Does anyone have a fender roller I can borrow or rent?

[projectrally]

Hey everybody,

I used to be on the SubaruTunersofMaine forum before it got folded into this one. Same username. Haven't posted in a while because I haven't owned a Subaru in a while. But I'm looking for some local love, and hope somebody can help me out.

I just bought some wider wheels and tires for my 2010 MX-5 PRHT, and I'm going to need to roll my fenders slightly to get a good fit. Does anyone have a fender roller tool like the Eastwood or Dragway unit that I could borrow or rent? Short of that, does anyone know of a good shop local to Portland where I can get my fenders rolled?

Thanks,

[email protected]

www.projectrally.com

 

[Pedro]

you only missed the post by a few hours.

http://www.mainelysubarus.com/forums/index.php?/topic/10932-need-a-fender-roller/

 

[Meyagi]

I also offer fender rolling services.

 

[GClark]

That^

 

[projectrally]

GClark, have you had your fenders rolled by Mike? what was your experience?

 

[Matt]

Mikes the man. Does everything from motor overhauls/ head gaskets/ go fast parts and now fender rolling. Did a great job making g's 17x9s fit. Send him a pm. He can do it better and cheaper than others and hes on the site all the time. You won't be sorry.

 

[GClark]

Mike did an excellent job on my fenders. He had to flare the fronts almost an inch and half! Came out awesome.

Very flared

 

[projectrally]

Great, thanks for the input. I PM'd Mike yesterday, and got a quick response. Just waiting to hear back from him about his availability next week, but he said he might have time to squeeze me in. There are two different autocross events the last weekend of the month, and I'm hoping to have the fenders rolled by then so I can get my 245/40s on the car. Hooray for 9" wide wheels...

GClark, I can't get my fenders pulled, I just need them rolled. I'm running in STR class, and I can't change the outer profile of the fender.

I was going to rent a tool to do this myself, but a bit of searching around here shows that Mike is a pretty solid commodity. I really hope he can squeeze me in next week...

 

[IBratmanI]

Mike did mine as well. No pulling, just rolling. He did a great job, and reasonable price too!

 

[projectrally]

A question for you guys who've had your fenders rolled...

Did you paint any sort of rust inhibiter on the backside of the fenders before rolling? Thinking about it logically, the tight fender crease is likely to be a fantastic hiding spot for grit and grime to get lodged, and I imagine a rolled fender is more prone to rusting for that reason. It seems like it would be a wise safety measure to put some sort of rust-inhibiting paint or primer on the fender before rolling.

Does that make sense? Is this a fairly common practice?

 

[GClark]

That's what I did!

 

[IBratmanI]

I didn't, but I had some paint that flaked off before the rolling, so I plan on painting the areas where the paint flaked off, and then soaking some oil into the rolled sections so it prevents rust. I have used NAPA brand chain and cable lube for years on my BRAT and it works great for keeping rust away.

 

[2point5RS_Dan]

http://www.por15.com/

 

[projectrally]

POR15 was my first thought, but in talking to a few guys who use it regularly to restore old cars, I'm hesitant to go that route for one simple reason: it dries brittle. To get a good coat, I feel like the rust-proofing of the fenders should be done before the roll. I assume Mike will use adequate heat to soften the paint enough that it won't crack while doing the roll, but I don't think the POR15 will soften up the same way, and it may crack and chip off in the bending process of rolling the fender.

The oil suggestion isn't a bad one, but if I can find the right produce to put down before the roll that will be flexible enough to bend with the rolling process (and the application of heat), I'd like to do that too.

 

[Nate]

No matter how good anyone is. Be prepared for chipped paint. Plain and simple. Paint is just not meant to move like that.

 

[projectrally]

No matter how good anyone is. Be prepared for chipped paint. Plain and simple. Paint is just not meant to move like that.

Good to know, Nate. Thanks for the input.

 

[Meyagi]

usually I can keep the chipping paint to a minimum by using a heat gun and patience, but as nate said, there are no guarantees.

 

[Nate]

That post wasnt put there to try and scare anyone. Its just the way it is. You might get lucky and get away with not having them chip or crack. But if you go in expecting it you won't be disappointed if it happens.

 

[projectrally]

So in the end, I took the car to Mike. He rolled them for a reasonable price, and he did a fantastic job! Here are a few pics of the car after the roll with the 245/40/17 Star Specs mounted on 17x9 TRMotorsports C3 wheels...