Anybody ever tried this? Any pics? I'm figuring the best way to do this would be using '32 fenders.. are they hard to find, or made out of unobtainium? I'm guessing originals in good shape would be kinda high.. maybe I can find some rough ones. As to why? because I've already built a '32 frame for my 'a', and modified the body to fit.. but now looking at it sitting beside a stock model a I realized how good it would look with fenders. I guess I could always sell the '32 frame and find an 'a' frame and fenders.. but that would be too easy. Any suggestions? Brian
In an old rod book I have seen a 30 A roadster on 32 rails using 32 fenders and running boards, it looked very good, almost factory! Yes, it was running a 32 grilleshell. I think it was a hot rod annual from the early 60's.
You can expect $ome na$ty $urpri$e$e$ when you start shopping for '32 fenders--but I think this would look really good. I have no idea whether '32 rear fenders, which happen to be reallydamnexpensive, would be fittable, but it would likely be fairly easy to add a filler piece in the front corner to cover the cutout for the A apron and reach over to the frame. One of my friends fitted repro '32 fenders to a repro roadster, and everything required a lot of work for a reasonable fit--I don't know if Brookville has gotten into this stuff yet. In the past, at least, their fenders came from another supplier and had plentiful problems both in contour and in basic dimensions at flanges.
Heres one from Sweden. It doesn't look quite right to me. I think its more of a tyre and stance issue rather body/chassis proportions.
Do you have a `28/`29 or `30/`31 Body ? As hammeredabone said , there is a pair of nice late ( `30/`31 ) roadsters on Deuce frame & fenders in an old HOT ROD annual ( 1957 Annual ) One by Bill Montero , and the other by Lawrence Brocchini . Both look REAL Good !! The later is soo Cool that I feel like an ass for not beeing able to show/Scan pix .. Maybe some other Hambr can help us out ? ( Hot Rod annual 1957 . Pg 20 & 21 ) Klaz
I've thought about this too. In the pile of projects between my pops and I we've got a late 31 Sedan that actually left the factory and dealer as a 1932. It was in the same family for its entire life so there hasn't been any funky licensing or title issues over its life. Since it is titled/licensed as a 32 I would love to put it on a duece frame, but with the cost of Duece fenders I was going to mock it up with the stock ones, minus splash aprons and see what it looked like. Anyone attempt this yet and or have any photos of it?
CRAPPY PICS...but I got no scanner. Used the digicam.....old mags is often kinda blury. Especialy when photographed. Anyways You're right Klaz. Lawrence Brocchini,ride (the dark one) is killer. I'd have it any day. Maybe anyone with a scanner can do better. The cars surely deserves it. Paul
In high school I built an A roadster on deuce rails with deuce fenders. It was a few years back (like about 40), but I remember having issues with mating up the running boards to the rear fenders. I was running some early fiberglass fenders that were a couple inches wider than stock, so maybe that was the problem. All in all, the car went together pretty well for a high-school build. I can't find any pix, but I painted it with the help of any older kid Corvette Yellow lacquer in our garage. I wonder where it is now...
Front fenders and boards would be a bolt on. I would think an A rear fender could be modified at the front and rear quite easily. Model A rear fenders in glass or metal in poor condition go cheap......find a pair and start playin with fitment. Model A coupe and 32 coupe rear fenders are close to the same looking. Something I always wanted to try too. Steve
From the firewall back, you shouldn't see any difference. The splash aprons above the running boards run in underneath the body of the car and rest on top of the frame---A model A frame is flat on top, while a 32 frame has a "smile" in it about 1" to 1 1/4" in the center--you might have to make a hardwood filler peice to level the top of the 32 frame from the firewall back, rest the splash aprons on top of that, and the A body on top of the splash aprons. The rear fenders bolt to the rear quarters, splash aprons, and running boards, so shouldn't be impacted too much by the shape of the 32 rails. The 32 frame has a longer wheel base than a model A, so if you ran model A fenders and centered them on the front tire, there would be a gap between the trailing edge of the front fender and the front of the A running boards and splash aprons, and I don't know if the curvature of the top of the frame from the firewall foreward on a 32 frame is close to that of a model A frame or not. You could probably make a set of 32 fenders work.
Brookville has had the rear fenders for a couple of years. I don't know what you consider expensive but the ones I have cost less than $1000 shipped to my door, and they are perfect. The last time I talked to Kenny Golohan and his dad they said they expected to be manufacturing front fenders by the end of the year. If that is so they will be RIGHT or they won't sell them. Ray held up selling the rear fenders to the public for over a year because he wasn't satisfied with how they fit. By the time he gave his approval the orders were stacked quite deep in the office. Kenny said he expects to sell the fronts for around $1200 /pair but that price was contingent on final manufacturing cost. I feel they will be under $1500/pair but I don't speak for them. Either way I feel the cost will be well in line considering what's out there now and the cost/rarety of origionals. The reproductions available now are $1200/pair and they need a LOT of rework to make them anywhere near right. Frank
Thanks everyone for the discusison and advice. Can any of you '32 experts confirm or deny that these are '32 fronts? and.. not the best pictures I know, but you know where they came from... Thanks.. Brian
The fenders out there that are made by Funks (sold by Gaslight...they might also be the suppliers for the rears that were mentioned available from Brookville) don't fit very well. At least this is what guys who bought them for their Model A's ahve told me. After working on them, correctin all the "issues" and doing the bodywork, I've been told that they'd have to use less filler if they had fixed up their original fenders. Model A fenders for the rears, on the coupes, pickup, roadster pattern, made by Albrecht Towing Service, are perfect. There is also another supplier that makes them, but they're not 100% perfect. I don't know the name of who makes these fenders...
I know a guy here built a 29 A on 32 rails full fendered. I think he might have used 30/31 front fenders - can't remember. Anyway, must ahave been a fair bit of work, but it looked ok. He also used a 32 shell and no hood. It also ran 10.5's!
Greetings from Long Branch,N.J.,Americas first seashore resort. I've been tossing around that same idea for awhile for my '31 A....'32 frame,fenders running boards and grillshell. Looking to make it a winter-spring project. Thanks for all of the imput on the subject....if I need help I wont hesitate to ask you guys on the H.A.M.B.
damn...checked in with my uncle Lawrence this past week...didn't get the color pics of the roadster he built in 48-50 for Bville....then later he says there were a lot of 32' fenders laying around from highboy builds...so he but some on the "A" roadster in about 55'...the shot is from the shop in Sac...sadly the roadster we to a new owner about 62'...still looking for it.....
i saw a 28-29 roadster pick up on a 32 frame with fenders at the la roadster show in like 2002, it looked pretty bad ass.
This is an old thread, but I'd like to see more side views of this being done. Anyone do it without the aprons, so the frame reveal shows?
the car was a dark maroon in the 57 hot rod annual....later he was talked into this GM color around 1959....
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