extending fender skirts? How to?

I have been digging through all my old custom books etc., looking for a good explaination on how to make fender skirts longer (i.e closer to the ground).

I am adding frenched in lake pipes, and want to carry the look the full length of the car (50 Chevy Fleetline.) I would like a little flare or rollout at the bottom if possible.

Ron are you out there? Cleatus? Speedaddict?

Come in Tokyo.......

Thanks

Root

 

I think that if I were going to modify the existing skirts (as opossed to building all new ones), I would first form the new lower opening using thin walled tubing (conduit?). Then I would weld these into place. All that would be left to do is to fill in the gap(s) between the tubing and the existing skirt. The sheetmetal fillers could easily be formed over a piece of large diameter pipe or oxygen bottle.

If I remember correctly, the stock skirts have a slight curve to them front to back. To get your rolled sheetmetal to match this curve, you will need to stretch the lower lip (the portion of the sheetmetal that will be welded to the tubing) after the roll is put into the sheetmetal. This can be done by carefully hammering the lip between a hammer and dollie or any other hard, flat, metal surface. Hammering this lip will stretch it forcing the sheetmetal to take on a curve front to rear. Of course if you have a proper stretcher, the job would be even easier.

You'll probably find that there will be a difficult transition at the front and rear of the skirt where the sheetmetal needs to have less curve top to bottom and more curve front to back. You could make these transition areas out of seperate pieces of sheetmetal. I would think that one main center piece and two outer pieces (left and right) would work. Of course, if you could make it out of one piece that would be best but sometimes that's not realistic.

 

You know, you could also use a VW T2 Bus rear fender repair panel to form your lips.

http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=9556591

I know this doesn't show it very well but the later Buses have a really nice rolled lip. You would still have some fabrication work to make them fit the dimensions of your skirts perfectly but at least the lip would be all formed for you.

I still think that forming your own lip would be best but at least this gives you another option.

 

Try doing a search (I'm computer illiterate, myself or I'd help'ya), I did a tech article on it a year or 2 ago. With pictures!

 

I also posted some pics of the skirts on my convert. Can't find them by searching though.

BB

 

I searched the hamb archives but nothing....
I'll look in the tech-o-matic.

 

Loogy, I found your post in the tech-o-matic. Not what I am looking for but definately worth posting here again.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62058&&showall=1

 

I did that on my bro's '54 Caddy (it was at the HAMB drags...look for the pix of it)..I simply sliced it in half lengthwise (sectioned it) added a three inch piece to the middle, used the stock bottom lip and rewelded it...uses the stock latching mechanism and it works well.

R-

 

Interesting.....I'll hafta look at it when I get home.

 

i used 51 merc shirts the more and have a lip

 

Teddyp, you have any pics of your car?

 

On this car they used the stock Chevy skirts then took a set of 57 Chevy skirts, cut the bottoms of the 57 skirts and used the lower part with the lip welded to the 52 skirts. The lip on the bottom extends back past the wheel opening forming a spear.

 

Here is one I tried to crop and lighten them enough so you can see detail.

 

Nice....I like that look.

I have a set of stock skirts to work with.

 

The way to do this ,first you need to figure..do you want a sharp edge or a squared edge,etc.. once you decide,measure from the bottom of the skirt...let say you want a 3/4" squared edge.simply measure that amount from the lower edge,all the way across the length of the skirt,STOP an 1/8" before hitting the edge on both ends.Now cut a strip of metal,3/4" is usually acceptable,pull the lower edge and slide the strip inbetween the opening,trim to taste and tack away `til solid ,a little grinding and a pinch of filler.now spray some primer.Serves one hungary kustom dude

 

Oh ,to extend...your skirts can`t be extended since they are flush fit.Which look pretty cool as is!

 

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their a picture on my signature i,m new to computer but i will try to post a better pictureas soon as i can

 

their a picture on my signature i,m new to computer but i will try to post a better pictureas soon as i can

 

Teddy your car looks sweet. I'd love to see more detailed pics of it.

 

I used 52 skirts for my 50 , and made them fit . I will try and dig up some photos

 

got one , I still have not finished them .

 

Chris:

Here are some pics of mine, don't know what the flared bottom donor skirt was, bought em at a swap for 5.00. I added about 2 1/2 inches to the bottom of the stock 52 skirt.















Sorry for the quality of the Pic's .

BB

 

I have done this by using 2 pair.Cutting along the bottom of one set and the top of another and welding them together.It can be a little expensive.Some of these damn skirts are pretty pricey.But that is how I have done it.

 

wow that was a great tech write up and to think i been wanting to run full skirts on my caddy

 

Those look great Bob. That was kind of what I was trying to explain at the top of this thread except instead of using a donor skirt, I was trying to explain how to do it using round tube and sheetmetal for the flare and the filler in between or use the VW Bus patch panel for the flare.

Some of these things are so hard to explain without pictures. Thanks for posting those. I think that they might help clear up some of the mystery.

 

Root, I like what Bob did to his. Extending the bottom seems to be the easiest, only thing I cant help you with is flaring it out. I was also thinking about cutting a few inches above the bottom lip (if its flared) and adding a strip in between.