C-3 Fender Flares

[Marc W.]

Need help identifying wheel flares. They were added prior to 1973. Car was originally Fathom Green and will be returned to its original color. Wanted to be sure the flares had no special significance before removing them.

[Joe L.]

Re: C-3 Fender Flares

Need help identifying wheel flares. They were added prior to 1973. Car was originally Fathom Green and will be returned to its original color. Wanted to be sure the flares had no special significance before removing them.

Marc------


For 1969 a fender flare kit was supplied with Corvettes also equipped with L-88 or ZL-1. It was not supplied installed on the car but, rather, included on delivery in the luggage compartment for owner/dealer installation. This same kit, GM #3976521, was also available in SERVICE for installation on any early C3 Corvette. The four individual and location-specific flares were also available separately.

These may or may not be what you have as I'm sure that aftermarket pieces were also sold. If they are GM, they likely have GM part numbers embossed on the rear of the panels.

[Patrick B.]

Re: C-3 Fender Flares

I don't think there are GM part numbers on these pieces. They were not die molded like other OEM glass. They were chopper gun pieces with white gel coat on the outside and a tab that hung over the top of the fender to position them. You cut the tab off after you you bonded ( or pop riveted) them to the fender, but before you faired them in. They were crude like the Eckler pieces of that time. Racers didn't care about the under side of fiberglass pieces.

[Alan S.]

Re: C-3 Fender Flares

Hi Marc,
Here are some pictures from M.F.Dobbins 68-72 book.
Might these be the type of flares on your car?
Note the 'tab' Patrick describes.
Regards,
Alan

[Patrick B.]

Re: C-3 Fender Flares

These are exactly the flares I was trying to describe. I think they came with an L-88, but you could order them at the dealer. They were pretty crude looking. I did not remember the paper part number tag imbedded in the glass, but I was sure there were no raised numbers from a mold like GM regular production panels which are of much higher quality.

[Marc W.]

Re: C-3 Fender Flares

Thank you all for your help. I 'm trying to upload pictures.
Marc

[Patrick B.]

Re: C-3 Fender Flares

Marc--- the ZL-1 flares are way, way bigger than the flares on your car. Look at pictures of the Owens-Corning and early Greenwood 69-72 race cars to see what they look like installed.