New wheels, big problem? Help?

[NotCoolSteve]

I will give some background about this project. I bought this car 21 years ago. Drove it for 3 days and started taking it apart. It had very bad paint and some shoddy body work. The fuel tank area was rusting badly and needed a fix. That was then. Then it sat in my garage tucked away for 21 years. I've had a lot of free time on my hands because of Covid. So I went at the car hard. I fixed everything and got new wheels for it. I was planning on painting this weekend but.... The old suspension is still in the car so it sits super funny, but that rear wheel is so far forward in the well , I don't know if the flare was cut wrong or what. It had 13's on it. Big ol American racing uni lug wheels, that are about 8 or 9 inches wide. The new wheels are 15x7 and the correct 4x100 pattern. So i was figuring a bit of a wheel spacer and new springs and shocks and i will be good and fill up the flares that are on the car. 2 inch ones. But that rear wheel is so far forward I'm thinking something else is wrong. Again the springs and shocks are old and had the 13's on them. Does anyone think some else is up besides that? Is the flare cut wrong. Also all the suspension urethane is 45 years old. Any help or advice would be .. helpful. Thanks.

[rcf925]

Does right rear look the same? If not your probably looking at previous accident damage

[NotCoolSteve]

I hasn't been hit.

[adawil2002]

I thought my car hadn't been hit. Guess what...your car was probably hit before you purchased. it 21 years ago in 1999. Especially if there was shoddy bodywork you had to correct. 

 

 

[Vicleonardo1]

Interested observer here. What would be the remedy?

Frame straightener? Can that be done with unibody construction? 

[Preyupy]

It looks more like the flare was not centered.  Do some measurements inside the wheel well.  Find the center of the wheel well ( not the opening) and then see where your wheel sits.  If the car was bent as much as it looks sitting on the wheels in that picture it would be blatantly obvious.   

['76mintgrün'02]

38 minutes ago, NotCoolSteve said:

the flare was cut wrong

 

This would be my guess.

[NotCoolSteve]

I had an mechanic look at the car before i bought it way back when and he gave it the ok. I'm also saying that the car looked normal with the 13's on it. When it was sitting. It has been up on blocks for years. Like this. 

[albatcha]

I just put another car over yours, and it looks to me like its just the flare, the wheel center, and the bottom corners of the wheel arch matches.

[NotCoolSteve]

Could I have messed something up with those stands? They are on the rear sub now. But they might have been on something else for years. I don't recall.

[Henning]

1 hour ago, NotCoolSteve said:

 

 

On the pic the C-pillars seem to flush. Looking at the rear end of the rocker the flare does not seem to be off center. Even if it could be moved 1/2" further to the front it wouldn't match the tire.

My guess is it is of an unfortunate design, no good for an 02 or- passenger side.

But the rims are cool!

 

hen

 

[CoastalCrush]

Measure center of wheel off door jamb on each side. If they’re the same distance than it’s your flares that are off 

[NotCoolSteve]

albatcha. That is extremely helpful. Wow thanks man. That is why i come here. lol.

[Preyupy]

The gap at the front of the tire to the back of the rocker looks about right,  the gap at the back of the wheel arch is just too big.  I don't know where those flares came from but I doubt they were designed for a 2002 and they are just too big.  They lined up the front of the flare with the end of the rocker, as it should be, and the back just wound up too far back.  

[jgerock]

Was the car sitting all those years on jack stands without a differential mounted to the subframe (and to the hanger bracket)? Just curious.