2" or 3.5"?

"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5) 06/21/2016 at 19:13 • Filed to: None

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One of the first things I need to buy for the Barracuda is the fender flares. That sounds like a weird order to go in, but with the car needing to have its rear wheel arches rounded off, I need the flares so I’ll know what to cut.

My only question is how wide to go with the flares, but I think I may have answered that question. The Valiant-based A-body Barracuda is 70 inches wide, where the later E-body Cuda is just under 75 inches wide. If I add 2" flares to each side of my car, that’ll give me a body width of 74", and the ability to use an E-body rear end without shortening it.

I could go with a 3.5" flare, but I think that would actually be too wide...an E-body is a wide car, and I’d be a full 2" wider with 3.5" flares.

2" flares will buy me a lot of versitility. I could swap basically any Mopar rear end into the car and just play with back spacing of the wheels to get it to sit right. That would kinda future proof it...for now I can use the stock rear end with a small amount of backspacing to get the width right, but down the road I could go to a stronger 8 3/4 rear with more backspacing.

Looks like I’m ordering some 2" ABS flares.

crowmolly > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/21/2016 at 19:20

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3.5" flares would look kind of ridiculous.

OPPOsaurus WRX > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/21/2016 at 19:26

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Come on... wide body that thing.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/21/2016 at 19:32

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This is how I usually make decisions, talk at someone until I rationalize my own decision.

Steve in Manhattan > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/21/2016 at 19:34

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I’d say make it as subtle and close to stock as possible. But that’s me.

Die-Trying > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/21/2016 at 19:37

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find THE wheels and tires (width rim and tire size)that you are going to run, and measure THEM TOGETHER(as mounted). that way you know EXACTLY where you are going to end up AT. if you need to, chalk it out on the garage floor..... then you will know what offset of wheel will work with the rear end that you HAVE,.........OR......going by wheels and rims(exact size wheel and tire), you will know how much you need to CUT OFF the rearend to make it all fit under the stock sheetmetal...... or under the modified arches....

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 06/21/2016 at 19:38

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I like to go with my gut feeling usually, but sometimes it's just nice to say it out loud and it makes sense that way. What actually happened was that I started writing this before I researched the widths of the cars...once I did that the 3.5 seemed a bit much.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Die-Trying 06/21/2016 at 19:40

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That's a good way to do it, actually. I'll work on the tire and wheel sizing later, that should help me a bit.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Steve in Manhattan 06/21/2016 at 19:49

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Going WAY over the top here, haha. I mean this car is lucky it isn't being parted out...if it was a nice one I'd stay close to stock, but this is gonna be kinda nuts looking.

Steve in Manhattan > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/21/2016 at 20:00

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You can do with it what you like - it’s not like anyone will complain that you didn’t save it. It’s probably beyond saving as a stock vehicle.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Steve in Manhattan 06/21/2016 at 20:03

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Exactly. Body panels are tough to find for the first gen Barracudas, one like this would be a good doner if somebody had a six cylinder and wanted the v8/4 speed parts.

Die-Trying > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/21/2016 at 23:25

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yeah, i got to learn how its done, when my friend began to help me put together my project....... that was how he showed me to do it.... set SOMETHING in stone, so you have definites to work around.

My friend had asked me what wheels and tires i was going to run, and all i could do was shrug and say “i dunno, big ones??”...... and then when he asked what width and offset, all i could say was “pretty wide?” you could see the frustration on his face when he told me “figure it out.... spend some money, and bring them over so we got something solid to work with......”

start nailing some of it down......