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VWhead Samba Member
Joined: September 27, 2009 Posts: 337 Location: Pacific Grove,CA
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 1:57 pm Post subject: 16'' Syncro Fender Flare Questions? |
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Tried doing a search with no luck.
My question is,how were the Syncro wheel wells modified from the factory to accept the 16'' Syncro fender flares? Were the cars built and then cut to accommodate the larger wheels? I would like to see a picture of a 16'' Syncro with the factory flare removed to see where they cut it.Did they cut the whole vanagon fender lips off and then mount the flares to cover up the cut?I ask all of this because I want to cut the fenders on the Single Cab and am interested in the 16'' factory flares.
Thanks in advance. _________________ 81' Single Cab Syncro 1.8T GMW
88' 2wd Westy 1.8T GMW
www.gmwerks.com
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offroad. Samba Member
Joined: January 01, 2009 Posts: 211 Location: llanelli, s wales
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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The arches aren't fully cut just trimmed on the edges and they have holes for the arch bolts to fit through. Lee. |
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SyncroGhia Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2009 Posts: 2458 Location: Highnam, UK
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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It's just the rear sections of the arches which are trimmed.
I got these from some other website a while back... no idea whose the van is but they're a good guide and it's a 16.
MG _________________ T3 Syncro 16 S6 Westfalia Limey SOLD
T3 Syncro 6x6 SOLD
T3 RS6 Bluestar
T3 Tristar Syncro 16 SOLD
T3 Tristar Syncro RHD SOLD |
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taigagreen Samba Member
Joined: October 29, 2005 Posts: 417 Location: Norway
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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I´ve seen a few 16s with the flares removed and it is quite a rough job performed by VW... Doesnt look like precision cutting was a high priority. _________________ 88 Westfalia Club Joker syncro AAZ i/c
99 Transporter syncro 2.5 TDi |
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VWhead Samba Member
Joined: September 27, 2009 Posts: 337 Location: Pacific Grove,CA
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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Boy you guys are right on it! Thanks for the pics SyncroGhia.
I was planning on cutting the fenders this week and I wanted to know how VW did it.Now I know how.Those pics are great!Any pics of how the flares lay over where it was cut? Looks like it gives about an 1'' to 1-1/2'' of more room towards the rear of all the fenders.
Does anybody have the part#'s or where I can find these flares? I know I saw it on VW classic parts along time ago and they were pretty pricey.Can't find it any more? _________________ 81' Single Cab Syncro 1.8T GMW
88' 2wd Westy 1.8T GMW
www.gmwerks.com
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Classicvibe Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2009 Posts: 743 Location: Salt Lake City
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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"Measure" before you cut man...
Those flares are like a grand, re-popped in fiberglass I think
http://www.syncro4x4.com/Syncro4x4/Englisch/indexfenderflares_e.html
At that cost, I cannot believe nobody has just made a mold for some plastics.
I have a stake in a plastics and fiberglass company in China, run by my best childhood friend who lives there. They do extremely high end work, and for those of you that have bought an extra set of skins for your race bike, you are already using their products (composite).
I am less familiar with the plastics side, and I think he laughed at me last time I pitched the flare project to him, but times have changed, and we need flares Yo! I don't wanna smash a fellow enthusiasts 900 Euro dreams, but good lord man, economies of scale are necessary here! We could do plastic or composites (I vote plastic). I guess I could just buy a pair for copy and remove any guilt I had...hmm...
Would anyone want to work out a deal to lend out their original flares, if I can secure a production run? Just a little feeler...what would be the tipping point price for us all to jump in? The first thing we ask in runs is how many, so if I had an idea of numbers, we can work out price (or get numbers from a price we would pay). Glorious flares, lovely brand new flares, built in a Chinese Sweat shop, woot! He actually pays better than anyone in the area, and has a very loyal workforce. Anyway, just an idea. _________________ On a mission, the destination is just an excuse.
Syncro Solstice 2022...see you there!
1986.5 Wolfsburg Syncro Westfalia Poptop Weekender Transporter |
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Oceanpro907 Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2010 Posts: 89 Location: Alaska
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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Chinese plastic for sure 49.99 vs 900 dollars.....Probabaly going to get torn off anyway.... |
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Classicvibe Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2009 Posts: 743 Location: Salt Lake City
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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Oceanpro907 wrote: |
Chinese plastic for sure 49.99 vs 900 dollars.....Probabaly going to get torn off anyway.... |
Well, those molds would be steep, even in Chinese Dollars. That is why others have gone to fiberglass. I have never seen a pair up close, but the size is a huge factor, are they 2 sections of 1 foot, or 1 -3 foot section = huge production difference. I am just not fancy enough to pay 900 Euros, but I might pay $400 if they were pretty awesome, and I think that is about the ceiling most sane people would consider. Too bad we're all nut jobs here... _________________ On a mission, the destination is just an excuse.
Syncro Solstice 2022...see you there!
1986.5 Wolfsburg Syncro Westfalia Poptop Weekender Transporter |
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foodeater Samba Member
Joined: July 13, 2007 Posts: 1318 Location: Newburgh, NY
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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You are probably looking at around $10,000+, in china, for all the molds (assuming injection molded plastic) I believe there are 6 different molds that would be needed. Fiberglass would be much more economical for a project like this. You probably would never sell enough in plastic (@ $400) to recoup your tooling cost let alone make a profit. _________________ 89 Bluestar-2.5 Subaru Powered-RIP
'84 Westy Tiico-daily driver-sold
'82 Caddy diesel-sold
'87 Vanagon Syncro-RIP
'81 diesel rabbit-sold
'82 Vanagon auto-RIP |
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foodeater Samba Member
Joined: July 13, 2007 Posts: 1318 Location: Newburgh, NY
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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I believe the rears are one piece, and the fronts are two separate pieces (x2, one set of molds for each side) _________________ 89 Bluestar-2.5 Subaru Powered-RIP
'84 Westy Tiico-daily driver-sold
'82 Caddy diesel-sold
'87 Vanagon Syncro-RIP
'81 diesel rabbit-sold
'82 Vanagon auto-RIP |
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SyncroGhia Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2009 Posts: 2458 Location: Highnam, UK
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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Mike Plompen was selling some replicas not so long ago but you can't get to this page from the main site so I don't know if they're still available or not.
http://www.busman.be/pagina64aa.html
I had a set of 16 arches for sale 6 months back for £450. They went to a friend in Norway and I haven't seen another set for sale since.
