05. Primo bolted up the new Rozzi rim and did a quick visual to see how far the area needed to be expanded. | 
06. An inch at the top would be sufficient to clear with the tire installed. Some of the lower piece needed to be trimmed so a nice transition could be maintained. Primo warns not to cut into the wheelwell's body line; altering that would throw off the similarity of the front fenders. |
07. Now the piece is measured for reference; this will help in laying out the other side. | 
08. Duct tape is used to hold the piece in its new location; this will keep it from flopping around while you work and prevent the fiberglass cloth from sagging down in the hole. |
09. Some strips were cut out of the fiberglass cloth and laid on the flare. Primo uses a cloth instead of matting because it's easier to work with and lays down smoother. | 
10. The resin is mixed with the hardener per the instructions. Primo picked up a gallon of resin at the local hardware store; nothing special, but just make sure you get enough. |
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11. Primo likes to use a roller with a foam pad instead of a brush to apply the resin because you can roll out any air pockets and it will push the edges of the cloth down. |
12. The cloth is applied in overlapping layers for strength and to provide a smooth transition. This will cut down the amount of body filler needed later on. | 
13. While the resin is "kicking off," or drying, Primo pushes the low areas out. You have a few minutes to manipulate the material before it becomes too hard. |
14. After three applications of the cloth material, the area is left alone to dry before the initial grinding is started. Primo chucked a Flexovit wheel into his grinder for this job. | 
15. Once the big imperfections are knocked down, a dual action sander, or D/A, is used to smooth out the flare. |
16. Primo blows the area off after sanding to remove the dust left in the small pinholes. | 
17. Plastic body filler is spread over the entire area. |
18. Before the mud completely dries, Primo breaks out the "cheese grater" file to do the initial shaping and cut down on sanding time. This is where years of knowledge and talent comes into play. Take your time, and remember that you can always add more mud. | 
19. The contours are smoothed out with 80-grit sandpaper by hand and with a D/A. |
20. Another skim coat is applied to the area for final sanding. As you can see, the bedside now has ample clearance for the bigger rolling stock without looking like a dualie. Stay tuned for an upcoming issue where we go over how to do the finished bodywork and paint. | |