Is all reproduction stuff going to be dodgy and need modification to fit???

[OzCuda]

Having only just commenced putting the Barracuda back together, almost everything reproduction has need work or just doesn't fit.  Both front and rear valance panels have had problems with fit (front wouldn't accept valance fill panel so original one was worked and used, on the rear valance both the exhaust cut-outs and spring perch cut-outs didn't line up requiring work on the support braces and shortening the plastic bumperette fill panels to fit), the boot lid had a repair damage from the factory that need work and the rear quarter repair panels were not exactly accurate either.  So todays gem was that the tailight gaskets needed extensive (and careful) trimming to fit.  Everything takes either time or money to rectify - is this going to keep happening throughout the rebuild??  Makes me glad I haven't thrown any old parts out - no matter how ratty they were!

[Carlwalski]

Having only just commenced putting the Barracuda back together, almost everything reproduction has need work or just doesn't fit. 

LMAO! Nope, heaps of it doesn't fit aka crap. Some items are so far off fitting correctly you have to wonder how on earth the company is still in business and how they are even prepared to sell it. Finding a repro part that fits is like a dream: "Ah! it fits, awesome!" it shouldn't be like that. It should fit - end of story. Although, to be fair, Mopars and E-Bodies vary from car to car even if it's the slightest, not all but a few, still, no excuse. We pay big bucks for these parts at the very least they should come close to fitting not need 100 man hours to correct it. lol

Rant over. I have written a post similar to this a few times now.
Best bet is to restore original parts or look for good/excellent original or NOS pieces.

 

[360 'CUDA]

This is why I'm worried about the new fenders...


I always try to get the old stuff. For instance on those old rear valances I take two old ones, cut the good parts off of them and weld them back together.  This way I know it will fit ('cause I'm the one measuring) and I don't have to give any extra money to the Chi-coms for crap that's too thin and doesn't fit anyway

[cudabuyer]

had the same problem with the repro rear valance, weighed about 1/2 as much as the original, sold my original

tried to install the new rear valance, what a joke, sorry i sold the original w/o cutouts would have been easier & cheaper to make the cutouts myself

just my 

[moparclown]

That's why I save everything,and repair and fit stuff.

[Rare_T_A]

Now you know why good OEM parts are through the roof for $$$$. I have always looket at the quarter skins as patch pannels. I have seen the new Chally fenders and they look great but I don't know about the full quarters.

[kingtroll]

It's funny how someones junk is another mans gold. You look at piles of parts and someone not into cars would say why don't you throw that junk out. Us moparts guys get sick when we hear of the parts people have just throw out to the trash because we know how hard it is to find certain parts.

[SilverChally]

I have did the final fitting on the challenger fenders yet, but the quarters do need work to fit up right.  Can't expect it to fit perfect, but theres alot of room for improvement.  The parts are pretty straight and not too thin, which is a big plus.  I have two ways to look at parts, on one end for my own cars, I'll fix rough original parts, my time cost me nothing.  For customer cars, I prefer new stuff that wont take as long, well up to them, but helps keep the cost down, since my time is money to them. 

[matt63]

Lots of repro stuff is just crude approximations of the original part.  I 'm about to go in the garage and drill new holes to accept my  repro rear interior panels.

[kingtroll]

I have read that a lot of people have not been happy with those repo interior panels but sometimes you have no choice but to use what you can find...repo or not.

[71340RT]

When I restored my 70 Cuda I used as many original parts as some of the reproduction parts just don't cut it when it comes to fit and finish. I know that some of these parts are great while others are junk. To bad some people just want to join the band wagon and make a quick buck.

[528 Hemi Cuda]

You guys are so right about some of the reproduction parts.  We ran into some of the same problems with some of our parts for the AAR.  My husband used as much of the original parts that he could.  Our biggest problem were with the AAR stripes.  We usually use Phoenix Graphics for the stripes.  This time we decided to try a guy that I think has been on this board before or it maybe I saw his ad on Moparts.  I can't remember right now.  Anyway we bought the AAR stripes from him because he said they were exactly like the original and he had a great price on them.  He cut them fresh so we did not have to worry about the stripes being to old.  We had a guy put the stripes on and the first thing we saw that was wrong was the AAR part of the stripe is done as a overlay not a print.  So, you can actually feel the overlay if you touch the decal.  They did a bad job with the overlay because where the black strip goes on CUDA and the black stripe on the other part of the decal you can see the white background and it makes it look a shadow.  We were not very happy with the stripes.  I emailed the guy over 3 weeks ago about it and have not heard back from him.  If the stripe was just a black hockey stick or maybe even a billboard it would probably be okay but he did not tell us it was an overlay.  He said it was just like the original and it is not.  We had to have another decal made up to make it look right.  The strobe part of the stripe looks fine. 
It is just like you guys were saying some of the reproduction parts are good and some are not.     
Pink Ice

[IMNCARN82]

I have not found one decent re-pop  part.

[js27]

 
Out of all the cars I have restored the only thing that I never had any problem with were the Brake lines. I buy all my lines from Fine Lines and except for a little bending due to shipping they all have fit perfect..
JS27

[ntstlgl1970]

also another thing is that production tolerances were all over the place when these cars were built new. I don't expect any repro stuff to fit right so that way I am never disappointed because my expectations are low. One thing I can say is  - at least companies are making parts now - !

If you are missing parts or starting with a rust bucket, then having the option of buying some fenders or full quarters is a pretty nice thing to have avaliable.