Fenderwelt....opinions!!! Hate it? Love it?

We were talking about fenderwelting in the shop today.

The car we're working on is a full fendered car and the owner has fenderwelt for it. I hate the stuff and will kick and scream like a little girl before I use the stuff.

I just think too many people use it as an easy way out for not making the fenders fit right.

Not to mention it looks cheap. Never fits tight.

What do you guys think? There is no wrong or right here just opinions.
Clark

 

what car are we talking about here?

 

Any car in general. I wouldn't put it on anything! To me it's like that cheesy door edge guards people put on there cars.
Clark

 

I don't know, I put it on my '48 Plymouth. It wasn't on when I bought the car and when I fixed the r.r. fender this winter I put it on. I think it looks better with it on than off, IMHO. But, what do I know. Wayne P.

 

well model A's had their "stock fit" issues..and in some cases its necessary on those cars.
Unless you have nothing but time on your hands to m***age all the fit points of a car like that..in that case if you do..lol you need to get a life!

but on some of the newer models that had better fit and gap , than it wouldnt be too hard to get it nice ..or at least close enough..

I have yet to come to that point on my A ..guess I will cross that "gap" when i come to it

 

I never gave it much thought, but I guess I'd be a 'no' since I've never used it on anything I ever had other than on a VW bug I with an ill-fitting 'baja' kit.

Now that you mention it my buddy put it on a 37 Chevy sedan, which is a very light blue - almost white. The black welting really sticks out and it doesn't fit very good around the corners.

 

I don't know it was used on cars before most of us were concieved. And probably saved some fenders, and maybe hurt a few if it wasn't kept clean. But the way I see it is as long as it isn't chrome fender welting. Take the time and do it the way the customer wants it ...ghost

 

I dont think it ever really looks good. So I guess I dont like it.

 

I hate the stuff, I would rather cut every panel to make a perfect panel fitment rather than use welting. Just my 2 cents...

 

dont really like it....would rather have gaps, LOL

 

Fenders? We don't need no stinking fenders!! Do we?

 

The reason it was put on was to protect the paint and keep rattles at bay.
Some cars look better without , sometimes it is used like pin stripping but most of the time it should match and blend in so much you don't see it.

 

Don't like it.Left it out on my Model A.Makes for a cleaner look.I think.Just one guys opion.P.S. I'm usually wrong!

 

Good question.

Was wondering that myself a few days back when I was working on the 31 roadster.

Right now, thinking I won't and the one fender that has more of a fender/body gap than I like won't be too noticeable when I paint it a dark color.

Then again, maybe an extra bolt in the flange will pull it in ok.

 

I would bet fenderwelting is the cause of a lot of fenders not fitting good.

The fenders and body on this car have the bolt holes are raised from the rest of the panel. I would bet it is from fenderwelting and overtighting them. I have to tap each of the bolt holes flat again to get the fenders to fit nice.

It reall doesn't take that much work to get the fenders to fit so it looks good.
Clark

 

It reall doesn't take that much work to get the fenders to fit so it looks good.
Clark[/quote]
This is true.

 

If VW welting is any indication; as I remember it, the welting had notches cut to go around the flat areas on the fender itself (leaving the bead intact). When bolted in place, the raised areas were actually metal to metal, so to speak. But, maybe my memory is getting fuzzy? That would fix your problem?

 

Do not like the stuff, didn't use it on Big Olds. Mike worked both the fenders and the body so the gaps were perfect therefore it wasn't necessary to close up the space.

 

Take the time to make the fenders fit right without welting.

Jim

 

i dislike it , perhaps not as much as you..


i may NEED to use it on the woodie..

 

It was on my old 38 coupe, my father built it with it on in the late 70s. After all these years it still didn't look all that bad, was colour matched by the upholsterer. Though the textured, different colour ones stand out like dogs balls and look like ***, especially the textured ones that inevitably have dirt and polish in them.
If time and money (Mainly money) are an issue I don't have that much of a problem with it. Though a good fitting finish does look better we cant all have it.
Doc.

 

Most the pre war cars came from the factory with welting.

 

After a very short time it ends up being a sponge that soaks up water and keeps the area between the body and fender wet/damp almost continually. Just about the time it really gets dry along comes another storm or wash job to get it damp all over again. Every old car I've taken apart that came with it origionally has scale at the least and complete rust through in the welt area the norm.

Frank

 

just say no to fenderwelt, plus it does't come in satin finish anyhow? does it. and you guy's were talking about rock star furniture movers and free beer right.

 

I'm not a fan usually, but every so often one looks good.

 

I like it on my '32. Hate to admit I bought it from my local VW dealer. The VW stuff is long lasting sun resistant black plastic instead of the original cloth.

Charlie Stephens

 

some stock cars look good with it on to me. i seen a tan '46 ford coupe with black welting and it looked good, i like how the black broke up the tan.

 

I have seen stainless in the past that looks pretty good but I prefer just a clean fit.

 

Well, my fenders fit pretty damn good (after lots of work), but I will be at least considering useing a small (thin) stainless bead on my very, very blue 39...

I already bought the stuff, if I can make it fit really, really good AND it looks really nice on mock up I will use it. It is one of those things that looks good in my mind but I will have to wait and see how reality fares.

 

Always being out of step, I like the stuff.

To me it's part of what makes an old car old. You can leave it out when you french your 2002 Mercedes Benz headlights into the fenders.

Part of my opinion may come from going through the days when it was common to just mud up the joints only to have them crack out 6 mos. later. And no I do not like the color coordinated pastel **** used on today's Easter eggs.

I'm goofy... I like big original style head lights, running boards with original rubber covers and old accessories that haven't been made in 50 years.

Will it be painted teal or peach? 20" wheels?