Body stylers advice needed

[Nick Read]

Looks like Im gonna have to work on my front arches to get these 18s to turn full lock. Ive got two plans in mind.

Plan A: trim the bit underneath the lip of the arch out to a knife-edge and then flare them out as well so they dont catch.
Plan B: cut the arches higher into the side of the wing (the outer bit you can see) and try to do it neat so you dont notice that its been done, itll just look like a bigger arch (in height not width)

Ive got a feeling Im gonna badly mess it up either way. Any suggestions or ideas? Im more inclined to try flaring the arches rather than cutting them bigger, but will a hot air gun (wallpaper stripper) provide enough heat to bend them?

 

[jon16v]

youve got bottle to go for that Nick, arches are funny f***ers, especially on a clio all the contours. It may look out of sink with the rest of the car if not prof. done.

btw - fair play for the 18s

 

[Ben j]

nick u could just raise ya suspension back to normal..
look in the new fastcar theres a 16v on 18s in there. think it says no arch work needed if the offset is right. but it aint lowered.

 

[klmillard]

Nice one nick,

you got guts, dont higher the suspension just get the arches done professionaly.

Kev

 

[Nick Read]

Its done - just got handy with the jigsaw, file, club hammer and angle grinder - 2 hours work and its finished, no scrub at all and youd never know Ive taken an extra cm out of the wings above the wheels.

So that one in fast car was at standard ride height? Does that make mine the only Clio around that is *lowered* on 18s then?

 

[GR7]

What are the edges of your arches like? How did you tidy them up Nick?

 

[wongy008]

welll done nick

cant wait to see ya mean machine

wongy

 

[Nick Read]

Heres the adress of the pictures http://www.nickread.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/forumhost/thenuts1.jpg

the other ones are thenuts2, 3 and 4.

maybe I can insert them here?
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nickread.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/forumhost/thenuts1.jpg

 

[Nick Read]

Got it! Worked out how to code the pictures into this thread...

http://www.nickread.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/forumhost/thenuts1.jpg
http://www.nickread.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/forumhost/thenuts2.jpg
http://www.nickread.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/forumhost/thenuts3.jpg
http://www.nickread.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/forumhost/thenuts4.jpg

What do you reckon?

 

[Ben j]

monster truck clio!!!!
looks seriously sweet nick cant wait to see em next sat!
and there the ones u originally wanted!!! cool!!

 

[BenR]

wow, look so sweet, and the deep dish stops it looking ridiculous, and i see you got rid of the naff corner splitters.

 

[GR7]

Your car looks good Nick, but have you any lighter pictures of it please?

 

[Man-Chun]

Looks nice Nick.

Chun.

 

[Fred@BTM]

Nick, you LEGEND!!!!!!

 

[derv]

i thought 18"s were gonna look oversized on the little clio, but they look the dogs danglies! Good choice of wheel Nick, suit the car well. Looks like you have made a good job of those arches, i will inspect them at southend.

 

[Nick Read]

Dont inspect them arches too closely, I still need to do a bit more filing and tidying up the edges! No, what you lot are saying about them not looking too big, I know where youre coming from. I see loads of old sh*tters going round in wheels that look too much, they dont suit the car and are just there for the sake of bigness. The last thing I wanted was for my Clio to look like a rollerskate. So Ive managed to get 18s on but still have them look wicked and fit with the rest of the car.


BTW those corner splitters went ages ago, as a rule my car has been modded in some way for every meeting so far

 

[BenR]

i can really tell fromthe only front end pic, but are you missing a grille?

 

[luke.B]

And if you havent done any mods just dont organise a meet! the advantages of being events co-ordinator.... and by the way they look sooo good!

 

[Nick Read]

Ben are you some kind of Eagle Eyes Action Man? Yeah the mesh over my little foglight was off cos Im in the middle of bumper mods. In fact Ive just finished today and the front bumper is sitting in my dining room with the silicone drying off.

Chopped out the entire foglight and inner holes on both sides so there are now only 3 big open black meshed intakes - the middle one for the radiator, and one each side - nearside is for the new *bigger* ramscoop Ive got on order, the offside is probably gonna house an oil cooler. Ill have to relocate the evaporation canister and the horn though, anyone got any ideas?

 

[Nick Read]

Heres a picture, was thinking about doing this for some time and then saw that Ben (Red 16) had done it at the Hill Power day. So while I had the jigsaw out from chopping my wings up I thought I might as well get cracking on the bumper as well. Think it might need a respray though...

http://www.nickread.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/forumhost/choppedbumper.jpg

 

[BenR]

whats that weird grill bit (with the tape on) its different i know, but from where?

 

[Nick Read]

Its an RGM replacement grille for Phase 1 and 2 Clios. I thought it looked a bit different and after experimenting with all kinds of home made meshing schemes I thought Id tidy it up with something decent. This was last year sometime, but it was only once I got it I realised that it basically changes your phase 1 or 2 bumper into a phase 3. If you got the fibreglass out and actually smoothed it in properly you would have the tidy phase 3 top half but without the crappy bottom half and the nasty rounded lights of the phase 3 car.

 

[BenR]

i dont really like the phase 3 grill. its looks like nicole got hold of it!

 

[Nick Read]

Too bad mate, it looks wicked, and whats more its different from everyone elses grille.

 

[BenR]

hey mate, just my opinion, no need to get snatchy. I think you have done probably the best out of any clio owner i know!