Im the proud owner of a 56 1/2 chevy truck, and I'm in the process of fixing her up. Im at a cross roads of weather to fix the back and front fenders or just go buy replacement steel fenders. I have been on the internet and have seen quite a few sites that offer fenders. My question is who and where can a person get OEM (bolt right up no mods) steel fenders that have the correct stamping? I have heard that some jober parts are not worth it because of poor fit. Or should a person send the origionals to a body shop to cut out the rust and replace with new metal? Rick
Fender Repair Rick ; A good bodyman can save a rusted fender and that's usually the best thing to do , I know there's a few N.O.S. truck fenders here & there . Task Force fenders always had a tendency to rot out in the headlight eyebrows , once it's fixed you can make up some simple plastic guards to keep the road smutch from building up above the headlights , gotta leave draining space at the lower edge tho' .
Hi Rick, I've learned from experience, even if you buy new fenders, they too will need bodywork...... they may look straight and all, but I haven't puchased any yet that where "direct bolt-on"...... I think it's best to save the original and patch what needs patching (unless it's really bad)...... BUT, if you'll be payin' someone else to fix your fenders, it may be less expensive to buy new fenders......... ...I think I'm just confusing everyone......LOL!!!! ...there are a lot of varying factors..... how bad are your fenders? .....Good luck, SeAMuNkY
Different Ways ...To skin this cat ~ I'm of the old school where you trimmed bak the edges of the rusted hole to good metal then welded a patch on the backside , this gusseted the weak area and ensured structural soundness , then you'd work the recessed area , finish & paint . In the last 20 years I have seen the rise of the most excellent MIG & TIG welders , these allow you to cut an odd shaped patch and weld it into the odd shaped hole left after you've removed the rust , some Body Men trim the hole oversized to make an easier to work with shape . . this allows the fender no not have that 1/8" bulge on the back that some find offensive . Best bet in nearly all cases (assuming rust out , not collision damage) is to find another old body panel and use that to make your patches . no way 'round it , body work is far more labor intensive than mechanical work and so is expen$ive surgurey for your beloved old truck . I'd take it 'round a number of Body Shops and interview them , look at other jobs done to see if you like the final product . Anytime a Body Man automatically says " replace it ! " before looking closely and talking to you about what you want , give them a pass , they're hackers
