up using front and rear? And the offsets you used to get such a flush fit? The front wheels seem to sit in the fenders just as nicely as the rears!
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10-08-2018, 07:53 PM
#6
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Ugh. That will drive me crazy. I want my wheel arches round, and I want them to match. I wonder why they can't check this stuff before they release new products. You would hope someone who specializes in body parts would think "Hey, let's make sure the left side looks like the right side". Yuck.
On a positive note, your car looks amazing! Would you mind sharing what size wheels and tires you ended up using front and rear? And the offsets you used to get such a flush fit? The front wheels seem to sit in the fenders just as nicely as the rears!
I want my wheel arches round, and I want them to match. I wonder why they can't check this stuff before they release new products. You would hope someone who specializes in body parts would think "Hey, let's make sure the left side looks like the right side". Yuck.On a positive note, your car looks amazing! Would you mind sharing what size wheels and tires you ended up using front and rear? And the offsets you used to get such a flush fit? The front wheels seem to sit in the fenders just as nicely as the rears!
Thanks for the compliment though. The wheels are C6Z size / offset Cray Hawks (now discontinued). The wheels are 20x12.5 ET47 (I think?) and the tires are 345/25/20 Toyo T1Rs. There’s a 15mm spacer back there though to push them out. The fronts are 19x10 ET37 and due to my own stupidity, the tires are only 265/30/19. I originally mistakenly mounted 275/35/19 and of course they were way too big and rubbed. I was in a jam, needed tires ASAP and didn’t want to mix tire brands, so the only size available to me locally was 265. There’s a bit more of a stretch than I would’ve liked, but I obviously have zero issues with rubbing and the difference is pretty negligible. The car isn’t ever being raced, so the slightly smaller tires aren’t an issue for me. Oh, and there are no spacers on the front either.
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FYRARMS (10-08-2018)
10-08-2018, 07:55 PM
#7
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I agree that the silver does create a shadow affect with the fenders in photos. I think it looks better in person, but fair comment.
10-08-2018, 09:36 PM
#8
Le Mans Master
The wheels are 20x12.5 ET47 (I think?) and the tires are 345/25/20 Toyo T1Rs. There’s a 15mm spacer back there though to push them out. The fronts are 19x10 ET37 and due to my own stupidity, the tires are only 265/30/19. I originally mistakenly mounted 275/35/19 and of course they were way too big and rubbed. I was in a jam, needed tires ASAP and didn’t want to mix tire brands, so the only size available to me locally was 265. There’s a bit more of a stretch than I would’ve liked, but I obviously have zero issues with rubbing and the difference is pretty negligible. The car isn’t ever being raced, so the slightly smaller tires aren’t an issue for me. Oh, and there are no spacers on the front either.
Oh, and I am a little partial to your car, because of my previous one. LOL
10-08-2018, 10:35 PM
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10-08-2018, 10:53 PM
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Might be a help with the 2nd biggest topic in regards to fenders...
Please post your wheel specs if you have them. Offset/backspace figures if possible.
Please post your wheel specs if you have them. Offset/backspace figures if possible.
10-09-2018, 01:30 AM
#11
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10-09-2018, 01:31 AM
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10-09-2018, 01:37 AM
#13
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Oh yeah, the wheels are 19x10 ET37 with a backspace of 6.96", and 20x12.5 ET47 with a backspace of 8.60". I just used a backspacing calculator online, so hopefully my maths didn't fail me. The fronts don't have spacers, but the rears will need at least a 15mm spacer if the intention is to have the wheels relatively flush with the fender. I've played around with both 15mm and 20mm spacers for the rear, and found 15mm works better.
Last edited by A-Tak; 10-09-2018 at 01:39 AM.
10-09-2018, 05:54 AM
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I have been through the night mare of wide fenders. All in All your vette looks good. Everybody's standards are different. I would not have left the shop until the fenders were right, If you go on the car show circuit you could lose points as your vette sits now.
You gave a honest report and that's good.
You can hide the front fender issue by distracting the eye to the hood. Change your stock hood to a aftermarket hood.
Good luck.
You gave a honest report and that's good.
You can hide the front fender issue by distracting the eye to the hood. Change your stock hood to a aftermarket hood.
Good luck.
10-09-2018, 07:44 AM
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I had the similar issue on the drivers side fender where the top portion meets the door, this is where mine would catch. In any case a little sanding on the inside of that area did the trick, but took a lonnnnggg time to adjust the panel to where the gap between the door and hood was equal with the passenger side. I did all the work myself with the exception of paint and it wasn't to bad.
On another note, both C6Z, C6GS, and C5Z wheels fill in the gap nicely with room on the inside to spare.
On another note, both C6Z, C6GS, and C5Z wheels fill in the gap nicely with room on the inside to spare.
10-10-2018, 01:14 AM
#17
Le Mans Master
Like your car, just not those front fenders. They look odd, sort of ‘cupping inward’ where the fender meets the front bumper. Perhaps it will be less destracting when you get your spacers, and move the wheels outward. Good luck.
frank
frank
10-11-2018, 02:38 PM
#19
Instructor
Thread Starter
I have been through the night mare of wide fenders. All in All your vette looks good. Everybody's standards are different. I would not have left the shop until the fenders were right, If you go on the car show circuit you could lose points as your vette sits now.
You gave a honest report and that's good.
You can hide the front fender issue by distracting the eye to the hood. Change your stock hood to a aftermarket hood.
Good luck.
You gave a honest report and that's good.
You can hide the front fender issue by distracting the eye to the hood. Change your stock hood to a aftermarket hood.
Good luck.
10-11-2018, 02:40 PM
#20
Instructor
Thread Starter
I totally get it, and now I find myself trying to brainstorm possible solutions to remedy this without going back to the body shop.