Hi all,

I have a 3 doors Cosworth and want to fill the guards out. Ford obviously made the flared guard package for looks only, as we probably all know.

Just wondering if anyone has any photos etc of their guards when you cut or trimmed them back to fit wider wheels, front and rear. I'm talking more about the steel guard hidden behind the plastic ones which also need trimming.

I have been searching this forum re wider wheels, but no photos to assist.

Thanks in advance, Kev

 

take the kit off and roll the arches then seal them.

then cut the kit on the inside as far back leaving enough room to still mount it to the car andjob done.

If using a 500 bumper of splitter then you will have to cut some of that too for the front as the wheels will touch when you turn

 

Thanks for your reply, but I want to fill the guards out. Not like you describe, cutting only to red line in photo as I think you are implying. I am after more like the blue line in photo. Also like this 2nd photo.

Cheers, Kev

 

More like in this photo and cutting where the green line is. Sorry, hope this make more sense.

Cheers, Kev

 

I would have thought there is a body-shop that could do what you want in a place as big as Sydney? What size wheels are you wanting to fit?

 

Hi Cossynut,

yes there would be many places that could perform this, but I'm a mechanic by trade and don't like paying for something I can do myself.

Current wheels are 18x8 front and rear and I want to drop down to either 16 or 17" x 9-10" wide (on the rear) pending offsets of course. Look how much more space there is under the rear guards.

 

Lovely looking car. What are you intending to use it for ? For fast road /track use the current wheels/tyres should be spot on. The much wider rear tyres you are talking about would be unusual for a road car and unless you have a 650bhp motor and having trouble getting rear grip probably not needed. Maybe you could get some information from some of the guys that used to race the RS500s in Australia to see what size wheels and tyres they ran and how they modified the bodywork to get them to fit?

 

Probably surprise you, but only using as a weekend cruising car. it's all about the look for me. I was at the Bathurst car races (biggest Australian race every year) back in 1988 taking photos of these cars running around and want something that looks and reminds me of my youth

Have spoken to a nice bloke here in Oz today that is Cossie mad and races one now and he has given me advice and is going to send some photos (Thanks Lincoln )

Cheers, Kev

 

Kev, I used to live in Adelaide and loved the Bathurst races especially when there were so many different makes and classes in it. The RS 500s at the time were set up for racing and I expect the guy you spoke to will be able to let you know what bodywork modifications are needed to be able to fit the extra wide wheels and tyres you want. You could go all out and make your car look like a racing RS500 but you will need a fat wallet!

 

Money fixes everything, nearly. I didn't mean to look like the race cars with stickers all over it, just the stance and wider wheels.

Kev

 

Has the guy with the racing 3 door given you any ideas yet? The car as it is does look good and as there are so few of them in Australia it must get a lot of attention now? In South Australia the Department of Motor Vehicles are very strict on doing modifications and if your car had much bigger wheels / tyres and arch mods it would probably get pulled and issued with a defect sticker!!