Hey guys and gals, this may be a silly question but I need to replace my front left fender, it is not the original fender and is in pretty bad shape, so is the money you save on a repro fender worth the headache of getting it to align? I don't want to spend an extra $250 if I don't need to but I want it to look right! What company do you recommend for sheet metal? Also, if I am going to replace one fender, should I replace both for symmetry?

 

You live in California, look for an original fender! Seriously, I tried several reproductions in both the artiflex/Gerstenslager and the common el cheapo and none of them had crisp lines or even a proper fold where it meets the head light bucket. I found NOS fender at a swap meet for $300 and went with it because finding a rust free fender in the midwest is tough.

 

Yeah if try to get a factory fender first its more work but it will fit better.

 

Even the Ford Tooling fenders may require some work. Mine did, but they are thicker and worth the extra bucks if you are going for better than original fit. If you can find an original or NOS, even better, but remember, these cars weren't perfect fitting specimens when they were first built. We have gotten used to expecting a better fit than these cars ever had when they were new.

 

Ive used alot of the ones out their. Original seem to be the best they have a curved upper part by the door the seems to not be in repos, even the ford tooling arent that great. But as its been said body lines are not perfect as they were never. Ive used ford tooling also decent fit, lines arent as crisp but their nice for a restoration. Then we have used certifit, the price reflects the quality, cheapest tend to be a bit thinner metal, but to be honest on a car thats not going to be a perfect car anyways, such as building a driver and trying to keep the cost down they work great. You can get the lines to look just as good as the ford tooling most of the time.

All comes down to how much you have to spend. Doesnt make much sense to spend extra 250 on ford tooling when you need that extra money for other parts. You will end up with good parts but not enough money to get the car done. As also said look for original ones as they are pretty cheap at swap meets craigslist ect. I pick up ones for 100-150 in great shape.

 

Jim I sent you a PM with some info.
JLG

 

Yes thank you Vern, I forgot about Mustang Village up in San Bernadino. Not too far from me, I will try to get up there this weekend!

Thanks guys, I appreciate the input!!

 

This is the fender that came on the car. It is not the original fender, I think the guy said he took it off a 64 1/2. It's not unrepairable but it has a lot of bondo and holes in it from a dent puller. I don't mind doing the work and straightening it out, if it's worth putting the time into it vs. buying a new one!

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The cracks are in the bondo, and looks like about 4 layers of cheap paint!

 

I've been stripping it down to get to bare metal and there is definitely a lot of bondo in that section but I don't see any in the rest of the fender!!

 

You need to see what's under that bondo in order to answer your question. You may be able to hammer out a crease or two still.