Rear quater wheel well change to round opening like GTS?
09-15-2011, 08:04 PM
#31
That's why I posted my pics...as the PO supposedly did this....the flare ended up being substantially different from the original GTS flare...due to those differences and the different rear cover.. It's hard to see on my car (black)..and not the best pics.. but the flare is real... and it does look subtle but good IMO...
09-15-2011, 08:18 PM
#32
Rennlist Member
Hi Tom. I looked at your pictures again. I suspect that your wheel arches are very well the same shape or profile as the GTS, but clearly the flare is not the same as the GTS fender is flared, particularly just above the arch. I do think that your's are flared otherwise as much as the GTS though, probably at least an inch out on each side as with the GTS, maybe more.
Jerry Feather
Jerry Feather
09-15-2011, 08:30 PM
#33
Story was that he used the factory rear GTS quarters...and then while trying to adapt to the old body style..had to modify them substantially... I'll take a look inside next time the car is on the lift to see if there are remnants of that ledge..but I'm guessing they hammered them out and did some serious cutting/bonding to make it match the shape of the old style body..
When I first got the car I didn't think it had flares at all...but after putting on 38 mm spacers and the CS rims I had...there was still a bit of gap....and when the 17x11 with 315's went on...had to use 35 mm spacers for a perfect fit... (these 17x11 rims were last used on a GTS (the one Rob bought and rebuilt) and the fit was nearly the same)...
Dan the pod guy knows more about this car/flares.. maybe he'll chime in.
When I first got the car I didn't think it had flares at all...but after putting on 38 mm spacers and the CS rims I had...there was still a bit of gap....and when the 17x11 with 315's went on...had to use 35 mm spacers for a perfect fit... (these 17x11 rims were last used on a GTS (the one Rob bought and rebuilt) and the fit was nearly the same)...
Dan the pod guy knows more about this car/flares.. maybe he'll chime in.
09-15-2011, 09:21 PM
#35
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I'm not going to do this but wondering if anyone has. I never liked how the pre GTS 928's have a squared off rear wheel well. I lust over the GTS quarters, who doesn't? But did anyone ever modify their non flared quarters to have the round wheel well like a GTS? Seems it might not be that hard to do.
09-15-2011, 09:23 PM
#36
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The reason they could make the GTS arches rounder (or less square) is because the surface above is broken-up by its flaring "hip" shape. If you'd apply the same roundness to the 928 narrow body, it would not look right, as it would add too much visual weight to that area.
09-15-2011, 09:27 PM
#38
Three Wheelin'
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09-15-2011, 09:34 PM
#39
Three Wheelin'
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The reason they could make the GTS arches rounder (or less square) is because the surface above is broken-up by its flaring "hip" shape. If you'd apply the same roundness to the 928 narrow body, it would not look right, as it would add too much visual weight to that area.
09-15-2011, 09:53 PM
#40
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The reason they could make the GTS arches rounder (or less square) is because the surface above is broken-up by its flaring "hip" shape. If you'd apply the same roundness to the 928 narrow body, it would not look right, as it would add too much visual weight to that area.
The question is whether you can round off the wheel arch without having too large of a perceived opening (leaving the fore/aft dimensions the same) or having too much solid bumper hanging off the rear end (reducing the width of the wheel opening). I'm not sure this could be done with stock size wheels.
Most of the examples given confirm that it hasn't been well done, but not that it couldn't be done. I'm curious to see what Jerry comes up with.
09-15-2011, 10:31 PM
#42
Former Vendor
I don't have really good pictures of mine, and my car is currently not in a state to be photographed, but here are a couple of shots that migh still give an idea:
Paul
Paul
09-15-2011, 10:43 PM
#43
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Look at the contour of the rear quarter window. It lopes down the B pillar, and then curves into an only lightly curved lower line. The original wheel arch picks-up on that theme. Unlike on the GTS, the area on the narrow body is a simple convex surface, that only flips lightly above the actual wheel arch.
Also, consider that design features on cars are not 2-dimensional. What looks good from one perspective might look horrible from another. Car designers spend weeks fine tuning the shapes for the right proportions.
You cannot isolate one feature on a well designed car (or other product, building, painting), modify it, and expect to preserve the original harmony of the shapes and proportions. Once you start making changes in one area, you often throw off balance, and need to make more changes elsewhere.
Look at Strosek - he's another design master. Did he just do rear wheel arches? No, he changed front AND back to keep them in balance.
Also, consider that design features on cars are not 2-dimensional. What looks good from one perspective might look horrible from another. Car designers spend weeks fine tuning the shapes for the right proportions.
You cannot isolate one feature on a well designed car (or other product, building, painting), modify it, and expect to preserve the original harmony of the shapes and proportions. Once you start making changes in one area, you often throw off balance, and need to make more changes elsewhere.
Look at Strosek - he's another design master. Did he just do rear wheel arches? No, he changed front AND back to keep them in balance.