I am considering Fiberglass fenders for my 37 pickup since the original steel are so bad. What fenders are the best? Speedway, Macs, and others offer them. Does hand laid make a difference? There is a big price difference between vendors as well. Opinions wanted. I would go with steel if it wasn't going to cost so much to restore them.
The hand layed fiberglass results in long strands of fiberglass versus the chopped short (1/2") strands of glass which is stuck together with resin. Chopper guns are typically used where strength is not the main consideration. Chopper layed fiberglass requires significantly less labor to apply. HRP
These front fenders are BeBops Fiberglass fenders on my 35 which I sold. I used 33-34 Sedan Fiberglass fenders and widened them for the rear fenders. On the front fenders, I had to use a heat gun to bend the front section down a little more to better align with the grille. Not sure if they are still in business or not, but they the front fenders were really good quality, nice and thick and fit well overall. I remember that the rear fenders were not as thick, but that didn't matter to me as I was modifying them anyway. If you wait long enough, you'll eventually be able to acquire steel fenders as I've seen them in the classifieds, but you'll need to plan to search the classified every day for a few years. If you post a wanted ad in the classifieds, be prepared for scammers to send you pictures which they google of the item you're looking for, so be careful. If they email you pictures, click on the properties of the picture and sometimes you'll be able to find the link where they googled a picture and are trying to scam you to pay for something which they don't have to sell. Here is a link of what to watch for if you post a wanted ad. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...t-joseph-a-cates.1069247/page-2#post-12143111 Also, for your running boards, I made my own running board brackets from 1/4" plate as the original style are kinda thin and can eventually sag or tear at the bolt holes if you use the running boards to actually step on. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...brackets-35-ford-pu-type.276466/#post-2940053 If you're interested, I made two sets and have another set of the brackets for sale. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...for-sale-prices-listed.1045327/#post-12571922
Well... You can hand lay using woven fiberglass cloth made of long fibers, and you can hand lay chopped strand mat (CSM) consisting of short bundles of fiberglass, just like laminate chopped & sprayed. You need to take into account what kind of mat/cloth is used. The length of the fibers has some impact on the strength of the laminate, but more important may be the fact that woven glass needs about its own weight in resin, while CSM/chopper spray needs double the weight. That causes extra weight and thickness that does nothing good, actually the resin itself is weak and brittle so the end result is weaker. (Vacuum molded woven fiber can use ~50% of the fiber weight in resin, but we've probably moved out of the price range for "normal" car fenders using that. That's how you make many carbon fiber parts.)
As a dealer of Wescotts Auto Restyling products, for over 30 years, I can assure Wescotts produce the BEST FENDERS, in business since 1954 call and get their Catalog. 1-800-523-6279 Wescott's is located in Damascus, Oregon SE of Portland, Oregon Dee Wescott died sometime back, Carl Wescott is still in charge. good ain't cheap, and Cheap ain't good, After the product is installed, Use undercoating from an aerosol can, and give them about two coats directly behind tire area. ( prevents rock stars )
Wescott does make them but they aren't cheap http://www.wescottsauto.com/WebCatalog/C-Grille-Hood-Fender/1935-37Pickup-Grille-Hood-Fender.pdf
Not sure about the fenders, but all three model years came with the same headlights. Sent from my LGL158VL using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
This thread has info on this subject: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1935-1936-ford-pickup-tech-for-the-masses.236409/ Sent from my LGL158VL using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Alot of money for sure, but if they are good quality it isn't expensive. Making good molds takes A LOT of time, and the materials cost quite a bit too. Making good products in those molds takes quite a bit of time too.
I bought fiberglass for my '37 Chevrolet 20 years ago from R & R Fiberglass. They are still holding up great. No need to look for steel if you purchase new quality glass. 99% of those who are going to see the truck won't know the difference. Mine are thick and heavy, plenty strong to lean on or lay across, and after 20 years, there are only a few "stars " in the front fenders from rocks hitting the under side. The back fenders are heavier then the damaged steel fenders I replaced, fronts were slightly heavier.
Another vote for Wescott's. Working on our '39 Ford Standard back on the early 1990's, had found a good steel RH front fender but no luck on the drivers side. Wescott's had just started making the '38 Deluxe-'39 Standard fronts so I bought one. The mounting holes then, probably still, were "dimpled" in the proper locations but not drilled. So trusting soul that I am, I drilled 'em all out as indicated and every one of the fender bolts literally fell into place. Prep work? I block sanded out a couple of mold parting lines, blocked the rest of the fender once, primed it and sprayed it. That's it. Around 30k on the car when I sold it and no star chips, no cracks, just a few chips in the paint. Without question, I'd recommend anything that Wescott makes. Something to consider in the never-ending steel vs fiberglass debate. Once at the Mid America Nats, we were in the motel parking lot and watched a lady turn too sharp and rake her front bumper over the tip of my bro-in-law's '34 Ford front fender. The fiberglass fender flexed, the front corner bent down as the other car slid across it, and then sprang up again with the only damage to the fender being some scrapes in the paint and primer. I'm guessing a steel fender would have been creased pretty badly. Just some food for thought....
Wescott, the fenders on my avatar are Wescott and the fronts on my daily driver pickup are also Wescott. Been driving the pickup for 18 years, sits outside and gets driven everywhere. Have over 10,000 miles on the pickup with no stress cracks, fit good and are straight.
I got a set of fibreglass fenders from a friend when I built my 30 model a truck. That was more than a decade ago, and the fenders were a decade or two old by the time I got them. They were made by polyform. If you looked closely at the rear fender opening, at about the two o'clock position, the wheel opening radius bent ever so slightly. I assume their mold had an imperfection in it. You had to look really closely to see it, but every time I looked at it, it pissed me off. No-one else noticed it until I made them aware of it, then you could clearly see the slight difference in the radius. It was like a tiny kink in the wheel opening bead. I don't do fibreglass now at all, since I have learned to make steel parts.
Does anyone remember "Ai" or Anderson Industries ?? Quality ?? Fit & finish ?? IIRC they glassed in a business card on the underside of the fender .....
Wescott fenders are traditional. Here's an interesting tidbit about Mr. Wescott to back that wild assertion up.
I bought a 27 T body from A I some years ago. The glass was fairly thick but the gel coat had a lot of holes in it.
I went ahead and ordered from Wescott. Probably the best decision. I can save my steel parts for a little rougher project in the future.
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