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I ordered these fenders back in August, and I finally got around to installing them for a test fit prior to paint. The stock fenders cam off very easily but putting these L5 on was a small challenge. Most of the bolt holes lined up but the gaps are outrageous. I am going to need to find a good body man skilled in glass to get the body lines set correctly. other than that, they are pretty solid and well made. My problem is my expectations are always set too high. I had them omit the side marker lights and I think I
am going to keep the antenna out and hide something in the rear bumper. it is a much cleaner look.
I read all I could about various makes and fitment. L5 was getting the best recommendations for fitment. The good thing is that they are fiberglass so they can be wrangled with a little TLC. Now that they are on I am going to address the wheels and suspention before I get them prepped and painted.
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-
'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
I think they will look great when all prep and paint has been done, but it is a shame that the manufacturer couldn’t get the fenders to be a better fit right from the start. Post up pics when you get done.
Hopefully the body shop can help it to meet your expectations. I doubt it will be a big deal(depending location), but side markers are a federally mandated item on a vehicle.
I can feel your pain and disappointment. Hopefully a good body shop can make things right. I never did anything like this before, but I gave it a shot just as an experience,. I do have good hands so IM always up for new challenges. . IM OCD so I measured and then I measured some more, and after that I measured again. Had to drill all the holes. etc, used factory shims, etc. I used these
Carbon creations. it was far from a simple bolt up. Tool me around 30 man hours to get both sides right. lots of tire under them quarters good gaps Good gaps good gaps 345/30/19 on 13 x 19 CCW perfect fit under the quarter panel as it is suppose to fit. I drove around like this for two weeks in the hot summer sun to stress relieve the quarters before paint. After two weeks I removed them it was a simple paint shoot and bolt up.
Cant wait to see it when its done! I just ordered the tpe fenders.. im hoping i dont have to do any bodywork lol..
Ok, I'm assuming the lol means you know better. I have TPE's and I love the way they just thicken up my girls hips.
The shop that did mine put them outside for several days in the sun to cure. I know nothing about paint and body, so let's get that out there.
The fit isn't as perfect as I'd like, but it would take many, many hours of fitting and prep work to make them perfect. The biggest thing the guy told me he had issues with was pinholes. He actually had to paint them twice after hours of body filling and sanding, because of pinholes resulting from the molding process with the fiberglass,
I said all that to say this, the more cure time you give them before you begin prep work, may save labor hours.
If I ever do a total repaint down the road, it will be a top notch body shop that I have researched and seen final results of actual vehicles done there, and I will have the fenders refitted perfectly.
As I've heard E.T. say before, "I cannot afford anything too cheap".
Best wishes to you.
I think my car looks better with the fat quarters and fat tires then without them.. 19's on 4 corners but the fat quarters enhance the stance and wedge profile.
Thats why I never pulled the trigger on fenders. With that fitment, I would want them for free. Theres no way I would pay money for those.
Exactly......I don't understand why all these manufacturers of aftermarket fenders can't get the fitment right. I mean this isn't a new model car.....the people making these aftermarket wide fenders have only had about 15 plus years to get it right. And what is it with the total lack of quality regarding the fiberglass with pinholes, etc? It's only fiberglass for gods sake....not some new nano fiber technology that nobody has figure out yet. I figured some are made in China, but even those made in the USA (if there are any) should just give it up if they can't make a copy of an existing body panel after 15 years of trying.
Any manufacturers of these wide fenders want to step up and explain why their quality control sucks so bad?
Poor fitment and quality is why I held off on getting my wide fenders for years. Had read of people spending more on fitment of fenders and reconciling fiberglass molding flaws than the cost of fenders and paint combined or close to consistently. Was fortunate I was able to buy my tpe wide fenders used from another member on the forum. I researched his experience and it doesn't appear any body work was needed got lucky.
I hope it doesn't break the bank to get respectable fitment and address any thin spots on the fenders, good luck! Keep us updated.
Ok, I'm assuming the lol means you know better. I have TPE's and I love the way they just thicken up my girls hips.
The shop that did mine put them outside for several days in the sun to cure. I know nothing about paint and body, so let's get that out there.
The fit isn't as perfect as I'd like, but it would take many, many hours of fitting and prep work to make them perfect. The biggest thing the guy told me he had issues with was pinholes. He actually had to paint them twice after hours of body filling and sanding, because of pinholes resulting from the molding process with the fiberglass,
I said all that to say this, the more cure time you give them before you begin prep work, may save labor hours.
If I ever do a total repaint down the road, it will be a top notch body shop that I have researched and seen final results of actual vehicles done there, and I will have the fenders refitted perfectly.
