June 2009 In a Bit of a Flap

So there is one week to go before the big annual ASOC national meeting.  I'm reversing the 'beam onto the drive and miss the ramp section and bump up the curb, which - quelle horreur!!! - rips off the off side rear mudflap.

"Naked" front wheel arch trailing edge:

Bit of a panic (I know, I know, I shouldn't be so fussy or bothered by such trivia...) and off to ebay to try and find some suitable materials.  The flaps were custom made by the previous owner, are very wide (so protect the paintwork well), reach up into the inner arches and are made of something very thick and very rubbery.  Found some thick rubber sheeting that has fabric woven in between 2 layers of rubber on ebay and sent off the order.  The material is increadibly dense and so the postage nearly cost as much as the stuff itsself.

It arrived a couple of days later and there was a very strong whiff of newly laid tarmac associated with the stuff - possibly some bitumen in the mix.  The old flaps were off the car pretty easily (I was expecting some rusted screws) and were used as templates for the new flaps.  As the ones on the car were starting to look tatty (with a few cracks here and there) I replaced them all around.  And now they look the business again (I know, its a bit sad, but there you go...).


Near side rear finished article (note: cut out for rear silencer; the flap extends reasonably high in the inner arch - this protects the very vulnerable section of body work at the lower rear corner of the wing):

And for those of you wondering what a set of Outlaw 4 pot alloy calipers and vented discs look like (those of you without anoraks, turn away now)...

So a good wash and another coat of Zymol polish and the car was all set for the National Day meeting: