Thread: fender flares?

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Split fenders will take work, but in the end, I believe it will be worth it.
With careful measurement, good cutting, work on the welds, and good blending, I thing, downt the road, you will be glad you did.
You put that much work into it so far, what is a little body work?
I think adding rubber, or glass add ons, if they are still available would be a quick fix, but I think you will always look back.
JCwhitney.com has some for a quick fix to get legal. They are rubber and look ok on a mud bogger. Just do not stop there.
Most any decent welder with a wire welder can do the welding. I do not mean a buzz box, I mean someone with experience and decent welding equipment. You can do the cutting, and blending. You can fabricate a wooden jig so he just has to stack nickles and concentrate on the weld.
I bet she is going to be a sweet heart. I hope you send some photos.

If you are asking about my suggestion, I meant to spit them down the middle, and weld a strip in, making the entire fender wider.

You can also buy 2" and 4" wider glass rear fenders through "Yogi's" rod shop, they have a web site. You can get a pretty hugh tire under them and they look stock.

It is not difficult to split the fender lengthwise, pull the outer portion of fender out to a point where it covers the tire adequately, then weld a filler strip into the gap. There is actually less pain in that than in fabricating fender flares. Make absolutely sure that the car is setting at ride height, and is level from side to side. Try and keep the split-line on the flattest area on the fender all around. I find that the best way to hold the outer section of fender true and "square" is to build a plywood jig that has one peice running along the floor that you can set a couple of cement blocks on, and one peice sticking up perfectly vertical that you can position against the side of the tire and screw the outer portion of fender to. (dont mind a few 1/8" holes, your going to do a lot of welding anyways, so they can be filled later.)
You can not cut one long peice of metal to fill the gap. Make cardboard templates, and keep the peices to a maximum length of about 4" long. Weld one into place near the front of the fender, one into place near the rear of the fender, and 2 evenly spaced on the top side of the fender. Weld them full length on each side, (about an inch at a time, then jump to a different one to prevent heat build up). When you have those 4 fully welded, you remove the plywood jig to give you better access, then cut and weld peices to fill in the rest of the gaps. Use the same gauge of steel as the fenders are made of, (20 gauge), and use butt welds with a mig. Use magnets on the back side of the fenders to keep the filler strips flush with the original fender surface. I try to leave about 1/32" gap between the peices to be welded to ensure 100 percent penetration, and use 0.020 weld wire to prevent a large bead build up.----don't even think about gas welding this----mig with a gas bottle is what you need to use.
Knock the weld bead down first with a 3" x 1/16 wheel on a die grinder, then with a multi flap disc.
If you take your time and do this right, you can do it with almost no bondo.

Yep, Brian dialed it in. That is the best way, lasts the longest, and can be made almost invisible without Bondo.
Pay attention to the heat build up. It will distort the finished item. Take your time, think it through, make templates, and just feel good.

Thanks again, Buying the aftermarket wider fenders sounds good but the joint between the fender and body have already been filled and smoothed by the last owner. I"m working on the gas conversion kit for my Mig.

Ok, maybe I was a little insensitive in asking him why he would want flares, but I think every one of you agrees a 47 Chev with a chop would not exactly be cool with flares. With all the resources we have in 2005 there are too many options to have to resort to something that we did in the 70's.

The reverse offset wheels, or a narrower (or narrowed) rear axle could tuck them under the fenders, and seperate his car from one that is just thrown together.

The point tho Don, is that VetteDreams asked HOW to make them, not what we THINK of them. Besides, with that 39 Dodge...you have probably encountered a lil bit of controversy yourself...sometimes we do stuff just cause it's ours and we can...it's his car.

True, but if you have built and seen enough cars in your lifetime you have seen things on cars that make you say "what the h*** was he thinking when he did that?

