[C1] Inside front fender well protection
10-13-2018, 05:44 PM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Inside front fender well protection
After getting a fairly bad star pop on my front fender from what seems to have been 3/8" x 2" bolt in the road my tire picked up off the road, and finally ended up in the cooling fan of my oil cooler in the splash pan, I decided the fenders needed a liner.
Using hard temper stainless screen with .062" wire and 1/4' openings, 12" x 36" with a PVC edge protector pushed on one side,and mounted to the Z reinforcement which is bonded to the underside of the fenders , i think this will work.
That star pop really pissed me off, because nothing can be done about it until the entire car is repainted. People with crap falling off their cars onto the road and I get the damage.
Doug
Using hard temper stainless screen with .062" wire and 1/4' openings, 12" x 36" with a PVC edge protector pushed on one side,and mounted to the Z reinforcement which is bonded to the underside of the fenders , i think this will work.
That star pop really pissed me off, because nothing can be done about it until the entire car is repainted. People with crap falling off their cars onto the road and I get the damage.
Doug
Last edited by AZDoug; 10-13-2018 at 05:47 PM.
10-13-2018, 06:01 PM
#2
Team Owner
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2015 C2 of Year Finalist
Why not undercoating like factory. Been working on cars for 60 odd years
10-13-2018, 06:51 PM
#3
Race Director
Thread Starter
Went right through the factory undercoat. It was only about 1/16" thick at the curve of the fender. the under coat is probably fine for pebbles. This bolt hitting the fender sounded like a rifle shot. i didn't know what the noise was until i got home and saw the pop. Factory tire tread probably wouldn't have grabbed a bolt. I did spray on extra undercoat, but don't trust it anymore.
Doug
Doug
10-14-2018, 11:23 AM
#4
Race Director
I install custom shields in the front wheel well area on all Corvettes I paint that are before 1984. I have seen this problem and know what it takes to fix these star cracks. And if my memory serves me correctly. GM did not apply any undercoating to the underside of the top hood surround on any Corvette from 1963-1982
As for the 1953-1962's...I can say the 1958 I have in my shop shows no signs of ever having undercoating on the underside of the top hood surround.
DUB
As for the 1953-1962's...I can say the 1958 I have in my shop shows no signs of ever having undercoating on the underside of the top hood surround.
DUB
10-14-2018, 11:36 AM
#5
Safety Car
I am building a Model A street rod and I'm trying to decide how I'm going to approach this problem. I was thinking about trying to apply 1/2" of foam like the expanding ac foam and then bed liner. What ever I figure out for it I'll apply to my 61.
I do do have a question for you. Your picture shows up fine. It's the first image I've seen on the forum in several days. All of the other images with this damn lazy loading they've adopted load but they remain pixilated. Did you do something different uploading the pic?
I do do have a question for you. Your picture shows up fine. It's the first image I've seen on the forum in several days. All of the other images with this damn lazy loading they've adopted load but they remain pixilated. Did you do something different uploading the pic?
10-14-2018, 11:40 AM
#6
Le Mans Master
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2024 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
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Doug, really sorry to hear of your misfortune, it sucks.
Looks like a great solution you’ve come up with, so I will be inspecting my ‘61 later today to assess the risk. Thanks for posting!
Looks like a great solution you’ve come up with, so I will be inspecting my ‘61 later today to assess the risk. Thanks for posting!
10-14-2018, 12:08 PM
#7
Race Director
Thread Starter
I install custom shields in the front wheel well area on all Corvettes I paint that are before 1984. I have seen this problem and know what it takes to fix these star cracks. And if my memory serves me correctly. GM did not apply any undercoating to the underside of the top hood surround on any Corvette from 1963-1982
As for the 1953-1962's...I can say the 1958 I have in my shop shows no signs of ever having undercoating on the underside of the top hood surround.
DUB
As for the 1953-1962's...I can say the 1958 I have in my shop shows no signs of ever having undercoating on the underside of the top hood surround.
DUB
Modern tires with their wide rain runnels are much more prone to pick up large road debris, a and big rocks than early OEM tires like came on 1960s and 1970s cars, which have narrow grooves.
As far as what is under my fenders, 45 years ago when i bought the car i assumed it was some sort or road tar that got slung up, as it was of greatly varying thickness, then decided it could be spottily done factory undercoat, or maybe some PO put something on in the 1960s out of a Henrys can.
