Model Specific Discussions > Trans-Am Camaros
Fender Flaring On Trans-Am Camaros
Steve Holmes:
I am interested in learning of some of the methods used by teams running first gen Camaros for flaring their fenders. It would seem most teams modified the wheel openings to some extent to clear the tires, which grew larger by the season. It appears there was work done on most cars. As independant teams were running 67/68 Camaros by 1969/70/71, it would seem they flared the fenders a little more than on the cars built during 1967/68, as the tires kept getting bigger.
What methods did the teams use for achieving this? Did they add any metal to the lip or did they use other means?
Jon Mello:
Steve, early on the tires were not that wide and not much was done on independent cars other than maybe rolling the lips of the fenders or doing some trimming. I can tell you that the wheel wells on my car were completely unmodified and even had the stock lip in the back. My car was not lowered out like some other T/A cars of the day as they were going to return it to a street car when they were done racing it. The Penske team cars had custom made wheel tubs in the back that allowed more room on the inside, similar in nature to the mini-tubs you see today. Ron Fournier is shown wailing on the fenders with a hammer to build the fender flares on the '69 team cars in the video "Four Hands on the Wheel". If you don't have that video, you should try and acquire a copy. It has some great content. As tires got wider, then it became necessary to add material to have enough coverage of the tires. They still had to use 8" wide wheels up through 1972 but it was amazing the size of the tire that they were able to fit on those wheels due to the design of the tire sidewalls.
jvb6648:
Steve there was a Jeff Hoyt in Buffalo N.Y. who raced a 67 or 68 Camaro, he took the rear fenders of a VW and used them on the front. He turned them around so the rear portion of the fender was facing forward so the lower portion would be used to make an air dam. The front VW fenders were used on the rear, not sure how he fitted them. I think it was around '68 or'69 when I saw the car, looked sharp.
Jon Mello:
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I thought they were pretty nasty.
http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/1973/Mid-Ohio-1973-07-15-013.jpg
oldtransamdriver:
I believe this was the 69 camaro built by the Dimension Racing group for Peter Schwartzot to race in 4 1970 T/A races. Jeff Hoyt was a member of this gang and I knew him back in the day.
This car was sold to Warren Agor and was later raced in IMSA GT and also later T/A again.
I will get the scoop from Peter on this.
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