Attaching fiber glass fenders to header panel

[73440cuda]

Does anyone have any ideas on whats the best way to attach a metal header panel to fiberglass fenders?

[gichy]

Don't they just bolt up with two bolts per side @ the top? Do you have any pic's of your fender? Hey where did you buy your fiber glass fenders from?, I'm looking for a set for my 74 cuda!

[73440cuda]

The original metal fenders have a welded nut or something inside the fender.  A bolt goes through the header panel and screws into the nut or fastener in the fender.  Fiberglass fenders do not have that nut or fastner in them. You have to attach them some other way.  I may have figured something out, but I would like to find out if anyone else has done it to see how they attached them together.    I bought my fenders from Unlimited Products.  If your interested I have some original metal fenders (72-74 cuda) I bought but did not use, I'm selling.  

[gichy]

How the quality of the fiber glass fenders?
I've hear that Unlimited fenders are realy weak and need a lot of finishing work!

[73440cuda]

They're the first ones I've bought and I haven't seen any others, so I can't compare them to anything.  They are light, about 8 lbs, but are nice and straight.  Just like any other fiberglass part, required sanding and fitting to make them line up near perfect.  The sides were fairly smooth, but did have some small surface spider cracks from the molding process that required light filler and sanding.  The thing I didn't like is they don't come as one unit, the light bucket is sold separate.  I was looking to get some from us body, but their molds were down for a long time.  If I did it again, I would find some that come as one unit.  Here is a pic of the fitting process, on, off, on, off.......

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[360 'CUDA]

I used the stock body nuts from other parts of the
fender. Has the washer attached to the bottom of the
nut. Too bad about the buckets though, you need them
to help hold up the fender or they end up looking
droopy

[73440cuda]

I have the bolts from the original fenders used to bolt them to the body.  Thats not a problem, its connecting the fenders to the header panel, the fiberglass fenders do not have any attaching hardware.  It all has to be fabricated.  I have also installed the light buckets, which I purchased separately, so there will be no droop.  The fenders are much stiffer with the light buckets installed.  It should lighten the load of a 3500lb car.

[Grancoupe]

I can only wish you guys beter luck than I had with fiberglass. Alot more work than I ever intended to do. I had a set of old rotted front fenders that I trashed. I used the fender inserts from the steel fenders to reinforce the fibreglass ones. They were riveted and glassed in and forced the fiberglass fenders to fit to the cars shape. That worked out OK. But the finish work along the door jamb and up along the edge between the hood and the door were as accurate as a drunk guy with a chain saw could have gotten on a bad day. No joke. I had to extend the edges over a inch and a half to reach back to the door. Long and short of it, I placed a few shots of the finished deal. Good Luck

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[Grancoupe]

I forgot to mention, I bolted the header panel to the fenders with nuts and bolts. I oversized the holes in th fenders to allow for adjustments and used oversized washers on the fiberglass sides to disperse the pressure. Make sure the bolts are not forcing the fenders to align. This will cause the fiberglass to stress and crack.  

[73440cuda]

Thanks Coupe, sounds like your fenders where in a little worse condition than mine.  I just bolted them on last night, and for the most part they all line up pretty well even on the door jamb.  My problem was getting them lined up with the lower valance, still not sure if it will hold without cracking.  Hopefully it will reset it to that position with time and a heat gun.  I ended up epoxying a nut like fastner with little teeth on the inside of my fender and bolting the header panel to them.  The tighter the bolts are the more the teeth of the nut dig into the fender so it should be secure enough.  To make it worse I have a pin on fiberglass hood I have to try and fit into the mix.  It's only temporary until I can buy a 6 pack bolt on hood.

[nivvy]

So you got your fenders from unlimited??? D you like them because i just ordered a set with the buckets as well and also a fiberglass trunk....I got my ta six pack hood from the too......

[nivvy]

What is your paint code.....i love that paint...that is the color I want to paint my 72 challenger 440........Sounds like we are building the same type of ebody......

[73440cuda]

Hey Nivvy, The paint is actually a GM paint color, 78 corvette yellow, color 52 it definately stands out on a Sunny day.  The fenders from unlimited are OK, I guess.  There the only ones I've seen.  it'll take some time to get the lines to fit right and to drill the mounting holes.  The hardest part I had was fitting the grill.  The fenders are a little thicker up fron than the old metal ones, so the grill is a tight fit.  Plus my light bezels have a 3/8" gap on either side between them and the fender.   I couldn't bring them in any closer and still keep the hood spacing wide enough for it to fit.  If I did it again, I would have bought fenders that had the light bucket already molded in, definatley would have been easier, maybe even a neater finish.  I'll post some pics so you can see how they fit.  What year is your Cuda?

[nivvy]

HOW DARE YOU PUT A CHEVY COLOR ON THERE!#@!!*&^#^^^*@$*@*&@^%%%^@%$^@^@@@ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[73440cuda]

It was not my choice, it was on there when I bought it.  If I had done it, I would have painted it Hemi Orange.