49/54 Chevy fender skirts...Do yours fit right?

My fender skirts don't fit worth a ****. They are factory skirts and they set in 3/8" from flush. Can this be resolved without building new skirts?

 

make sure you have the right skirts 49 and 50 are different than 51 and 52.

 

The opening matches up perfect.

 

a buddy had some skirts for his, fit like ****.. looked like ****. layed them down and backed right on over em. if i were you i'd do the same..

 

what year chevy do you have? i'll try to let you know the difference. it's very slight the openings look the same on a four years. i had to find out the hard way a few years ago.

 

Damn Root, you're having a helluva time with the *** end of this Chevy, huh?

 

Yep.

 

It's a 50.

 

I went out and snapped some pics for ya'll.

 

are you putting the fender skirt rubber whelting around the edges? On my '54 there is a rubber whelting that is "stapled" around the edge of the skirt to take up the gap and such... I admit, I am no expert, but if you are missing it, it might help... when washing the car, i do take off the skirts and depending on how i put them back on, the top of the skirt does want to edge in towards the axle about 1/4 to 3/8 an inch.. since the lever action that fixes the skirt in at the bottom gives you a force fit between the skirt, rubber and wheel well, it's jsut a matter of loosening the lever, placing the top in correctly, and relatching it in place... the rubber helps to "seal" the force fit... Like i said, I'm no expert, and haven't put on a '50 skirt before, but that's how it goes with my '54... hope the info helps

 

It's not so much the gap at the top but rather the amount that the skirt sits in past the body.

 

\you know, under closer inspection of your pictures, seems like that's how it is, the top of your skirt is "edging" in... i ***ume you don't have any rubber on there yet.. that may be your problem sir... hope it works out for ya!

*on another note, if you get whelting, I just cut "staples" out of heavy gauge wire and pushed them through the rubber and into the pre-made holes in the skirt... I know you're prob not going for a factory look perse' but using a heavy gauge wire is very close to factory material...

 

exaclty,the rubber whelting has a bead that when force-fit between the skirt and wheel well, keeps the top from sitting in past the body, if i put my skirts on crooked, the bead doesn't catch and so i get the top of the skirt sitting in farther than it should... bugs the heck outa me too!

the bead is barely noticible...

 

No, I don't have any rubber on mine. I guess I need to try this first.

 

This is how they should fit. This may take some reconstructive surgery.

 

Mine are about that bad...I think one of my problems is the tabs that keep the top of the skirt from falling into the wheel-well don't align it very well. For those of us using the wider '70-81 Camaro and similar rears on lowered cars, those tabs rub can rub on the tire and make taking wheels off difficult too.

I'm planning on cutting off the tabs, aligning the skirts, clamping 'em in place, and drilling a hole in the top inside lip of the skirt and through the quarter. Then welding a bolt to the skirt with the shaft going through the hole so that it'll align the skirt in the wheel-well. I got this idea from my buddy who did this on a '52 and he said it works really well...at least as a fix after removing the tabs. Sounds like it might help with the fit...what do you think?

Bryan

 

Bryan, I was going back through some of my old cutom books and thats was one thing that caught my eye. I may just try it.

But mine are out of alignment on the edges. I may hafta modify the rails where it aligns with the hooks.

 

I Used 51 Merc Skirks

 

If it's any consolation, the repop skirts I bought for my 55 Plymouth did'nt fit worth a damn. Right opening shape, but the whole thing was a very sloppy fit. It's taken a lot of work to get them fitting like I think they should, including ditching the ****py rubber welting and the supplied fastening system. Moral of the story is, if ya think your new skirts are gonna be a perfect bolt-on fit..... hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

 

I think these were probably a GM skirt.

 

Kustm52, chime in on this. I know you have encountered this.

 

factory skirts will never fit like the ones in the picture of the gold car. those are either totally custom made or have a bunch of work done to them. I believe OZ customs did that car.

 

I know they will never fit that way from the factory but they will when I am done.

 

perhaps if you do get them to fit flush, you could post some pics of what you do? mine fit exactly like yours on my 53, but i have yet to fit them with the rubber...
also, i got the 150, so it doesnt have the mounting brackets, any tips on how to get them on there? thanks!

 

If stock style is such a pain to install has anyone tried the longer
ones from places like Hot Rod and Custom Supply? I have a '54
Chevy Coupe that is ready for skirts before new paint.

 

Will be looking for skirts for my '54 Chevy Coupe at the Big Turlock
(Calif) Swap Meet this weekend

 

haha well whats sad is your skirts fit way better than mine ever did.......i plan on reworking the quarter panel.....due to the fact thier **** any ways...and useing the skirt as a template...so i can get a nice flush fit......

 

drill 2 holes in the top through the skirtlip and the fender lip and one on the bottom on the front and back..(so 4 all together).and put some 1/4 inch nuts and bolts and lock washers on em....well at least i know that will work with the 49-50 skirts....

 

I have nothing to add as far as a solution goes but my skirts fit just as ****py as the ones in the pic you posted.

My plan was to just cut off the tabs and reattach them once I get them lined up right. I am hoping that they will even line up, mine look exactly like your pic, kinda like they are twisted a bit.

Mines a 54 by the way.

Cesar

 

i dunno man, i think the lip on my 53 may be a bit too thin! i was hoping that those levers, tabs, and **** worked for something. i saw some brackets you can buy with them, but have no friggin clue as to where they go. anyone got some pics the could take of some proper fitting skirts that werent custom fabricated? thanks