Technical How do you secure your fender skirts?

I test fit the skirts that came with my 53 Ford today and found that they don't fit with the gaskets on and without the gaskets they are loose. Additionally I don't see how they won't just fall off. I am planning on modifying these to fill the whole wheel well opening so I'm looking for ways other people have secured there so I can incorporate them into my design. My initial thought is some pins on either side and a clamp at the top. Similar to the way they secure now but better.

And yes you can see they don't fit the profile of the wheel well. That's thanks to 80s Bondo work.

 

If I recall correctly there are 2 different style/size of skirts that will work on your car. The Mercury ones(?) fill the wheel well better.

 

I will look into it. I was looking to weld some sheet metal lol.

 

You are not the first person who bought a car, then tried to put stock skirts on it and they don't fit due to bodywork.

 

As far as securing them, on my 52 Chevy we used 2 pins welded on the top edge as guides with the matching holes drilled into the wheel arch. Then welded 2 of those cheap gate slide latches at the bottom and spring loaded them so they wouldnt back out. Simple and worked well for our needs. We had to remove the factory "latches" on my skirts when we extended them to flow flush with the bottom body line.

 

This was exactly what I was looking for. I knew someone would have already come up with something dead simple and effective. Thank you.

 

Im almost certain there was a tech thread here showing the process that we copied. Been awhile, maybe its still in the archives ..? Edit: found it, just a bunch of red x now... bummer

 

Merc skirts are definitely the baddest

 

When I decided to add skirts to my '35 Olds convertible street rod, I was paranoid about them flying off and trashing themselves, the rear fenders, and everything around me. The center lever held the top of the skirt against the wheel well, but the lower attachments were just clamps that pinched the bottom flanges of the skirts and fenders. I opted to replace those with stainless bolts that are permanently attached, via speed nuts, to the bottom fender flanges. Since the skirts are surface mounted - outside the wheel well, they go on and off easily by loosening/tightening the lever and wing nuts. Painted black, the wing nuts and bolt threads are hardly noticeable.
I also painted and added welting to the skirts to close the minor gaps to the fenders. Don't know if this applies to your application, but those nuts and bolts give me way more peace of mind than little flange clamps. Poor cell phone pics attached;