Tough one...flares or not

[Richard]

Guys,

I'd like your opinion. About 25 years ago I bought a '73S to race. It had a no rust, stock body with tired light yellow paint and a Lukes & Shorman rebuilt (original MFI) engine. I replaced a bent trailing arm, rebuilt the transmission, put some suspension on it and ran it in PCA and POC events at Willow Springs, Laguna Seca and Sears Point.

In the late 1980's I decided to go "real" racing. I installed rear flares to allow wider race slicks on the rear. I went to school and got my SCCA racing license. I ran it in a few SCCA races and it did very well but it didn't really fit a class so I parked it for about for about 10 years and raced V8 cars in SCCA. In the late 1990's a friend who was running the SCCA Vintage race program called me and I took my '73S out of the garage and ran SCCA Vintage races for a number of years. It was always very competitve. Over the years of POC, PCA and SCCA the '73S gave me a number of wins.

Fast forward to 2007. I haven't raced my '73S for several years but I continue to drive and enjoy it on weekends even though the suspension is still overly stiff for the street. After all these years and a quick repaint in the mid 1980's it's getting close to the time to repaint it right.

So...my question is...with the values of early "S" cars going through the roof...do I take the flares off before I repaint it or not? I've inclosed a couple of pictures of the car. I'd appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,

Richard

[pu911rsr]

Beautiful car, I just sold a 73 S that was a race car as well. Is it your intention of returning car back to street trim? If you intend to return car back to stock form I would replace flares. If the rest of car is highly modified and you intend to leave it that way I wouldn't bother.
Phil

[sithot]

Ditto

Tom

[Chuck Miller]

Richard,

I agree with Phil and Tom.....

If I remember, your flares are a bit modified (wider) the an RS/SC... yes?

Richard's car has always been one best looking, purposeful street/track 911's around......... best of luck in whatever you do bud....

Cheers,

[72targa]

I vote to take the flares off.

[Shawn]

It always shows at California events.

"Richard's car has always been one (of the) best looking, purposeful street/track 911's around"

So why change it now? My thoughts.

I love that car...alot! Shawn.

[boba]

Car looks great.

That's the way it raced that's the way it should live on.

Bob

[letsrollbabe]

Rich:

I think you know my feelings about your rear flares, but just for the record, I agree with many here that you should leave them alone. The car has spent many more years with the flares than not, and it earned its respect on the track against not only other 911s, but other marques as well in this configuration.

If you decide you want to sell it, returning the flares to stock would probably mean more to another buyer. My recommendation would be not to paint it, or modify it in any way because it looks good as it is, and IT HAS A SIGNIFICANT HISTORY with those purposeful flares. You didn't put them on to look cool, you did it to use bigger wheels/tires to gain more speed on the track...just as Porsche did. There are quite a few 73 esses around the globe, but only one that is yours as you raced it successfully for many years. Just enjoy it and bask in the glow of great memories.

Gib

[Chuck Miller]

VERY well said Gib ..............

Cheers,

[kenikh]

FWIW, mine have been on my '69S since before any of the POs I have records of can remember. The butt welding job is beautiful...perfect. That said, I am cutting mine off in the next month or so. The reasons are twofold: first, I never wanted a car with flares, but bought the car because it was a good deal. Second is value; the uptick in appreciation of correctness has finally tipped the scale far enough to convince me that it makes sense.

Yes, they are immaculately done. Yes, they were done early in the car's life. Bottom line for me is that I always wanted a narrow car and it now makes sense to bring it back.

Do what makes you happy. The rest wil take car of itself..