The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network







Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Go Back   The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network > 47 - Current classic GM Trucks > The 1973 - 1987 Chevrolet & GMC Squarebody Pickups Message Board

Web 67-72chevytrucks.com


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 12-24-2014, 11:08 AM   #1
68Timber
I know the pieces fit
 
68Timber's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MONTGOMERY, AL
Posts: 5,523
Front inner fender question

Mine could probably be saved, but LMC lists them for $39.95 for my 79. Not that I'm made of money, but at that price I'm thinking maybe just replace them and put my time and effort into something else. The RF is flaky where it was under the battery and the driver's side has two holes in it where an aftermarket cruise was mounted but otherwise OK. Any downside to the reproductions?
__________________
John

79 2wd Blazer (Bruiser)
85 M1009 Blazer (Sarge) build
74 Honda Z50 build
68Timber is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2014, 11:21 AM   #2
Jake Wade
Registered User
 
Jake Wade's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 711
Re: Front inner fender question

The shipping will kill you, unless you live close enough to pick it up.
Jake Wade is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2014, 11:40 AM   #3
68Timber
I know the pieces fit
 
68Timber's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MONTGOMERY, AL
Posts: 5,523
Re: Front inner fender question

It lists a $20 oversize charge, not sure how much it would be for the actual shipping.
__________________
John

79 2wd Blazer (Bruiser)
85 M1009 Blazer (Sarge) build
74 Honda Z50 build
68Timber is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2014, 11:47 AM   #4
tucsonjwt
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 3,189
Re: Front inner fender question

I have no experience with aftermarket fender liners, but all of the aftermarket sheet metal I have seen is thinner than OEM and doesn't line up as well as OEM. Good used OEM liners are available on Ebay but shipping is going to be high however you buy it - unless you buy it locally. Greyhound will ship for usually $50-$70 but you have to drive to a big city station to pick it up. Fed Ex is more reliable and faster to your door for about $20 more.

BTW, the holes for cruise control might be for a cruise control transducer which were a factory option on earlier model years - up to 1982, I think.
tucsonjwt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2014, 12:00 PM   #5
68Timber
I know the pieces fit
 
68Timber's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MONTGOMERY, AL
Posts: 5,523
Re: Front inner fender question

Quote:
Originally Posted by piecesparts View Post
There will also be rust in the area where the fender well bolts to the cab at the back of the opening. I would replace, but as stated the shipping can be a little prohibitive.
It does have some rust and cracking on the RF on the backside, behind the brace.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tucsonjwt View Post
I have no experience with aftermarket fender liners, but all of the aftermarket sheet metal I have seen is thinner than OEM and doesn't line up as well as OEM. Good used OEM liners are available on Ebay but shipping is going to be high however you buy it - unless you buy it locally. Greyhound will ship for usually $50-$70 but you have to drive to a big city station to pick it up. Fed Ex is more reliable and faster to your door for about $20 more.

BTW, the holes for cruise control might be for a cruise control transducer which were a factory option on earlier model years - up to 1982, I think.
I had a 76 w/factory cruise, this was some JC Whitney-type stuff. I'll check the junkyard for inners, maybe I'll get lucky. Thanks.
__________________
John

79 2wd Blazer (Bruiser)
85 M1009 Blazer (Sarge) build
74 Honda Z50 build
68Timber is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2014, 12:30 PM   #6
piecesparts
Parts and more parts
 
piecesparts's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Lebo, Kansas (middle of nowhere
Posts: 6,821
Re: Front inner fender question

Quote:
Originally Posted by tucsonjwt View Post
I have no experience with aftermarket fender liners, but all of the aftermarket sheet metal I have seen is thinner than OEM and doesn't line up as well as OEM. Good used OEM liners are available on Ebay but shipping is going to be high however you buy it - unless you buy it locally. Greyhound will ship for usually $50-$70 but you have to drive to a big city station to pick it up. Fed Ex is more reliable and faster to your door for about $20 more.

