Phil had very specific idea’s in mind of what he wanted the arches to look like on the new DW86. There was nothing out there that would work with the extreme wheel fitment on this new insane project. So he called in the big guns in the form of Paul from Magic Aero, who would create a custom kit for the car, that would do justice to all of the hard work that had already gone into the build, and be something more than just 4 x ‘wheel covers’
After we posted one ‘work in progress’ picture to Facebook it became clear from several posts and comments, that some people did not really understand what was going on, or the process that creating a custom bodykit actually entailed…
“..one great project ruined by one bad judgement call”
“Jesus that rear arch/ 1/4 looks gash…”
“ Ruined L “
One week later, after many hours of Pauls work we posted the picture you see at the top of this article, and the comments were suddenly changed to be overwhelmingly positive..
“this is going to be BADASS!!”
“that looks much nicer than I perceived last time”
“Angry as fuck – Love it!”
So what was actually involved in making the kit go from slated to rated?
To start with the car had to be preped with a special tape and releasing agent to allow the 2 part polyurethane foam to stick to the panel whilst also allowing it to be removed easily when the time comes to take them off the car. The edges of what will be the overfender plug were also edged with fibreglass, as the foam would be very thin at this point.
Cardboard arch retainers are then made around the wheels and arches. This gives a sealed area where the liquid polyurethane foam can be poured to create the initial arch.
The foam that Paul uses is 2 part polyurethane that will expand and harden to allow him to sculpt it to the desired shape.
The foam expands and hardens rapidly, and the cardboard box is cut away.
The polyurethane foam was quick drying even in the cold winter climate, so Paul was able to quickly start shaping the arches. This began initially using a saw to create the rough shape of the arch.
Then combination of a fine blade and sanding to work the details. The way Paul worked was very methodical, ensuring that the work done on one side of the car mirrored the opposite.
Day by day the car would evolve, with each pass that Paul made over the body work the shape slowly formed.
Phil and Paul spent many hours studying and discussing the lines of the kit as it was developed. It is the little details that makes the work that little bit special.
So at this stage, Phil and Paul were happy with the basic shape and style. So the foam arches are braced for removal and transport using strips of wood. A thin layer of fibreglass was also applied to key areas to again increase the strength of the poly.
The front fenders we removed attached to the wings, however the backs to be carefully praised off the body work.
All of the work you see above is stage one of three stages. With the foam arches back at Magic Aero, Paul will finish the outer edge with filler and lots of sanding. Then they will be used as the first plug for a mould. Fibreglass items will be made from those moulds, and will be trial fitted to the car. Then final finishing will be done and once fitment and finish is perfect, these glass arches will be removed and used as plugs for a final mould, and the actual arches for the car will be produced from that mould.
It is a long, and very time consuming process. But both Phil and Paul agreed that is the only way to do justice to such an incredible build.
Stay tuned for more updates as the project rapidly evolves
A big thanks to Paul From Magic Aero for all his hard work over the last couple of weeks. Go check out his Facebook
You can follow our build on Facebook , instagram (@driftworks_ltd) and on our forum
Rich
Can I buy those rear fenders? I might be interested