As I've heard E.T. say before, "I cannot afford anything too cheap".
Best wishes to you.
dont know much about autobody but why do they leave them in the sun? I think someone else said they put them on and drove around?
dont know much about autobody but why do they leave them in the sun? I think someone else said they put them on and drove around?
Like I said, I'm not a paint and body guy either.
The guy who said he fitted his and drove around for two weeks in the sun to for stress relief was E.T. His fenders are carbon fiber, so that's apples and oranges,
The manufacturing process for carbon fiber is a much more refined process that includes a vacuum seal and bake in an autoclave.
The fiberglass process is an air cure only process and if the manufacturer doesn't really take their time rolling the resin properly into the fiberglass layers in the mold, the result is air bubbles that pop through when sealers and paint is applied.
Now here's where I'm assuming because I'm not a bodyband paint guy, if you allow them to completely cure prior to sanding, filling, sealing and painting, you'll have a better final product and less labor hours to get there.
Like I said, I'm not a paint and body guy either.
The guy who said he fitted his and drove around for two weeks in the sun to for stress relief was E.T. His fenders are carbon fiber, so that's apples and oranges,
The manufacturing process for carbon fiber is a much more refined process that includes a vacuum seal and bake in an autoclave.
The fiberglass process is an air cure only process and if the manufacturer doesn't really take their time rolling the resin properly into the fiberglass layers in the mold, the result is air bubbles that pop through when sealers and paint is applied.
Now here's where I'm assuming because I'm not a bodyband paint guy, if you allow them to completely cure prior to sanding, filling, sealing and painting, you'll have a better final product and less labor hours to get there.
im received my tpe fenders in aweek. Should i just wait till spring to start this project?
im received my tpe fenders in aweek. Should i just wait till spring to start this project?
In fairness, that is a question for a professional.
I don't know where you live and the climate, but unless you're in the deep southwest where it's warn and sunny year around and you can cure them outside for a while, I'd personally lean on the side of caution.
I don't know how many hours it would take in a paint booth, but I doubt a shop would be willing to do that due to the cost of operating the heat, unless they would be willing to put them in there every time they cure a paint job.
You really should talk to your paint shop and explain your concerns.
One last thing, my paint guy complained about something about the molds that caused more prep time as well, but I don't remember what it was.
Dont get me wrong, I still personally like the TPE's best of all. To me on the Z06 they just flow well with every other panel and if they had produced a widebody C5, I believe it would have been more like the TPE than others.
Best wishes
Exactly......I don't understand why all these manufacturers of aftermarket fenders can't get the fitment right. I mean this isn't a new model car.....the people making these aftermarket wide fenders have only had about 15 plus years to get it right. And what is it with the total lack of quality regarding the fiberglass with pinholes, etc? It's only fiberglass for gods sake....not some new nano fiber technology that nobody has figure out yet. I figured some are made in China, but even those made in the USA (if there are any) should just give it up if they can't make a copy of an existing body panel after 15 years of trying.
Any manufacturers of these wide fenders want to step up and explain why their quality control sucks so bad?
iSimple answer but you would have to understand manufacturing in 2018. the simple answer is " The cost of quality " quality is one third the cost to manufacture its a tried and true fact. Now add China and zero quality control, the cost of shipping and the cheap manufacturing process. . these fiberglass panels are not vacuum formed or pressure lay up, they are hand lay up and gravity cured, leaving holes. no one want to spend the money to build a pressure mold ( about 100,000 dollars )or vacuum system. MCM had a very high level of quality control. people here bitching about poor quality just dont understand the process.. its no slam on you, but you are bitching with no understanding of this process, ( your words ) you dont understand. ) IN china there is cheap labor and zero quality control. on products like this ( the only way they can make money. Everyone wants a MCM hood, because they are perfect.. people are willing to pay 3000 or 4000 for a hood.( if you could find one ). Would you be willing to pay 2000 dollars for a set of quarters that were perfect ?.. its the reason that Marc at vettnutts who owns the MCM hood molds will not produce them.. because in order to achieve the same quality they are too expensive to produce and make any money. . .
The reason MCM hood were so expensive is because of the process ( Vacuum formed ) took 4 hours to cure one hood. if you only had one mold. they produced two hoods a day. before Mike died they had three molds in production, and No one was able to put the time, quality control and passion into the product though serveral people tried.
No Not a Know it all but an insider to the manufacturing process and oversight on quality control.
Bill aka ET.
12-15-2018, 11:20 PM
Installed L5 Fenders tonight
