Re-production fenders

Marklambert61

Marklambert61

Member
The fenders on my 31 Tudor project are "junk" and must be replaced sadly can save them...

Who makes the best reproduction fenders out there?


Mark
 
Mark, I'm not sure if you are wanting us to laugh with you, --or cry with you!!

The best reproduction front fenders are made by Bob McConnell at Gaslight Auto Parts in Urbana. Sadly, he also manufactures the worst front fenders. Therefore they are one-in-the-same.

The rears are not much better in that department. My suggestion is pay the price and step up to nice originals.
 
I have heard these comments on the fenders so order both 30-31 and 28-29. when people say "lots" of work I question what they are doing. It took about 2.5 hours to fit the front fender of the 30-31 and about 1.5 hours to do the 28-29. The cost of the fender is reasonable. So judge for yourself. Yes, it doesn't come out of the box and go on the car, but neither did my NOS 28 fenders. Everything has to me massaged into place on your chassis, that is what the time requires, and you do have to drill the mounting holes in the appropriate places once the fender is brought into place.
 
Why are they junk?

Some may look horrible, but are quite savable if you know how to proper approach metal work and setting up the fenders on the frame so they will fit when you are done.

My pair of fenders looked great and you would have paid premium buck for them. When I went to fit them on the car they did not fit. Turns out they were repaired off a car so they had a wrong shape locked in the body work.

A not too rusty fender with most of the bead intact, the headlight bar indent sort of there and both the counter sunk screw holes in place should not be horrible to fix. Even if you have to replace a small chunk due to a crack. Find a crappy fender section for grafting in place and go at it.

See my website for ideas on metal working and fender repair.
 
The fenders from Brookville Roadsters in OHio are really preety nice. Not much needed to prep them for paint. They fit pretty well also.
 
What constitutes junk? i spent a month on mine and they still look bad (no skills :) ) so like, what do junk ones look like to you guys?
 
I am working on a 29 Tudor --I assume that both front fenders are repro (too nice to be original--but then again the body on this car is in great shape--no rust through and very little surface rust) ANYWAY-- in your post you mentioned " the headlight bar indent sort of there and both the counter sunk screw holes in place " I am not understanding "headlight bar indent" or "counter sunk screw holes". Is there supposed to be an indent in the front fenders where the headlight bar bolts to the fender???? And what about the "counter sunk screw holes" Can you clarify these two comments please!


Kevin in NJ said:
Why are they junk?

Some may look horrible, but are quite savable if you know how to proper approach metal work and setting up the fenders on the frame so they will fit when you are done.

My pair of fenders looked great and you would have paid premium buck for them. When I went to fit them on the car they did not fit. Turns out they were repaired off a car so they had a wrong shape locked in the body work.

A not too rusty fender with most of the bead intact, the headlight bar indent sort of there and both the counter sunk screw holes in place should not be horrible to fix. Even if you have to replace a small chunk due to a crack. Find a crappy fender section for grafting in place and go at it.

See my website for ideas on metal working and fender repair.
Click to expand...
 
Yes, on the 1928-9 fenders the oval footprint of the headlamp mounting bar has the front half raised, and the rear half recessed. I have a picture of my late 28 fender somewhere.
 
Yes ,,they need SOME work but at least your working with NEW STEEL. I have used repro. rear fenders for my 1931 tudor and worked out well . I also used them on a roadster .Yes some work,,, but what does not need work... ? Your not going for FINE POINT JUDGING so don't worry about it...if you do i'll give you a super body man that will make the changes needed. By the way ...nice pickup.... but i am not one who likes white walls.... and 400A's with the top down...l.o.l.
 
This subject appears so often I am just curious to know if anyone has an explanation of how these flaws emerged...did the repro fenders always have this problem? I am puzzled because the 30-31 fenders don't have the tight radius curve that 28-29 front fenders do, so I would think the '31 design would be simpler to duplicate. Yet no one complains about the 28-29 repros.
 
ericr said:
This subject appears so often I am just curious to know if anyone has an explanation of how these flaws emerged...did the repro fenders always have this problem? I am puzzled because the 30-31 fenders don't have the tight radius curve that 28-29 front fenders do, so I would think the '31 design would be simpler to duplicate. Yet no one complains about the 28-29 repros.
Click to expand...

Yes, the dies are old and worn out. It would cost 10's of thousands to have new ones made. Figure in all the other costs and the manufacturer would have to sell thousands of fenders just to break even.
 
door skins are work ,patching quarter panels are work fitting hoods are work ,I made my own rumbleseat lid skin today it was work,I thought that was part of the hobbie

If it was easy; everyone would do it
 
Lets put it this way... once on the car, repro's don't look bad... if you can tell from 10 feet out...l.o.l. most people can't
 
keep advertising and go to swap meets... the good originals are still out there and mostly are better than repros....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top