Al:
Sorry to be so delayed. Up to my gills and sinking.
I purchased a Sebring fender kit myself. I was worried that it
would get discontinued, so I grabbed one, as the concept has fascinated me
since the 80s when the kit first came out.
This kit is not for the faint of heart. For some reason British
fiberglass work is not very good. Ok, that is a sweeping generalization.
Or perhaps an understatement.
So far as I know there is only one manufacturer. The kit was molded
off of one of the original CGT cars that Brown and Gammons got their hands
on, I think. The early kit had rear fender flares only, it did not work and
the rear was redesigned in the late 80s. The rear fender panel now goes all
the way to the GT window trim line, and to the tail light. The book
mentioned by Ray Easterby is the one to look at. It details how the inner
steel fender can be widened to give support to the outer fiberglass.
The kit I have, has pretty thick chopped glass with a reasonable gel
coat finish. It is definitely NOT a high quality hand layup. There is
going to be a lot of sanding to get the finish to a presentable level. The
gel coat appears thick enough to play with tho'. The rear quarter is cut
out to above the beltline, then within 1' of the taillight. The front
fender is a direct bolt on, and looks like it will be straight forward. I
have seen a kit with the inner mounting flange included on the front fender.
Mine does not have this. I think a bonded in steel flange off a junk fender
is a better way to go.
The front fender flare goes all the way to the bottom front of the
fender, so there will be work required to fabricate a smooth transition on
the lower front valence. There are no valences or spoilers designed to fit
the Sebring kit that I have found. There may be a problem with this on the
rear too, but I have not had anyone yell about it yet.
The kit is designed to fit a GT. To fit it on a Roadster, the front
fenders would have to be modified by adding in the bit that the windshield
pokes through. I figure the best way to do this is to splice in the rear
section of a Roadster fender with the inner flange, as I said, not for the
faint hearted.
I have seen a couple of cars with the fenders installed. Both
looked good from a distance. One looked good up close. It depends on how
much effort is put into the surface prep. To my mind the kit is the best
way to achieve the Sebring look, short of having steel fender flares
fabricated.
The fender kit has to ship truck, so be sure you know what you are
getting into before ordering. Do not expect any technical assistance, or
patient ears to quality complaints, as this kit is not a regular selling
item for anyone. If you wanna do this to your car, you are on your own.
I'm doing it to my car, if that is of any comfort.
Kelvin.
>
>
> Hi Listers, I am in the process of planning my MGB V8 conversion. One
> thing I am considering is a Sebring kit. Has anyone
> installed this kit?
> I inquired about the kit from a vendor and got no help at all. I was
> told there are no instructions and they assume anyone
> attempting it is an
> experience body man. I am wondering about the rear of the
> car. It looks
> as if the front is mostly bolt on and line up. Any input would be
> appreciated.
> Cheers,
> Al Dufault
> '74 TR6, '70 MGB
> '74 1/2 MGB/RV8 Project
> Vice President
> Adirondack Triumph Association, NY
>
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