Hi everyone, As all of you know, it's up to each individual state to determine if fenders are "required" on motor vehicles classified as hot rods/street rods/whatever. Luckily I live in a state that doesn't (NH). Anyway, let's say I was living down in PA which, by law, requires that rods have a fender that covers the entire width of the tire (front and back tires), and covers from 15 degress front to 75 degrees back of the top of the tire. I was wondering what suggestions you guys have for creating and installing a set of cool looking bobbed fenders that would be easy to take on and off (in case the local enforcement started breathing down your neck). I've seen lots of examples, but is there a better method of creating and installing them than others? Anybody have some how-to pictures on how it's done? Also, if you wanted to have permanant bobbed rear fenders, how do you attach them vs. removable ones? Thanks a lot. Chris
I know a guy who baught a car from up north. His rear fenders were mounted to 3 pieces of pipe. The pipe slid into a sleve and was pinned in the trunk. With the fenders off there were 3 inconspicuous holes as evidence. TZ
Being a PA resident, your hypothetical question is my reality. My plan is to cut up a '36 spare tire cover into quarters (15° + 75° = 90° ; 90° = 1/4 of 360°). The quarters will be mounted to my backing plates using 1/2 steel strips. The strips will be welded to the fender and bolted to the backing plate for easy removal. Simple, no? Ed
Lots and lots of aftermarket Harley Davidson front and rear fenders work well. If you really want to do it on the cheap trailer fenders work nicely too. Either way you need to fab. brackets...but that's pretty easy to do.
hi guys re. puttin bobbed fenders on with 1/2" strips i did this with mine on the front the snapped with fatiuge in about 200 miles, ive ended up welding a small setion in on the back to make in to T sectionthis this seems to have worked theve not snapped since. the next set i make for my mod.A .i`mgoingto make the braket work out of tube[ round,or oval]so it should take more twisting +vibration than flat bar or T section,hope this makes sence{run mine with cycle fenders most of the year most times i go out in it its 100 +miles}
Thanks edmurder... that does sound simple. cross_spring, thanks for the info on keeping them on. I have been wondering if they would have a tendancy to come off at speed. What part of the fender actually snapped? I think continuing the steel tubing underneath the fender (assuming there's enough clearence between the tire and the fender) would help make it more sturdy.
hi dude it was the braket just befoe it goes under the fender,it happend on both sides, kin things cut a big groove in the tyre bit of a pisser on brand new tyers,couldent hear them cuase {ohp i diasy} i forgot to put the header pluggs on,when i went to the drags
Am I correct to asume that you could be ticketed while passing thru a state with these laws? If so, would make for interesting trip planning. I bought an old rusty POS 30 roadster on 32 frame recently ( thanks again MP33!) that was old 50s rod, has cycle fenders on frount, mounted with flat strap about 1" wide, probly 3/8 thisk, bolted to backing plate where backing plate bolts to spindle. Look to have been there long time, dont see no cracks. Looks like the old car was well used, too.
bellm you lucky bugger gettin to own a fifftys rod dont get many of them over here,the straps on my 32 where only 1/8" thick,that old timey engineerin was built to last.love it hearin bout old rods still bein abused
I have removable fenders for my 40 GMC truck. I put an ECI Disc brake kit on the front beam axle and it usually uses some 1/4" thick spacer washers between the caliper bracket nad the spindle so I left them out and put a piece of 1/4" thick steel plate int ehre instead that is as wide as the spindle flange and extends vertically just shy of the wheel weights. It has two threaded 5/16" holes in it to recieve the two allen bolts that hold on a second steel plate that I welded a 1/2" steel rod too and bent into the fender bracket. When I first made it (back in the early 90s) I was running some 195/60-14 tires so I needed a wide fender. I tried the first resort for a good redneck like me, a trailer fender, but it was too friggin heavy and too flat across the top so I just use it for a mold and laid up an Epoxyglass copy over the top of it. That way the hard to detail inside was the smooth side coming off the outside of the fender and it didn't loose size and I'm a good laminator so the outside was a snap to smooth ut with a thin skim-coat of body filler. The two 1/2" dia rod brackets come straight across the top of the tire so I drilled hols in the inside flange of the fender for the rods to pass through and drilled and tapped the outside ends of the rods to take a 1/4-20 flat head allen bolt that goes thru a small hole in the outside flange of the fender. I used a flat head bolt so I could countersink the small hole in the outside of the fender so that the bolt could be torqued metal to metal against the rod instead of the fiberglass. That way it doesn't crack the glass from being too tight and it doesn't vibrate out from being to loose. I ran them for several years untill one Saturfay we were at Frisco's diner when a 16 yr old girl decided to park her Mommie's Asrto Van on top of one. cracked the shit out of the front of the fender. which I've repaired but haven't got around to putting them back on. I will if it ever rains two days in a row but it hasn't in over five years. (Its raining as I type this!) I think in California you can get away with just rear wheel fender coverage since the law says the vehicle must have body coverage to keep from throwing mud??? and the rear wheels block the mud from the front tires. Works for Semi tractors anyway, they don't have fenders on the second axle from the rear. (I use that as my excuse)
Being a PA resident, this is a good topic to read up on. Does anybody have any clear shots of how the supports and/or brackets are made to support the fender? later plmczy
Interesting options guys... thanks. I would be interested in seeing any pics people have of how the steel tubing/strips would be attached to the backing plate. As for whether or not you'd need fenders while driving through a state that requires them (even though the state in which the car is registered doesn't)... I have no idea, but would be interested to find out. Maybe it's just up to the locals to determine how strict they are.
F**k Pa and f**k the cops 90% of them dont know about the fender law anyway I'm going to drive my car without fenders and If I get busted I will re register my car in another state and Pay my money to a state with better laws!!!!
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