Race car wheel openings. Shoud I, or not?

[Mike DC]

 
Ironically, I don't think the NASCAR bodies were really a whole lot "lower" compared to a stock Charger.  I think the fronts were always pretty close to stock height and the rears got a little raised depending on the track/setup.

It was just that the wheels/tires had gotten a lot bigger than stock, while staying underneath that nearly-stock overall body height. 




Here's a pic of a stock-ish '69 C500 that has the front fenders cut-out just enough to clear the racing tires.  I didn't expect to ever see this on an uncaged streetable C500 when even most caged Daytona replicas don't have the cutting done, but here it is.  It seems to be exactly what you're talking about: 



 

[moparstuart]

 
Ironically, I don't think the NASCAR bodies were really a whole lot "lower" compared to a stock Charger.  I think the fronts were always pretty close to stock height and the rears got a little raised depending on the track/setup.

It was just that the wheels/tires had gotten a lot bigger than stock, while staying underneath that nearly-stock overall body height. 




Here's a pic of a stock-ish '69 C500 that has the front fenders cut-out just enough to clear the racing tires.  I didn't expect to ever see this on an uncaged streetable C500 when even most caged Daytona replicas don't have the cutting done, but here it is.  It seems to be exactly what you're talking about: 



 

nice looking  , saw that car in pigion forge a few years back

[69_500]

That would be Al Blakes car aka Highbankhauler.

I think that on the website he mentioned how they flared their fenders for that look.


After hearing a few of the older drivers talk, I would have to disagree on the though of the race cars not being that much lower than stock cars. I think they were quite a bit lower. I think it was 3 years ago that Charlie Glotzbach was making a comment to Wayne Perkins about his #99 Daytona that the front end was way to high to be good on a race track.

[moparstuart]

That would be Al Blakes car aka Highbankhauler.

I think that on the website he mentioned how they flared their fenders for that look.


After hearing a few of the older drivers talk, I would have to disagree on the though of the race cars not being that much lower than stock cars. I think they were quite a bit lower. I think it was 3 years ago that Charlie Glotzbach was making a comment to Wayne Perkins about his #99 Daytona that the front end was way to high to be good on a race track.

thats what i remember them saying also

[Mike DC]

Oh yeah, I agree they were technically lower than true "stock."  I'm just saying they weren't nearly as much lower as the amount of sheetmetal-height that is missing from the front fenderwells. 

Judging by the fender-cut alone, you'd think they must have taken at least half a foot out of the front end height on the racing Daytonas.  But it was nowhere near that.  It was more like just a few inches lower than a stocker if you measured the final height of the bodywork compared to the pavement itself. 


Nascar was checking that ride-height figure more and more strictly at the time.  Just look at the Torino Talledegas. They got built with custom-shaped rocker panels on all the street cars just to legalize another 2" of body drop.   And the Mopar guys were monkeying with torsion-bar adjustment cheating methods to dodge the rules too.

[Howie]

   I took a day of work and drove down to the museum at talladega so I could see and shoot a bunch of pictures of the 71 car so I could make my creation close to a stock car. I see how rad rods by troy done one but didn`t like it and I want to build my own instead of write a check.
     I was lucky to have a worker there open the hood so I could get some under hood shots. Was great cause I scored some nascar valve covers, bathtub intake and nascar carb which my wife refers to as a high dollar car part. Not sure how far I will go on cutting it up. I am cutting out the top of the fender fuel fill. Going with a fuel safe fuel cell.

[Magnumcharger]

Just do it!
Fact is, you could ALMOST build this fender from 18 gauge sheetmetal, and nobody would be the wiser.
Notice in this picture, the fender flare/opening almost touches the fender scoop. That's a radical wheel opening!!

[Johnny Daytona]

         Was great cause I scored some nascar valve covers, bathtub intake and nascar carb which my wife refers to as a high dollar car part.

Did you just score pictures or did you find bring home the real items.  If you found items I am proud for you and jealous. John

[Johnny Daytona]

Just do it!
Fact is, you could ALMOST build this fender from 18 gauge sheetmetal, and nobody would be the wiser.
Notice in this picture, the fender flare/opening almost touches the fender scoop. That's a radical wheel opening!!

Thats the flare I am talking about . . And I am going to make it out of 18 ga. sheet at least up to the ridge line. I know the routine oh too well. Another item in that picture is the nose is not bonded to the fender

[Ghoste]

Or is it just painted to look that way?

[Johnny Daytona]

Or is it just painted to look that way?

I guess there is one way to know. Road trip to Talladega.

[Ghoste]

Have wanted to do that for many years. 

[Magnumcharger]

Someday...who knows when...I'll make it to Talledaga. And Daytona too!
This is my favorite picture of the K+K Charger. What lines!
And it really demonstrates the rake of this car when in motion.

[daytonalo]

Eve n the scoops are fared into the fenders and tape on upper W/S area to cut down on drag !

[Howie]

Done the road trip

[Howie]

Here you go now you know and don`t have to make the road trip but it is worth it. It is not solid

[Troy]

Someday...who knows when...I'll make it to Talledaga. And Daytona too!
This is my favorite picture of the K+K Charger. What lines!
And it really demonstrates the rake of this car when in motion.

Holy cow! Dunno if it's the camera/angle/photo resize or what but the windshield/roofline looks so tall in proportion to the front of the car. The driver looks like he's in a giant go kart.

Troy

[Ghoste]

Here you go now you know and don`t have to make the road trip but it is worth it. It is not solid

Thanks, but I'm still going to leave the road trip on the list. 

[Magnumcharger]

More of the same...
http://www.superbird.com/wci71.html

[daytonalo]

I hope I can ask this without a problem , did the K&K make their fenders or were they stamped

[Troy]

I hope I can ask this without a problem , did the K&K make their fenders or were they stamped

That one got answered:

Do you think the # 71 cars fenders were stamped or made ? They have been cut and flared .

Larry

They were definitely cut and flared.

Troy

[daytonalo]

Please forgive me , but the K&K fender looks different than the Moody fender .  If you look close , the flare starts at the top of fender on K&K , the owns car does not .

[Johnny Daytona]

The K+K fender starts with a stock fender that is cut out to clear the tire. A flat piece of metal that resembles the shape of a crescent moon is added to the top. as the tips of the moon is brought in toward the center of the wheel it lifts the inside radius of the crescent up and out . that is the angle you see over the top of the tire.   
    The short track car of Cotton Owens has the stamped flare that was sold by several people Hollman Moody, Pistone. Banjo etc...  It starts out looking like a spare tire well cut in half. First the stock fender was cut to the radius of the flare. then the flare was stuck up into the wheel opening once the tire clearance was established you simply marked the  flare and cut leaving 1/2 inch extra from the line  and weld it more like a right angle joint. trim the flat covering the wheel and roll the edge over so not to cut the tire.  bend the 1/2 inch lip hanging inside  the fender flat to the fender. This was used on short track cars because it did not bend down against the tire as much when you got body slammed. The speedway flares would cut the tires easier when bent.

[Troy]

In my vast experience (two cars ), the real race fenders I've looked at have all been modified by hand. I can't imagine that anyone would spend the money on tooling to stamp fenders for race cars when they were likely tweaking them all the time any way. The ones I saw at least looked like they began life as factory fenders so maybe it was still easier than fabricating them from scratch.

Are we talking about the entire fender or just the flare?

Troy

[daytonalo]

I  do realise they start with a stock fender with inner bracing removed , I didint know if they were sent out to be stamped again or what . The 1/2 lip , was it just simply sharp metal ?

Larry