Anyone with FIRST HAND experience in regard to 34 front fenders (reproduction - steel)? I'd like to know of ANY issues you may have had. Thanks!
First off I'll state the only good repop 34 front fenders I've seen are from Steve's Auto Restorations, there may be others but I've yet to see one. Every other fender I've looked at plus the two different fenders I've worked on have two basic problems, one fixable the other not so. I wish I had pics, but instead I've attached sketches alongside pics of an original 34 fender to help describe the problems: The fixable problem is the dog leg area where the fender meets the cowl, it is not nearly deep enough. It can be fixed by taking a pie section out of the top of the fender and scabbing in a patch so the lip will be long enough. The other is the bead around the lower edge and wheelwell, the repop is way too wide and not nearly deep enough. Some are better than others but in any case unless you run repops on all four fenders and tailpan you'll see the difference.
I think there are only two suppliers of reproduction 34 fenders, Gas Light Auto and Steve's, I would only use Steve's from Portland.
DISCLAIMER ... I have never messed with 34 Ford fenders ... but on a 32 Ford ... and I suspect on 33/34 Fords also ... even good stock original fenders do not always fit well without some work. Production tolerances were just not all the great ... back in the day. Steves has the BEST reputation
it seem to me if your going to go to all the trouble to make a fender,(and it's alot of trouble) you would'ent stop when your 95 percent there. if they were perfect (or close to it) people would be tripping over themself's to get them.
Seems to me that this thread started out as a reasonable question and had continued along that line until this was posted. Dave
Can't disagree with your disclaimer, but the work required on a repop (SAR excluded) is a world of difference when compared to an original . . .
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