Factory Fiberglas recall fenders.

MBDale

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Hey guys,

I recently picked up a pair of front fenders from a guy out of town. He told me he had them in a machine shed for about 30 years. Got a mint steel front passenger fender and a drivers side fibreglass fender. Sorry I don’t have pictures right now. The story he told me was there was a recall on front fenders, rust. Apparently Chrysler couldn’t make them fast enough so a separate company was contracted out to make fibreglass replacements. The one I have is in good shape.

Anybody shed some light on this??
 

XfbodyX

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I see it as a good tale but id think no car company would even consider it and no agency would approve it. Chrysler had plenty of lead time on the recall fenders and there were plenty of them, thats why there are so many nos ones today still and many were tossed im sure. I recall three companies that made f fiberglass parts for drag racing/oval dirt, two made full race (all pin on) and one made street type replacements, the street doors were even made like oem and would accept the window and was 3/8 thick F glass where the door striker and mech would be attached. There were tons of aftermarket f parts when they were semi popular.
 
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Oldiron440

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I remember a 3 to 6 month delay is what people were told but it was only about 2 months and cars were getting new fenders. Suprising not all cars got new fenders because they didn't all rust on the fast track. My 76 didn't have replacement fenders on it when I bought it in 87.
 

volare 77

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I don`t believe that story. A rusted fender wasn`t going to stop people from driving their car so why would they need to make fiberglass fenders for slow output of steel ones.
 

Greg55_99

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Post a pic of the fiberglass fender.

Greg
 

Oldiron440

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Back in 1987 there was only one supplier for Fbody fiberglass and that was U.S.Body Source and all they had was a hood and it was junk. I know I bought one.
 

XfbodyX

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I got glass doors, fenders, hood and deck lid in like 82, paid $300 for all from a dirt/circle track racer who bought them and nver used them for some reason. I forget the date on my newer glass six pack hood but maybe 91, US Body Source? maybe.

Yep it is, Its a really good quality hood, I had to do no correcting on mine, just minor prep to paint, better them most ive had or seen. Dont know ive been trying to trade it for a good rust/dent free hood with no takers. A Perfect $700 hood for a oem $50 hood and no takers, crazy world.

What issues did you have with your hood?

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Oldiron440

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Mine was a flat hood that would not fit no matter what and took quite a bit of work to make look decent.

I will be fabricating my own this time, I've done it for others it's time I do it on my own car. At the time I didn't have the time then it turned into a 6 month mess.
I glassed up my front bumper it's only 3 lbs and turned out nicely. I think I might do a chrome wrap on that.
 

XfbodyX

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Id think a flat hood might be harder on the maker with the bigger areas of flatness? for the lack of a better term.
 

Aspen500

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Fit about as good as my dual snorkel scoop? That thing took hours and hours of work to make it fit well and look decent. Lots of epoxy in the brass insert areas where the mounting studs screw into also so it wouldn't blow off in a light breeze. It looked like it was made by a couple of 5th graders in their back yard. What can I say, it was a piece of crap but it was fixable.
 

Oldiron440

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It was the body lines coming back from the parklamp/headlamp/grill that was all messed up and the fender line didn't follow the fender. It was just a mess.
 

BudW

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I’m looking for a pair of fenders (because of rust through at top). Either I have $ and no one selling or can find some when I have no $ (a funny circle, it seems).


I have been in same room as fiberglass work but not really been involved in, well, much of anything. I can see adding material to build up a low spot – as a possible fix, but how do you fix a high spot, or a high ridge/body line/etc. without removing too much material?

On an unrelated subject, on M-body headers, what is a good way to reattach the studs that seam to strip out of the fiberglass. It is odd you must tighten (or loosen) a good bit of torque to remove the nut(s) from studs but takes very little to strip out the studs from fiberglass (leaving the nut still tight to the studs).
BudW
 

XfbodyX

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Ive a set of nos fenders Bud, I will let go of for what I paid, less the 100 each if thats acceptable to you, im either gonna make a parts collection/drop off lap yet this fall or super early spring so Im pretty sure I could drop them off.
As long as you need 77 type, since the drivers 76 is different and I keep all of them I can. Unfortunately all the recall are non 76 and have some features of the 78-79 having the tabs for the 78 type inner plastic shield or something like that.
 

Bnielsen

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Hey guys,

I recently picked up a pair of front fenders from a guy out of town. He told me he had them in a machine shed for about 30 years. Got a mint steel front passenger fender and a drivers side fibreglass fender. Sorry I don’t have pictures right now. The story he told me was there was a recall on front fenders, rust. Apparently Chrysler couldn’t make them fast enough so a separate company was contracted out to make fibreglass replacements. The one I have is in good shape.

Anybody shed some light on this??
I can remember when they were replacing them one of my friends got new ones. The top of the fenders rotted out by the antenna.
 

Aspen500

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I can remember when they were replacing them one of my friends got new ones. The top of the fenders rotted out by the antenna.
Even the later style fenders with the full liners rot out near the antenna area on both sides. It's right where the metal is doubled up and water, dirt and (worst of all) salt get trapped and then sit there and eat, and eat, and eat.:(
 

Bnielsen

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Even the later style fenders with the full liners rot out near the antenna area on both sides. It's right where the metal is doubled up and water, dirt and (worst of all) salt get trapped and then sit there and eat, and eat, and eat.:(
That’s exactly what happened.
 
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