Since joining the HAMB i've been inspired, surprised, and awed by all the work you guys(gals) do.... So I was rooting around in the garage and lo and behold I found an extra set of fender skirts for my 55 Olds....(want to keep original ones too, yes Im selfish lol). So making a long story longer I have some guys photo shop my car and they made it a tail dragger and Im liking the look. Wasnt able to post photo shop version so cropped car with original skirt.... So how do I go about making the skirts longer to cover the majority of the rear wheel while maintaing the curled "lip" at the bottom? I attached pics of fender skirts as well.... Thanks in advance for any information...... el_bole
im not quite sure how you mean make them longer ... but if you split them about an half inch above the rolled lip and then add metal to fill the split you can fill as much of the opening as you like and just cut the verticle section of the rolled lip down to match
Do a search there have been may thread about making a set of skirts from scratch or adding length to them. I would star with a brand new sheet metal piece. Clamp it to a table with a piece of pipe, and bend up one edge. Then hang that edge over the table and clamp it again with the pipe, and you'll have a nice rounded lip. Put it up to the car, and trace the opening, cut it about a half inch longer than you need and bend over that excess to make your flange. Be sure to factor in a bit of a gap for a piece of rubber between the skirt and body. You'll have to do a bit of hammer and dolly to terminate the lip, if you need to, and to clean up edges, but that's just part of the job. There are several ways to mount the new skirt, from a tension arm, like factory, not too hard to fabricate, or some pins to locate it, then studs and wing nuts or bolts on the bottom to hold it up. Again. so a search for different options.
Flop on here is a great set for his chevy, search his posts. A lot of people do this on 54 chevys as well.
Ahhh, your are missing more in the middle. That's where you need to add it. Never ever have I wanted to see a longer skirt ! ( but I don't have a daughter)
Years ago I saw an article or booklet from the late 40s on how to customize your car. The writer recommended using old doors to make fender skirts. Use the upper edge of the door skin as the lip at the bottom of the skirt. In other words buy an old door from the junkyard and turn it upside down. Cut the shape you want out of the door, leaving enough extra to form a lip around the edge. Cut the shape you want out of MDF. You can trace it off your fender but make the mold smaller by the thickness of the metal and leave room for a rubber seal. Clamp the metal to the MDF and form a 90 around the edge with your body hammers and dollies.
Or, you could buy a set of skirts you like the looks of, cut and weld them together with your old skirts to make a set that fits your car. Another method, cut a skirt out of MDF or other workable material and use it as a mold to make fibreglass fenders. Many cars from the seventies used fibreglass or molded plastic skirts.
Gentlemen, Thanks for the informative and not so informative("cut, weld, grind") advice......Im a teacher so I use to having at least one Smart Ass in the group.... Any how I will definetly follow the hellpful advice....I pretty much knew to get sheet metal and cut lip off but Ive recieved so many great "short cuts" ideas From this Site that I thought I get some here AND I did!!!!!! Loved the old door idea and flipping it around Rusty O'Toole! If you are ever in San Diego lets go for a cold pint O'Beer...And that goes for the rest of you Too...even the Smart Asses..they'll just get cheap beer LOL. Thanks, el_bole
Are you looking for a full skirt instead of the '55 teardrop shape? I had full skirts on my '55. Found them at a swap meet. I don't know if they were '54 Olds or vintage aftermarket, but they were custom fit to the '55 wheel wells.
They sell fiberglass skirts. That's what I got on my '56. Depending on what model '55 you got, the '56 skirts will fit. http://fenderskirtdepot.com/Oldsmobile/
With out pics of what you want exactly, how can you get a precise on point answer? Huh Teach? It will involve cutting, cutting generally in turn requires welding and there again welding almost always leads to grinding. Cut weld grind - afternoon project !!!!
Just to throw an idea at you, i made mine out of a old hood. Has some curves to it versus a flat piece of sheetmetal.A roof or hood will give you a left and right panel. Use your imagination and try something and try again if it doesn't work out. It's a tradition thing to do.
Great stuff guys! thats exactly the kind of ideas I wanted to see. I like the being "different" skirt on your ride Tedley....Fuxl I'll be doing some searching on Ebay for those 56's skirts......Thanks for the great input! The full skirt look is what Im looking for! As I stated before for those who wanted pics I was UNABLE to upload photoshopped version of my 55 Olds 88..... el_bole
"56 skirts won't fit a '55 88. The '55 98 had a teardrop wheel opening. They may be the same as '56, but the '55 88 like you have are different shapes.
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