The only problem with fiberglass is that it doesn't bend like the rubber originals, it just breaks!
MG _________________ T3 Syncro 16 S6 Westfalia Limey SOLD
T3 Syncro 6x6 SOLD
T3 RS6 Bluestar
T3 Tristar Syncro 16 SOLD
T3 Tristar Syncro RHD SOLD |
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ericos_bob Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2009 Posts: 71 Location: australia
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't want to fork out the $$$ for 16"arches either. Here's how I modified mine to give a stock look. Running 30x9.5x15 tires without coming close to scrubbing under compression. I do have the gowesty 2" lift springs. A stock set up would leave less clearance though still be ample to prevent rubbing.
My arches have been trimmed back about an inch. Note the center hole is not redrilled. This is because the curve in the rear fender is cut out so the spat no longer lies flat in the middle and would reveal some of the center screw if viewing from the rear of the car.
and my tyre scrub test hill
pic of steering turned to the right (notice less fender clearance)[/img]
wheels pointing straight ahead (more fender clearance)
One you redrill the top and bottom holes and attach the mud spat the only way you can tell something's been changed is by parking next to another syncro and comparing the mud spat positions. |
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Syncroincity Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2007 Posts: 1557 Location: New York City
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Sir Sam Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2009 Posts: 1689 Location: Fort Collins Colorado!
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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Yuck. _________________ '91 Carat Westy
87' Syncro + '87 Westy conversion coming soon |
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Syncroincity Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2007 Posts: 1557 Location: New York City
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, probably not the best example to use as a representation of the product.
I have a set, not sure if I'm using them yet or not. Sturdy construction, but you're on your own as far as attaching them to the vehicle. _________________ '86 Syncro CHC Top AAZ Turbodiesel
'04 Passat Variant 4Mo 5MT
Vanagon Build: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=466866&highlight= |
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VWhead Samba Member
Joined: September 27, 2009 Posts: 337 Location: Pacific Grove,CA
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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Does anybody know if these factory 16'' flares can be found in ETKA ? What are the part #'s ?
Nice job Ericos Bob. Looks real clean.Good alternative to buying flares. What about your rear wheel fender archs? Did you cut those also ? You must have 16'' rear traling arms like I do? _________________ 81' Single Cab Syncro 1.8T GMW
88' 2wd Westy 1.8T GMW
www.gmwerks.com
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ericos_bob Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2009 Posts: 71 Location: australia
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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Cheers vwhead. I made a few mistakes in the process being I had to weld shut the center hole when I realized the screw stoods out like dogs balls and of course that meant priming and repainting the panel.
My set up doesn't require 16" trailing arms. More clearance at the back available with the 14" arms so haven't had to trim the rear fenders. A 30x9.5x15 on 6.5x 15, et30 rims allows 5mm clearance on stock trailing arm with the mickey T tires. I'll add the mickey T is a bit of a special tyre when it comes to dimensions. Still 9.5 wide but only 29.35" tall unlike the more common diameter of 29.5 and some 29.6". It's basically a size between 235/75/15 and 30x9.5x15.
If I decided to use the more common diameter of 29.5 coupled with a wider shoulder such as the bfg all terrains I'd shave the lip of the trailing arm too allow extra clearance.
The sliding door comes close to rubbing too so an offset of say et20 on a 6.5 rim would cause rubbing on opening the door. Moving away from et30 in either direction causes clearance problems quickly as does running too wide a rim.
Safer bet is to run a narrower tire but for my kind of driving (beach, desert) the more surface area I can get the better. |
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VWhead Samba Member
Joined: September 27, 2009 Posts: 337 Location: Pacific Grove,CA
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Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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Found the part #'s for the flares in another thread from Syncrodoka.
Artikel 251 853 717 (vorne links) pro Stk. 148,75 €
Artikel 251 853 718 (vorne rechts) pro Stk. 148,75 €
Artikel 251 853 719 (vorne links) pro Stk. 136,85 €
Artikel 251 853 720 (vorne rechts) pro Stk. 136,85 €
Artikel 251 853 817 (hinten links) pro Stk. 177,31 €
Artikel 251 853 818 (hinten rechts) pro Stk. 177,31 € _________________ 81' Single Cab Syncro 1.8T GMW
88' 2wd Westy 1.8T GMW
www.gmwerks.com
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syncrodoka Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005 Posts: 12006 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 12:19 am Post subject: |
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I knew that I posted the part numbers somewhere but I couldn't find them again. There are 2 pieces for each front wheel well and one piece for each rear wheel well.
Jon_slider had his wheel wells modded so that he can run 31" tires without rubbing and they look stock. Check them out this weekend. |
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sweden Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2006 Posts: 227 Location: sweden
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Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 6:19 am Post subject: More pictures here www.vw-tristar.com |
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I got these from some other website a while back... no idea whose the van is but they're a good guide and it's a 16.
Hi Mike the pictures are from
http://vw-tristar.web.surftown.se/001.htm
And there are more pictures the show how it looks.
Best regards Patrik
www.vw-tristar.com |
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