Who makes those wheels?
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Sophia - all great things take time.

Hi Mark,
It looks nice. Not to tell you what to do but if thats the plug for the mold make sure it's about 1/2" wider than you need because the mold shrinks and sometimes deforms I am not an expert but I had to do my front fenders over because of shrinkage. Good luck with it I know its not fun I hate working with fiberglass.
John

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Last edited by flybmw02 on 12-31-07 03:48; edited 1 time in total

The wheels are 3- Piece ALPINA / BBS. Alpina cast magnesium centers and BBS inner/outer sheels, use BBS ")" rings and BBS hardware. The centers have long (long) been NLA. I have never even actually seen a set for sale in the 15" diamter second hand (a few of the 13" have come up in the last 6 months on German Ebay, the last set I believe sold in excess of 2000 Eur if I recall correctly).

John, thanks for the advice. I am at the point where I may actually take it to one of the local experts (before I ruin what I have done), option "B" may be to send them off to someone and have them fabricated out of steel. They were not originally steel, however since they wouldn't be the "original" itme anyway in Fiberglass I am not sure it really matters (if it isn't the original item anymore ..... it just isn't regardless of what it is constructed of). What is most important is that the shape of the flare/fender is replicated - which I think I am really pretty near to doing. What I am finding now are some differences between the white 1974 car and the black 1975 car (75 car had a rounded arch where the 1974 car had a squared off arch).

I have this picture if you don't allready have it.
John

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Thanks, I do. At this point I am pretty sure I have just about everything that was published on the car (that being said I am sure that there are no doubt some I dont have). I just learned recently that the car was displayed at the 1974 Geneva Auto Show by ALPINA which I think is pretty cool.

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=74fuely&Submit.x=15&Submit.y=6&Submit=Go

Mark,
I thought I was crazy.. you have taken on a huge project. That car is a true classic. Thanks for that link there are some very cool pictures.
If I can help in any way please contact me.
John

I have just this picture :



http://www.horizon2002.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=116
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Alex Contat
Seventies Classic Club Trophy
www.scct.fr

Thanks for that picture, I had it but yours is much better quality than what I had.

That is awesome. simply amazing!

WHere did you get the foam to make the bodyparts? I have been thinking of making some bodyparts and this would work perfect!

Thanks

That is awesome. simply amazing!

WHere did you get the foam to make the bodyparts? I have been thinking of making some bodyparts and this would work perfect!

Thanks

They may not have that store where you are, although you can order it on line .. it is the X30 expandable 2lb PU foam. You can also get it on line from this place:

http://www.shopmaninc.com/foam.html

and also get it in different densities. I would probably (and probably will) get it in 4lb density. What I am using works well, however you have to be really (really) careful with it (very soft). Having something twice as dense would be better I think. I will probably end up using that for the rear flares. Good luck with your project.

This is were I bought my fiberglass supplies, they have lots of infomation.
John
https://www.fibreglast.com/showproducts-category-Foam-156.html

Thanks for the links!

Question, when working with a stock fender, will/should I remove my fender and lay it flat so the "foam" can rise? once it rises and hardens, what did you use to shape it?

Im real interested in using this product but not sure how to apply it to the fender and still be able to use the fender? Will it destroy the fender?

Do you have any "in the process" pictures?

I am by no means any sort of expert. I did a bunch of work with Fiberglass on some of the Schnitzer body parts before I sold them all off so I learned a bunch about resins (Epoxy and Polyester), body fillers etc., There is a tremendous amount of information out there both in books and on the net. I would advise you read up as much as you can before jumping in with two feet, otherwise you end up wasting time and money (and I have already learned a number of painful lessons, hoping not to repeat here) and don't have anything to show for it. I bought this book and read it cover to cover - somewhat technical but still understandable. The Fiberglast web link is also a really good one, there are a number of forums out there that you can find that have knowledgeable folks that can probably help you.