A perfect example is an all steel '32 Ford in my hometown. It is a chopped 5 window, full fendered, and totally traditional. Great orange paint, steel wheels, nice rake.......totally gorgeous.
BUT, the guy is a Harley lover, so he had the interior done in brown leather, with fringed saddlebags and all. I'm not talkin' nice tan leather, I'm talkin' Studs and fringe everwhere.

Every cruise or show he goes to, people walk up, look inside, and walk away shaking their heads. He ruined what was an otherwise terrific rod because "it was his car and he could do what he wanted."

You can say what you want, but if you put a bunny fur interior in your tranam,it will be crappy, no matter how you try to justify it. There is taste and there is lack of taste, and that was the point I was trying to convey.

PS looked at you car pix....nice ride.

Seems like a lot of people are pretty interested in what the man is doing....

"makes ya take a second look at that lucky shifter and bunny butt seats idea ya was dream'n up hu? Mr.Hulgas ! "

Just don't knock a guy for asking a question, is all we ask around here << .....


we try and moderate our self if possible.
Stop, drink a cup of coffee and think about what your typing before you hit post " & stop me if you see me doing it 2 " ...
TL

Or maybe the guy is like me and just doesn't really give a flip what anyone else thinks of his ride....... I remember a bunch of Vettes, Camaros, Mustangs and the like from the 70's with rear flares done correctly that looked fine. It's not so much what is done to a car as it is HOW it is done to the car. Fit, finish, and detail far out weighs what is or isn't currently fashionable......... JMO

Or me! I would rather see polka dots on cars than see everybody chase their tails doing the same thing. After almost 50 years as an enthusiast, the most boring thing I can imagine is a car built the same way everyone else builds. If I see another black '32 highboy roadster with white-yellow-orange flames, and a blue pinstripe, I'll...........fall asleep!

I like the way some of the rat rods are built, because some of the builders are using unusual bodies and parts. One thing I dislike about them is the trend to paint them all the same color. Where is the "outlaw" attitude, when they all start to imitate each other?

If that is the way this hobby goes, I think I'll start selling license frames that say "Outlaw Sheep Car Club", or "No Club...Lone Sheep".

I find it amusing that I get an occasional customer who says: "I don't have any idea what I want. Just do something that everyone will like". The only thing that saves my sanity is that I also get customers who say: "I don't care if anyone else likes it, as long as I do!" Now there is an individual!!! :-)~

Don,
I totally understand what you're saying. There's lots of cars that i look at and go...huh...wow...that's just really freaking dumb looking...but then i look at the driver and i can tell by the way they handle the car...if they look like they feel cool...more power to em.

But, my point is...

VetteDreams isn't asking you what you think of it. He's asking how to do it. PERIOD.

Jeri
...with the soon to be tasteless cheetah seatcovers...and maybe some dice....may even paint my pontiac engine... orange ....

Outlaw Sheep!!! I really like that

Good! We've accomplished what a forum is supposed to be, a pulling of opinions and experiences. You have your opinions and I have mine.

You all seem to think the original question was how to build flares. I read it differently...he was asking how to get his tires to clear the fenders. Flares were just one of the possibilities he had considered.

My opinion was that, if he were able to tuck the tires under the fenders, it would fit the overall look of this chopped chevy better. What is puzzling me is why the tires stick out so far in the first place. If the front is the only part of the frame that has been changed, what has created the clearance problem in the rear? Fat tires?

He says his tires are 1 inch from the frame now. If he has a stock Chevy frame front clipped, there should not be this little clearance issue unless he is running fat Mickey's on the rear. Maybe the previos owner slid another frame under the car.

I'd like more info, because I would bet there is an easier better way to do it than flares.

In any event, thanks for all the stimulating feedback guys, I love a healthy exchange of opinions like this one generated. Bench racing at it's best.

Now I have to run to the garage ,,,,,,I'm going to wallpaper the tripower 394 Olds I'm building for the Dodge pickup.Wow! It feels so liberating not to care what other people think.