You may think “fenders” is a boring topic. Or, like millennials, you believe that a fender is a guitar rather than an essential part of automotive history. Fenders almost don’t exist on modern automobiles and haven’t for some time. So who can blame you? The tires and wheels of modern cars are under vast expansions of mostly shapeless body panels. The only time they are important for most of us today is when we get into a little crash, euphemistically known as a “fender bender.”

The actual word has been around since the 13^th century although with a different application. It is a short form of “defender” so immediately you get the idea that it is supposed to protect you somehow. And that is correct. Like the dashboard discussed in a previous post, the fender protects you and the rest of the vehicle from unwanted water, mud and worse being dashed on you. The first use of a fender on an automobile was in 1919.

The running boards are vulcanized rubber over steel, and are normally secured to the frame by means of several support brackets. On each end the running boards are bolted to the fenders making for a complete side protection system.

The first question is whether the 35 Dodge would be a full fendered street rod or a fenderless one. That was decided during the planning phase–it would have fenders.

For as long as there have been hot rods, there have been fenderless and fendered variants. It would have been in the first couple days after anyone who had taken their car down some road, be it dirt, gravel, asphalt, concrete, or dry lake bed, that they figured out when you remove your fenders, the car’s lighter and you can go faster. And it may look racier to some guys.

 

But pickups generally worked in a mud and dirt environment and needed those fenders to keep from coating the truck and everything following it in earth tones.

 

 

Their utility notwithstanding, and happily for all of the hot rodders who followed suit in the next several decades, a fenderless hot rod looked, pretty good and, some would say, is the way they should be presented. So the debate raged on.

 

It’s usually a pretty big step to take to remove a car’s fenders, as it radically changes the look and one’s perception of the car.

 

 

 

But it may possibly be an even bigger step when you decide to put them back on. I’ve illustrated this with a “before” and “after” photos of a ’32 Ford roadster that went in the unusual direction of have fenders returned after first being removed for a long time by a previous builder.

 

There is no “right” or “wrong” way here, only your individual taste and artistic preference.By way of illustration, I show above a ’32 Ford roadster that went in the unusual direction of having its fenders restored after first having been removed by a previous owner.

 

This yellow roadster pickup represents another fender alternative. These are “motorcycle” style fenders adapted to fit over the tires. I don’t personally care much for this approach. Some states mandate fenders–maybe that is the reason behind this application. Not sure.

 

For the time being our Dodge pickup is in a state of complete disassembly. We’ve examined the fenders carefully because it is our intention to return them to their original location at the right time. This is a major part of the build and requires a great deal of patience and skill. And some money. Sadly.

 

The Dodge’s front fenders were in rough shape. But aftermarket reproduction items are simply not available for the Dodge. Fords and Chevrolet’s yes, but the old Dodge pickup hasn’t attracted as much attention in the hot rod community. They had to be repaired. Lots of work in this.

 

 

The rear fenders on our Dodge pickup were beyond Ralph’s ability to repair. Or, put differently, the time that would be required to return them to their original state would cost more than the price of reproduction new steel fenders which, fortunately were available.

Close to a year after I posted the photo above of the new, hand made steel fenders above, the time came to actual fit the fenders to the emerging truck. Finally most of the parts were on hand, painted or primed, and ready to assemble the back part, the bed, of our Dodge pickup, for the first time. Gasp! This is not what you want to see. Nothing really aligns. I can’t even say “aligns perfectly because that would imply that it was close. It wasn’t.  But it isn’t time for panic. Ralph and I have been here before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, I won’t reveal how much the pair of hand built reproduction steel fenders cost. After all, Ellen reads these posts from time to time. She is supportive but no reason to cause alarm. I view the cost side of the equation as an investment. That’s harder for others to appreciate at this stage.