Last edited by AZDoug; 10-14-2018 at 03:16 PM.
10-14-2018, 03:03 PM
#8
Race Director
I can make these shield and permanently install them or on the judged cars.... I can make brackets that will allow the shield to be bolted to it and removed for judging.
On the 1963-1982 cars it is rather easy. But on the 1962 and earlier cars that are judged. It takes little bit more work so no holes are drilled and the set-up will stay put by using tension and some of the factory fasteners at headlights.
DUB
On the 1963-1982 cars it is rather easy. But on the 1962 and earlier cars that are judged. It takes little bit more work so no holes are drilled and the set-up will stay put by using tension and some of the factory fasteners at headlights.
DUB
10-14-2018, 03:14 PM
#9
Race Director
Thread Starter
Please explain the shields (made from what?) and how they are attached on the C3 cars.
Thanks,
Doug
Thanks,
Doug
I can make these shield and permanently install them or on the judged cars.... I can make brackets that will allow the shield to be bolted to it and removed for judging.
On the 1963-1982 cars it is rather easy. But on the 1962 and earlier cars that are judged. It takes little bit more work so no holes are drilled and the set-up will stay put by using tension and some of the factory fasteners at headlights.
DUB
On the 1963-1982 cars it is rather easy. But on the 1962 and earlier cars that are judged. It takes little bit more work so no holes are drilled and the set-up will stay put by using tension and some of the factory fasteners at headlights.
DUB
Last edited by AZDoug; 10-14-2018 at 03:14 PM.
10-14-2018, 04:28 PM
#10
Safety Car
30 or more years ago I glued a 1/8 thick rubber sheet completely under my front fenders then added a light coat of undercoat ,seance then I'v driven to NY from Ca. twice with no top fender stars showing or cracks in my 55 corvette.. To me it was a simple fix to a problem
10-14-2018, 06:31 PM
#11
Race Director
I make them out of different materials...so it all depends. Mainly on the C2's and C3's I make them out of fiberglass.
DUB
DUB
10-15-2018, 09:02 AM
#12
Safety Car
My wife's Fawn Beige '62 has almond colored paint on all the underside fiberglass. To prevent "starfish" on the front fenders I used a piece of almond colored vinyl sheeting which was almost an exact color match to the paint and sandwiched a piece of rubber between the vinyl and the fiberglass. Had to modify the fender spear hold downs so they would be long enough to hold everything in place.
Charles
Charles
10-15-2018, 09:16 AM
#13
Race Director
It's a deviation from original (for a Corvette) but on my ERA Cobra, when they lay up the body, they add a final layer of "coremat" in the wheel wells to provide protection against stones, etc. It's a product that can be rolled down into the surface resin and I believe it's available in different thicknesses as that they installed on my ERA was probably about 1/4 inch thick. It's stiff - but not hard like fiberglass mat. Once oversprayed with some undercoating it's pretty invisible.
10-15-2018, 09:28 AM
#14
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St. Jude Donor '07
It's a deviation from original (for a Corvette) but on my ERA Cobra, when they lay up the body, they add a final layer of "coremat" in the wheel wells to provide protection against stones, etc. It's a product that can be rolled down into the surface resin and I believe it's available in different thicknesses as that they installed on my ERA was probably about 1/4 inch thick. It's stiff - but not hard like fiberglass mat. Once oversprayed with some undercoating it's pretty invisible.
Bill
10-15-2018, 07:08 PM
#15
Race Director
Ha ha - yes, pretty much the same for my ERA. Portions of the body fiberglass are up to 1/4 inch thick. They advertise that since production started in 1980 they have not had a single instance of a stress crack reported in one of their 427/289/GT-40 bodies.
10-18-2018, 04:05 PM
#17
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I am building a Model A street rod and I'm trying to decide how I'm going to approach this problem. I was thinking about trying to apply 1/2" of foam like the expanding ac foam and then bed liner. What ever I figure out for it I'll apply to my 61.
I do do have a question for you. Your picture shows up fine. It's the first image I've seen on the forum in several days. All of the other images with this damn lazy loading they've adopted load but they remain pixilated. Did you do something different uploading the pic?
I do do have a question for you. Your picture shows up fine. It's the first image I've seen on the forum in several days. All of the other images with this damn lazy loading they've adopted load but they remain pixilated. Did you do something different uploading the pic?