Fancy repair or aftermarket replacement fender?

Ayers1

Ayers1

Well-known member
I am restoring a late 31 town sedan. This is a picture of one of the fenders that came on it. As you see it has rivets about every 6 inches down the bead on the side and flat stock on the inside of the bead that the rivets are holding in place. Could this be an aftermarket fender or just a very fancy repair that someone made many years ago? I'm curious if I should keep the rivets or grind them out to make the fender "correct ".
 

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It looks like someone riveted a "bead" on the fender somehow. The "bead" does not appear to have the serrations at the bottom like fenders always had.
Rusty Nelson
 
That is strange. Is the flat stock on the inside cut to the curve of the fender or just formed to the shape? Were there cracks in the fender that were welded or brazed? It makes you wonder why they would go to those lengths to reinforce a fender if it wasn’t already cracked. And if it were cracked and they had the ability to weld it, why bother with rivets?
 
Look close.The serrations are there.I didn't see them at first either.I have owned cars that I would put those fenders on and show them off.Old,unrestored with clever period repairs.
 
Thodge said:
That is strange. Is the flat stock on the inside cut to the curve of the fender or just formed to the shape? Were there cracks in the fender that were welded or brazed? It makes you wonder why they would go to those lengths to reinforce a fender if it wasn’t already cracked. And if it were cracked and they had the ability to weld it, why bother with rivets?
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I can't tell if it was cut or bent to the shape of the fender. I don't see any welded places along the bead so that's what made me wonder if some aftermarket company made this "improved " design. This fender has also had the front 6-8 inches replaced. That was a fairly neat job too! Lots of work done on this thing a generation or so ago!
 
Interesting. It almost looks too well done to be a “farmer fix”. It would almost seem plausible that maybe that fender came off a vehicle that was intended for some type of severe duty when new and it was added by an up-fitter when it was built. Fleet or delivery vehicle or even a police car. Just a guess.
 
This type of rivet is the kind you heat cherry red and then hammer the head down. To my uneducated eyes it looks like it takes specialized equipment to do. Of course in the 40's there were many more blacksmiths around that could do it.
 
Do not remove it unless you are building a high point car (100% original). It is there for a reason.
 
nkaminar said:
Do not remove it unless you are building a high point car (100% original). It is there for a reason.
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Wish I had a matching pair! If I can get it straight enough it will definitely get used. I fix my cars up to use and enjoy so I'm not as concerned about the 100% original part.
 
It’s a repair I’d say. But done by a more meticulous person than usually seen. Or,……they just don’t have a OA outfit!
 
THODGE said he wondered if it may have come off a heavy-duty vehicle. That thought has been bouncing around my brain. Could a special fender have been produced for military or police applications? As people have pointed out, it is very neat and methodical to have been an ordinary man repair. I have no idea but definitely something you don't see every day!
 
Hello, looks like it would have taken some time to fabricate, maybe armor plating for Bureau of Investigation fleet cars!
 
It definitely is a professional repair, if it's a repair. The way it looks, I wonder if a company beefed it up for a reason?
 
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