Thread: building new fenders.

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I have 2 projects going at the same time , and it's slow on both.

I work on one while waiting for parts for the other. but I will be getting to the point

soon I will need to make 2 rear fender arches for the 59 imperial (restoration).

and new over sized fender arches for the 55 chevy im sure I could buy replacement panels for the 55, but they dont exist for a 59 imperial, plus rockers and floor panels.

so im thinking of getting an english wheel . and building them myself. but my problem is I have never had to make them myself, i could always buy the repair panels and weld them in. not in this case. so would it be a good investment to get the equipment ?

are there other places than eastwood to get equipment, i would like to compare before I buy.

thanks for any help

the wheel may not help you much the rocker s can be bent up at a metal shop can do this i would make them out of 18 steel and you will have to beat the lips in. the E wheel may not help much hear with the wheel opening to bad you do not live in mich i have made wheel lips hamer dolly and have made tools up and then you get it ruff in you could use a planishing hammer to get it smooth look at www.FounierEnterprises.com

Before you jump to buy an English wheel, check-out MetalMeet.com. There are numerous sources for English wheels. Some of the stuff you are talking about doing wouldn't require an English wheel.

Any questions that you have about metalshaping could be answered there.

Where do you live? There are mini metalshaping events happening all around the country.

here is a picture of the rear fenders on the imperial. the area below the trim is gone!

this is a picture of the car when I went to buy it. it still looks much the same right now.

the wheels are 15's the car is a little under 20ft long. when looking at the car in person the rear fenders are much bigger.
notice how they should have a smooth curve in it and a LIP?
but dont . that is what I will need to build .

You might want to send an email to Kerry Pinkerton at

pinkertonk@mchsi.com

He is into Imperial's and I think makes some patch panels. He also sells English wheels, other metal shaping tools and is hosting a metalshaping class, which is coming up. It will be located in Huntsville.

Kerry is also is a member of www.MetalMeet.com.

the rear fender should look like this

yes my dad had one and big .there is some ways to do it make a form with wood and work the metal over . cut it out of card boad the thin stuff and them trans it to sheet steel and work the lip up with a dolly or you can buy a bead roller and have roller made like the lip and roll them in i do not think you can roll them in you need a pullmax or hammer and dolly or power planishing hammer with custom hammer head and you will need shrinker&stretcher may be better to find some good rear 1/4???

good idea. I will try it

im thinking would I need to stretch and shrink the rolled edge to form a curve?

I was thinking that if I use an english wheel first to get the shape and then figure out how to make the rolled lip without flattening out the metal .

What kind of metal shaping tools do you have available?

Like Pat mentioned, there are many ways to get the shape that you need and then put the form into the metal.

You could either put the shape into the panel with a wheel or a planishing hammer. Then using a Pullmax or possibly a bead roller put in the other features.

What I was trying to do was hook you up with possibly some guys in your area that might have some of the tools that you don't have.

To me it looks like a good opportunity to learn how to do hammerforming with some plywood bucks. Do some research where Drec suggested on the method and tools required.