"Competition Car Composites" Simon McBeath

http://www.fibreglast.com/showproducts-category-Books+-+Automotive-138.html

To your questions: Once you apply it to the fender you will not be using the fender (at least until you strip all the foam off of it), if the car is like your daily driver you should go out and buy some fenders that are decent enough to make your molds off of (that's what i did). You essentially have to make a "bathtub" around the perimter of the fender (I used balsa wood and cardboard with various types of tape <duct/masking, etc.,>. The foam is liquid for probably 30-45 seconds so your bathtub has to retain the liquid without leaking (much). You also need to apply tape to theinside of the bathtup as the foam will stick to it and makes it hard to pull away. I ended up using about 32oz's of foam for this fender and made three pours (it would be best probably to make one pour, although you have to be spot on with 1:1 measurements AND QUICK because the stuff starts to go off within about 15-20 seconds of the two mixtures going together. My tools were pretty primitive but effective.... hacksaw blade, small serrated steak knife, serrated bread knife (don't tell wifey!), sureform file, various other files, sanding block with 80, 120, 220 grit paper and that is about it. Again, check the Fiberglast site, you can get the "proper" tools for not that much $$$, I have to say that the bread knife kicked a$$. Once the foam rises and cures it has sort of a glaze on it that makes it difficult to sand. I carved that layer off with the knives/blades and sureform. From there it is just time shaping. It goes without saying that you need to wear both eye and a high quality mask - I am guessing you will die (maybe not die but you will be hurting if you breath the particles of the foam in so be careful). Now that I have learned from a few mistakes I will try to document the process on the other side a little bit . Good luck.

Hi,
On my car I started with Kormans fenders I had on my car.I made them higher and a little wider.
You will most likely sacrifice your fenders, what your makeing is a plug for the mold and it has to be near perfect to make a mold. It has to be strong and ridged or it will distort. The two part foam sticks to allmost anything and does not come off easiley.
The way I would do it is on the car, extend the arch with carboard and use formica for the flare riveted and taped to the fender with no holes. Cover everthing you don't want foam on. Then pour the foam, it grows fast and you don't have to do it in one pour. After it cures cut it with you wifes serated bread knife and shape with bondo to what you want. The bondo should be at least 3/8 thick or the mold will suck in and make an indent.
"Sounds like fun". Ok then after you have all the body work done your ready to spray it with Dura tec primer. Sand it til it's real smooth this the important. Then you wax it with Carnuba wax three times and polish it.
Wipe it down with mold release and your plug is ready for making the mold. Then you spray or roll on gell coat let it set for wile an lay the glass on and all the reinforcement to keep the mold strait with no distortion, this can be done in multiple steps. The mold should be at least 3/16 or thicker.
After a day or so cut the excess glass and remove mold from plug with weadges and compress air. And the put it back togeather and put in sun to further cure. Two days latter we are ready to make the part.
wet sand the mold with no more the 800 grit, dry and wax three times with carnuba wax polish,then mold release.
Now we are ready to make the part, Spray or roll gel coat, wait and hour and lay out you glass two or three layers. let it cure and its the same as takeing it off the plug.
Buy lots of Tyvec suits hood socks and a "full face resporator"
Tar paper works good on the floor.
Good luck and have fun.
Or pay someone to do it, I only made my molds and a few parts I gave in and paid a profesional to make the parts I saved alot of money.
John

Great work so far Mark. My 2 cents would be to go ahead with the fiberglass. You can get a decent production run built for fairly cheap once the mold is made. A steel flare would be dented easily and would essentially be a "one off" everytime it was made. For reference on how I made my spoiler see
http://www.teamblewracing.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=851&PN=2

The mold maker used a Vinylester resin instead of Polyester and there was no shrinkage at all (I built the plug for 1/8" shrinkage and now it fits a bit loose!)

I sold a few spoilers off to pay for the mold and now I still have a plug, mold and three spoilers.

So keep at it!

JK, that's a sweet project you have there! I had never seen your buid thread and just spent some time going through it.

Great job! Please keep us posted on your progress.
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HarryPR
BMWCCA #19290

I swear I spent 3 hours last week googling for it and couldn't find it. You did an awesome job, part of which inspired me to go for it. I am pretty close now with the foam part. I am a little concerned I wont be able to replicate what I did on the other side.

What was the rough cost to have California Art Products produce your mold and the one part? Their mold and the part looked really good - for what I am doing I need that kind of quality. I looked at the rest of your site and your work on your car - really great job.

MarkMac wrote:

I am a little concerned I wont be able to replicate what I did on the other side.

That's one of the reasons I fabricated wood ribs. I would cut two at a time on the band saw going from my smallest dimension to my largest by incriments. That assured that each side of my spoiler was the same when I sanded the foam down to the ribs. I don't have any great tricks for you once one side is already done, maybe someone else has a good idea?

Mark email me and I can give you cost details. Since you will be making multiple molds and more parts, volume is key for price reductions.
jkestler@earthlink.net

I saw JK's molds and finished pieces in person and the parts looks great. The company did a great job.
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68' 1602
98' ///M3 Sedan

88' ///M3 Sold *
06' ///M3 Competition Pkg Sold *

http://www.bmw1602.com/

I want a set of flares like that for my 74...
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74' malaga automatic 2002, ST 22mm & 19mm sways, Bilstein HD H&R Racing Springs, 40/40 weber, Petronix ignition, 320i Radiator, urethane, Ireland big brake for front and rear, Kevlar race pads.