BTW, the holes for cruise control might be for a cruise control transducer which were a factory option on earlier model years - up to 1982, I think.
I put a set of the aftermarket fender liners on my son's 86 Chevy several years ago and they are still there. Yes the metal is a little thinner, but if you paint and coat them, they seem to hold up well. I did fill a couple holes in his, since we removed the jack and all of the other non-essential items from under the hood, but a little welding, body filler and paint it all looks good. I then coated the underside with rubber undercoat. My advantage is that I live 80 miles from LMC and I can drive to their front door and pick up what I need. They are even open on Sundays.
__________________
Frank
piecesparts is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2014, 11:40 AM   #7
piecesparts
Parts and more parts
 
piecesparts's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Lebo, Kansas (middle of nowhere
Posts: 6,821
Re: Front inner fender question

There will also be rust in the area where the fender well bolts to the cab at the back of the opening. I would replace, but as stated the shipping can be a little prohibitive.
__________________
Frank
piecesparts is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2014, 01:09 PM   #8
77 ChevySport
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Central, IL
Posts: 201
Re: Front inner fender question

Any downside to the reproductions?[/QUOTE]



I have never bought or seen them before but if the holes are not drilled from an original one you will have a nitemare trying to install them I would find an original set either from EBay or a junkyard. JMHO Larry
77 ChevySport is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2014, 08:36 PM   #9
tucsonjwt
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 3,189
Re: Front inner fender question

From talking with body men, it depends on your tolerance and patience for aftermarket sheet metal. If you are willing to spend the time to tweak the parts to get proper alignment, and perfect alignment is not your goal, then aftermarket will work out OK. For some, thin sheet metal is OK. For others, the heavier OEM sheet metal is worth the hunt for good used parts. Each to his or her own. For my money, if i am going through the hassle to rebuild the truck, an extra $50-$70 is worth it for the better parts. Good used sheet metal is still available in the desert Southwest - rust free, low cost - just shipping is high which is true for aftermarket also.
tucsonjwt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2014, 08:49 PM   #10
tucsonjwt
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 3,189
Re: Front inner fender question

One more thing about LMC and other aftermarket sellers - read the fine print. They almost guarantee that your parts will arrive banged up and need some work to get back in shape. I am not criticizing them - just pointing out reality when shipping a thin part essentially loose in a thin cardboard box - if any box at all. I have seen them shipped with just a label slapped on the part.
tucsonjwt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2014, 09:22 PM   #11
68Timber
I know the pieces fit
 
68Timber's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MONTGOMERY, AL
Posts: 5,523
Re: Front inner fender question

Thanks man, that's why I asked. Hopefully I can find some at the pick and pull better than mine.
__________________
John

79 2wd Blazer (Bruiser)
85 M1009 Blazer (Sarge) build
74 Honda Z50 build
68Timber is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2014, 09:52 AM   #12
Dead Parrot
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Posts: 2,620
Re: Front inner fender question

About 15 years ago I replaced the driver's side fender with a NOS part and the passenger side with a Taiwan/China part. What was available at the time. The Taiwan part is thinner metal and did have some minor fitting issues but since that the truck has been in two right front collisions, can't really blame the fender. What is apparent after the 15 or so years is the GM NOS part has far worse rust issues then does the Taiwan part. I used the same type of paint and primer(Rustoleum) on both parts.

My guess is despite the thinner metal, the Taiwan part had a better anti-corrosion base coat. Don't know if that still holds true today. Standard disclaimer - small sample size and your results may vary.

This didn't keep me from grabbing an almost pristine driver's side inner fender for $5 and a near perfect radiator core support for $30 at the local pull-a-part. Added bonus was previous pickers had stripped it down to the parts in question so my work was just a few bolts worth. Sadly, the yard folks had used the formerly in near perfect shape outer fender as the support for that corner.
Dead Parrot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2014, 11:38 AM   #13
77BBGMC
Registered User
 
77BBGMC's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 357
Re: Front inner fender question

I bought a set a few years ago along with the battery tray from LMC, definitely thinner gauged material but they fit good and serve the purpose well (it's the only after market item I've bought so far that fit but that's another topic). I had mine powder coated so should last awhile.
77BBGMC is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:16 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1997-2022 67-72chevytrucks.com