Fender Flares
 

I purchased an old 1969 race car was raced from new. Only 2 owners. Working on the history of the car. Unfortunately someone cut out most of the rollcage with the SCCA numbers on it. This car has had the flares on forever, when I had the body soda blasted I was amazed that the body was unhit! Nose was updated to a 1973 as most old race cars to keep them current. Thought you would like the pictures.
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I have seen some cars that they have widened the whole fender, not just added a flare, looks cool but I can't find any pics now..

I know the idea you speak of,

Ive seen it, might have pix on my main library 10s of 1000s vette pix,

A few years ago a fellow hit me in private seems as i recall he had such a car and or a kit, wanted to do molds and sell it,

I gave him my 2 cents on selling such parts and i dont know what happened after that,

As i recall the cars are 80 to 82 style and it was like a flare meets can am wide body but while very radical was still stock looking in a way,

Not sure it would look right on a 68 to 72 with the chrome bumpers,

What do you know, found some,

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...b66f9fb2c9.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...ec543fa986.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...18ef72d7a4.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...4bfdb48317.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...46370ccc9b.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...326eff7b71.jpg

Just like that, I had some pics of a chrome bumper car made that way, it was really cool, they had widened the whole back end also and it looked almost stock but much more beefy :)

I'm surprised you didn't mention the Greenwood Can am fenders.

Several places made,wide bodies, aci, motion, skorpion, etc,

the first ones the track versions were bigger boxier, i credit greenwood with inventing the wide body but when he got in with eckler the pt barnum of aftermarket vette stuff the parts all kind of mixed together,

Many parts sold by both came from idenical molds, they parted ways and i heard law suit rumors, but cats have sadly past away so we can forget the dramas and love what they made,

For example greenwoods wagon kit is far better looking than ecklers but how many people knew that, or knew they were different?

Like em all, grew up around that stuff. Lots of talent on display, times change
Imagine someones reaction back then to show up with 20s on your car its all personal taste.

Flared, scoops, some metal flake, G60s and N50s good chit.

Back in the '70s, Car Craft put the CanAm flairs into the mainstream.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...1cc04ee571.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...5c0902000d.jpg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...dcbe1ddfab.jpg


http://www.superchevy.com/features/1...d-performance/

The late '70s used a smaller version, which may have been the Eckler's ones, on a lot of Hollywood customs, like Farrah's Corvette.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...9bd322f0a1.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...dfa130f247.jpg

I kind of think that be it 20 years ago or yesterday people at shows would ironically react the same to posive offset 20s with rubber band tires on a classic c3...

I believe that yellow car craft car belongs to a member,

Motion had their wide bodies, spider and super shark, i mention them some motion fans never heard of them, weird,

Aci tried to do a duntov turbo wide body, epic fail, well not epic, but it didnt sell as planned,

Was that kit on the silver an IMSA theme, didnt they do up a Monza similar that was white with red/blue striping?

This car?
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...b0da297f82.jpg

Thats ralphs baby,

He and i assume greenwood took the big bulky racing can am panels and refined them into the ca 2 or can am 2

Its my favorite can am kit, panel wise and like i said before is still sold but as full clips not loose panels,

I would love to find loose panels,

Yes, there was a monza hatchback that had panels that looked a lot like these,
Seems there was even a version that were molded plastic and sold through the dealerships

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...7764903825.jpg


I knew a guy in the 80s who had one with a buick turbo 6,

Skorpion now defunct got into lots of magazines with can am kit for f bodies,
,
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...acaa82d5cb.jpg

In some catalogs, the L88 and ZL-1 were two distinct flares. And in others they had one flare they called the L88/ZL-1 Flare, and then in some catalogs they had flares called L88 and in others ZL-1. I have some of those catalogs out. I will see if I can load a catalog page, showing both a separate L88 unit, along with a ZL-1 unit.

The Big Banana came after the Greenwood Batmobile racers. Also Zora's personal prototype was getting tested prior, and that was the basis for the wide body GM Part Numbered Flare kit, that was the basis for the yellow Car Craft build.
Greenwood also went forward with Mancuso on wide body cars, and then Greenwood did the second and big deal with Ecklers, for Ralph to carry the Greenwood line. Ecklers and Greenwood go back further on producing Race Glass, but the late 70s partnership spawned evolutions of the wide body and custom glass. Then they had a falling out, and parted and Eckler's rebadged everything he had to remove the Greenwood name in his line.

I dont get into the race can am panels as they just do not look very good to me on street c3s,

I would also kindly ask to try to keep the threads focus on street stuff...thanks :cheers:-p

Ralph and john teamed up to make street versions of the huge racer can am panels, hood, spoilers, etc,

i believe it was because greenwood was more racer, less marketing person than ralph who perfected good parts made cheaply,

Most of their issues, yeah, i knew ralph,
Came from ralph who was trying to sell parts,
greenwood loved the greenwood daytona wide body, but it was a poor seller, rut row,

While gm sold a flare called an L88 they never that i have seen sold a flare called a ZL1, but i am open to see documentation,

I thought the difference in ZL1 and L88 flares was already well covered with pictures earlier in this thread but in case it was missed by some.....

Because ralph is the first to call the style flare with a kick out, like a large factory flare a "ZL1", i give him the credit,
But He offered a lot of flare styles,

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...dc1be919a.jpeg

Becase a l88 flare was designed only to cover a tire for racing not looks or other functions crud is tossed on the car not so much with zl1, people started calling zl1 flares mudflap flares,
And they are a street custom favorite,

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...bc30903329.jpg
The ecklers ZL1 or "mudflap" flare are ecklers most popular flare, Ralph originated the flare on fender concept to save installation hours, he was copied, great ideas are,

Ecklers still sell this flare and i happen to also have a NOS pair for sale, listed on the sale section here,

I too see parts houses call either style flare a blanket "l88/zl1"
I just write that off to being a bigger salesperson than custom parts historian :lol:
Uts hit or miss what style the flare really is,

Most people know the classis true L88 flare but here it is,

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...8722e75ba1.jpg

Through the years companies and builders have tried to improve the look of the classic l88 flare, some stunning some dog doodoo,

The very best bang for the buck is the cat on ebay selling 4 l88 flares, classic gm style shipped under 400.00,

My favorite flare was either skorpions huge bubble l88 or ralphs zl1, l88 hybrid he stopped making,
it was big on top like an l88 but had some kick out in the rear bottom, sweet.

that last pic looks good..like seeing the front flared some also to completet he look. If I ever come into a $ windfall its definitely getting flared big meats all around and a 4 eyed treatment.
Sat in a members 79 recently found with the smaller steering wheel I fit fine (had a manual) so now trying to figure out how to get into one.
Thought about selling the a body for a c6z i dunno if I can live with how nice they are lol.

These are my absolute favorite, and if I would ever flare my car these are the ones that I would use... Even tho i am Aware this is not a vintage style, but I really like how they flow with the "natural" curves of the C3!

This reminds me of dually truck fender flares.