Are SC/RS flares over done?

[rxtrom]

Hello everyone.

I have a 71T that I am in the process of hotrod-ing. It will have unoriginal paint & color, unoriginal 2.7 RS spec motor, and fiberglass bumpers. I really want to put RS flares on it but was not sure if it is over done and better to keep the original narrow body intact. There is some rust, and accident repair needed due to the donor's history, but nothing too substantial for a car that old. Am I way past the benefit of keeping the narrow body and just cut it up and make it mine or keep the narrow body because that is the rarity these days?

Thanks and Happy new year!

[uptheorg]

Whatever is trending this year is just trending this year and it will eventually cycle out of favor as we all have seen. If you are building the car to be sold upon completion, maybe pay more attention to the trend, but if it is for you to have fun with, build what you like and forget the trends. Certainly don't keep slab sides for their "rarity" if you prefer a widebody look.

[RSTarga]

That extra inch of tire width sure helps with the 2.7

[rac390]

Go with what you like. I’m hot rodding a ‘69 that had already had the fenders cut by the PO for a stalled project. I’m restoring it for my wife and she likes the standard flares so I am putting standard flares back on. She likes a non-69 color, so I’ll be doing that as well. I’m going to build the suspension, brakes and motor for me though ��.

[Unobtanium-inc]

Rear Flares can add some flare and needed space for rubber. Front flares then to look a little over the top. If you need the rubber for the track do it, if you are going for the "look" go with just rears. I've got some real RS rear flares if you need them.

---Adam

[tcsracing1]

Even though the car is not numbers matching and perfect donor for a hot rod, what is the condition of the stock fenders?

I restored two 1969 911 bodies and both had perfect rear fenders so I couldnt dear cut them. So they remained stock.
I also wanted a stock body hot rod with 7R rear wheels.

If the rear fenders are bad on your car, feel free to replace them with RS flares if a beefier hot rod look is what you seek.

With the RS fares come with the need for 7" and 8x15 wheel combo which can be had from a Carrera for reasonable money.

[gled49]

35 years ago when restoring my 73S with matching #'s and wanting RS flares, I decided no as original S's are rare enough. Had it been a T I probably would have done it.

[stout]

^ Good advice above.

I'd still consider doing RS flares in steel these days, as modified Porsches in the way of the factory don't seem to take much of a hit in terms of value (there's a key caveat in there) and I agree with the advice above about building the car the way you will enjoy it unless you know you're selling it soon or soonish. And if it's a T, with some rust and accident damage, it isn't original anyway. I'd avoid SC flares, as you have the choice to add the factory's upgrade for the long-hood cars, they also look very right on the cars—as see on Chuck Miller's car as well as the "911S 2.7" RS 2.7 prototype.

Other side of this argument is that, if your rear fenders are really nice and/or you just can't bring yourself to cut them (or sell them to someone who needs them for a restoration of an otherwise very original car), you might ping Cornpanzer here on this board, as he has snuck 185/70 and 215/60 Avons under his 911S's rear fenders sans flares. The car looks great (!), and is still narrow bodied. I think others have snuck 225s in, but usually in low profile... Real 911R wheels needed for the rears are dear, but there are some compelling replicas available from the UK. I might look at those…

[Jim Breazeale]

35 years ago when restoring my 73S with matching #'s and wanting RS flares, I decided no as original S's are rare enough. Had it been a T I probably would have done it.

I have a T and I did it back in the early 90s. Not because I thought it was cool or was trying to make my car something it wasn't but I needed more tire and wheel in the rear. I built one of the first 3.2SS engines in the SF Bay Area and realized early on that my 185X70X15 tires on the original Deep 6s weren't cutting it. I went against my own advice and added 7s to the rear of my car, knowing better. It didn't take more than a couple of days and I burnt the paint off my quarter panels just above the rear fender openings. The tires contact the quarter panels and create heat. You can't hear anything or feel anything but this has happened to hundreds of cars with no rear flares and 7" wheels and the proper corresponding tire size. Porsche put flares on Carrera RSs for a reason, 7" wheels with normal size tires just don't work. I used Factory RS Touring flares, bumpers and rocker moldings 'caus I could and they weren't that much more than regular stuff. I, now run the original 15 X 6s on the front and 15 X 8s on the back with 205 X 50 X 15 tires on the front and 225 X 50 X 15 tires on the rear.
This was done on the car that I have owned since mid 1973. I didn't give a rat's ass about "numbers matching" or any of that nonsense. I just wanted a car that I could drive the heck out of and have fun. It has been every bit of that up until now. It is going through a extensive restoration and, I'm hoping that it won't deter me from beating the crap out of it when it's done. The last thing I want to do is become a car polisher or a concours participant. "RS" flares are easier to get these days that when I did my car and I wouldn't discourage anybody from modifying their car to suit their personal tastes. Pete is right, well done 911 hotrods do not suffer any hit in value, if you care about that stuff(I don't) and, often are sold for far more than their "numbers matching" peers. Just think, Would you rather go down a row of "numbers matching" 911s or a row of Hot Rod 911s, each done in a different style?
I'm in the process of replacing all the steel factory RS bumpers with fiberglass and removing the sunroof to make the car more "sports purpose". Anybody need any sunroof parts? By the way, the car is staying Sepia Brown and the muffler (the one in the picture that has been on the car for decades) will stay on, as well.

Regards

Jim

[RSTarga]

They just look "right"