[DeTomaso] GTS Flares

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 11/8/07 6:10:19 PM, wdemelo at cogeco.ca writes:


> I've heard about the problems with the fitting of GT5S and GR4 flares from 
> the vendors. Has anyone had good luck with the GTS flares? Steel or 
> fibreglass?
> Should the wheel offset change with GTS flares?
> 

I was the intermediary between a set of fiberglass GT5 flares from Bobby 
Byars (which in fact were made on Hall Pantera tooling) and a very disgruntled 
fellow restoring a 1984 GT5 in England.   Apparently the flares didn't fit worth 
a damn.   The fellow in England had the benefit of a half-dozen Panteras in 
his shop to try them on, and it didn't fit on *any* of them.   The amount of 
work required to fix them made it commercially unviable, and the brand-new flares 
were thrown over the hedge.   It's too expensive to ship them back for a 
refund (if in fact one would be offered), and instead they just kissed that money 
goodbye and spent a bunch of time fixing the factory flares, which not only 
fit but were also of much, much higher quality.

On the other hand, I also was the intermediary between a set of STEEL flares 
from Bobby Byars and a fellow in another European country; those flares fit 
just fine, needing just minor tweaking.  Although steel flares have higher 
up-front costs, in fact it is normally less expensive when all is said and done, to 
put steel flares on a car, since steel can be 'worked' so easily compared to 
fiberglass.

Chris Wilkins in Arizona has different molds for fiberglass GT5 flares, and 
he claims his fit perfectly.   Pat Mical also said the same thing (although 15 
years ago a friend bought a set of fiberglass flares from Pat, and one was 
desperately warped and he refused to make good on them, and those too were thrown 
away I think).

Whatever you do, be cautious, and make SURE you have an agreement with the 
vendor ahead of time as to how he plans to stand behind his product should it 
turn out that they don't fit and you can't use them!

Mike


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