THE AUTO BUILDER

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Installing a Custom Accessories Three-Point Harness System

This is the problem in a nutshell: When we are traveling in an automobile, it may seem that we personally are not moving, only the car is. But that is not the case. If the vehicle that we are traveling in happens to stop suddenly, we won’t, unless … there is something there to stop us. That something could be a seatbelt—or it could be something less desirable.

The cold hard fact is that injuries can be suffered during an auto accident. Injuries such as those sustained by the face and head as a result of being thrown into the windshield or dash. Or it could mean those nasty abdominal injuries due to contact with the steering wheel. Either way, it doesn’t sound like much fun. They can also be prevented.

MAKING A GOOD THING BETTER

It’s a simple concept really. You see, when you build six-figure cars for one person, many others stand by and wish they, too, could have such a fine piece of work. Of course, all that one-off bodywork, tube frame construction and sculpted interior is just too pricey for most street rodders, and that doesn’t even consider the price of an artist concept study and subsequent drawings.
However, after spending all that time, money and effort to produce an aesthetically pleasing and award-winning design based on the venerable ’32 Ford, why not mass produce the car in fiberglass with the same great chassis and super smooth lines? That thought crossed Boyd Coddington’s mind when he did the original Boydster, a fenderless highboy roadster. The next progression was to add fenders to the car and so, being a sequential kind of guy and is good with numbers, Boyd decided to call this one the Boydster II. The car embodied all the great style of the first car, but now with fenders.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: SHOW YOUR COLORS WITH PROFORM

You can spend a small fortune making an engine compartment look right, but one parts-store alternator can kill the whole vibe. That plain aluminum lump might get the job done, but it certainly isn’t winning any points when the hood goes up.

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GOLDEN ARCHES

How to Fit Larger Tires by Stretching Existing Wheel Arches Without Using Special Tools

As enthusiasts, when we build our cars, we tend to stuff as much tire under those cars as possible. This is especially important for rear tires that hook the car to the ground while improving its stance. For those interested in drag-racing their cars, you will need to accommodate larger rear tires or slicks. The current hot trend is the 10.5-inch slick, which seems to work well on many applications, but depending on the make and model of your car, it may require modifications to enlarge the rear wheel openings to accommodate the larger rubber.

Author

Tommy Lee Byrd

Words & Photography

The Project: Opel GT with Twin-Turbo Small-Block Chevy

Although not a popular car because they are rare, the example here is an early-’70s Opel GT, powered by a twin-turbocharged small-block Chevy. To hook up this monster, owner Ernie Lankford commissioned Tim Dixon to build a tubular chassis and bolted the body to the new chassis. Although the chassis was done and built to fit more than a 10.5-inch tire, the body was not, so it required rear wheel-well modification for overall tire clearance.

A Universal Approach to Wheel Well Mods

Forgetting our example is an Opel, these modifications can just as easily be done on almost any muscle car, with or without a full chassis. Regardless of the car you are modifying, the process here will show you the basic steps using no special metalworking tools. In this case, the 10.5-inch tires would fit just fine once clearance is provided for the overall diameter of the tire, which was too large for the stock wheel arches.

Wheel Arch Customization Options

Some wheel-arch or stretching mods may be a whole lot simpler than those shown here, while others may require that you build a whole new inner wheel structure. If that’s the case, simple wheel tub kits are readily available for that purpose, or you can build your own in much the same way that you enlarge the wheel wells.

Repairing Rusted Lower Panels

If you need lower panel repair work on your car—which was the case with this project, which had badly rusted lower panels—those panels are easily replaced with new ones that will form the new wheel openings. In this case, we chose a subtle route and simply pie-cut the lip in the lower portion of the quarter panel where the fender tucks under. That may differ from your application, as every car will have its own unique wheel-arch characteristics.

Challenges of the Build

This project proved to be a little more difficult than we first imagined because the wheel lip was round, and shaping round from flat sheet stock is not simple. In addition, the rusted areas left nothing to build from. The modifications worked out nicely, while taking on an unaltered look, which was the plan from the outset. Now the wheel arches accommodate the larger 28×10.5-inch tires, and after they are painted, they will give the car a great look.

Final Thoughts

Follow along to see how these wheel arches were stretched, and how this may apply to your own project. This is not rocket science, just a lot of work. As you will see, although they would be helpful, you don’t need special metalworking tools to complete this work. If you do have access to metalworking tools, though, use them, as they will no doubt necessitate less finish work. Check out this project and see if it can help you in the event you need to enlarge your rear wheel wells.

1. While we’re using an original Opel GT body that has been placed over a tubular chassis, it might as well be any car. These mods illustrate that such an approach can work on most any application. As you could well find on any older muscle car, this body was rusted away at the bottom of the wheel arches, which required replacement anyway.

2. While at the chassis shop, the quarter panels were cut slightly to fit the larger tire and wheel. Now the wheel arch requires a new, larger radius, while retaining the original look. For this car, that will be done by pie-cutting the lip, which will provide a softer curve to the arch. Yours may require reshaping, depending on what you are working with going in.

3. An electric cutoff wheel was used to remove the rusted-out metal on the lower portion of the quarter panel. After you have established your basic measurement requirements, remove the tire and wheel to allow adequate room to work.

4. A vertical cut was made, staying at least 1/2 inch away from the panel edge, or seam, where the quarter panel meets the rocker panel. This area is smoothed with lead from the factory, so you will need to grind or heat the lead before you can begin welding.

5. The edges were then cleaned with a small angle grinder. Make sure all the paint and underlying primer is removed so that your welds will be clean and strong.

6. The panel was marked just past the existing roll in the lip so the correct contour would be maintained. Also note that the line is thicker at the bottom to show how much material will be removed to widen the arch. If you are changing the shape of the wheel opening, here is where you will do it.

7. Again, the electric grinder with a cutoff wheel attached was used to cut through the stock panel. Simply follow the lines and it will cut with ease.

8. When the panel requires a smaller cut, use an air-powered saw or a smaller cutoff wheel, as the larger cutoff wheel may be too large for the curve. This will ensure greater accuracy and a finer cut. Here, the fender was cut across the roll to completely remove the lower portion of the arch. Since your wheel well may differ, cut and adjust your technique accordingly.

9. Using an air-powered grinder, smooth the cut metal until there is no trace of the irregular cut marks. Do this by clamping the metal in a vise, or use a pair of flange-face Vise-Grips to hold the material.

10. As shown here, shape the piece to your liking, grinding as necessary. Here, the rolled lip was clamped back in place using flange-face Vise-Grips. Check the gaps and ensure the piece is aligned with the panel and then double-check the measurement to see how much you moved the lip. With a simple tack weld, it’s a good idea to test the tire to ensure you’ve achieved the required clearance.

11. With the reshaped metal clamped in place, make sure it looks good and it’s where it needs be. If a little more clearance is needed, make another cut. As shown here, the clamped piece curved too tightly, so another cut was needed to soften the curvature and provide more tire clearance.

12. Using a marking pen, make your marks before removing the panel, as it will be difficult to remember exactly where the cut should be. Even though you figured it out, mark it before you get back to the workbench, because it’s easier to remove material than replace it. For this cut, the lip was eyeballed to identify the harshest point in the curve, and it was marked from there.