Stupid Cheap Chinese Made Fenders!!!!!

[Eddie H.]

I have installed my first and LAST set of stupid cheap chinese made reproduction fenders. I've never had to do so much tweaking, cutting, bending, shimming, and mounting hole enlarging just to make parts fit.
I don't care what it cost, from now on, if at all possible, I will use nothing but original parts.

[botmfedr1]

lol.....look at it this way.....at least you live in Paradise !!!

[Eddie H.]

You've got a point there. I'll take paradise over hell-paso any day.

[m6z]

Originally Posted by Eddie H.

I have installed my first and LAST set of stupid cheap chinese made reproduction fenders. I've never had to do so much tweaking, cutting, bending, shimming, and mounting hole enlarging just to make parts fit.
I don't care what it cost, from now on, if at all possible, I will use nothing but original parts.

Do you know what brand the fenders are? Where did you buy them?

[Sinister]

It's hit or miss on those repop fenders. I've installed several of them. The worst were Counterpart.

[eightbanger]

I installed an inner fender from Tripluss, it fit like a glove and I was waiting for all sorts of probs having read so many posts like this before...every mounting hole on the thing lined up perfectly.

[dubds10]

That's why I use stock parts. When you can buy an entire truck for the price of a repo door or fenders and inners etc It's financially more feasible and the parts always fit right Although I see and hear the repo parts are getting to be better quality but still thinner metal and some rust easier.

[chevyman95]

Originally Posted by dubds10

That's why I use stock parts. When you can buy an entire truck for the price of a repo door or fenders and inners etc It's financially more feasible and the parts always fit right Although I see and hear the repo parts are getting to be better quality but still thinner metal and some rust easier.

Generally though those parts don't seem to be any less rusty than what you already have.

[JORGIE95961]

Originally Posted by chevyman95

generally though those parts don't seem to be any less rusty than what you already have.

very true!!!

[dubds10]

Depends on where you're looking I guess and how far you're willing to travel. I just got a truck originally from here, where everything rusts and the inner fenders are mint with no rust at all. Cab floor doesn't have any rust either and there's minor rust in the rockers. That's almost a California truck for us up here hahaha

[TrkEnvy]

Originally Posted by chevyman95

Generally though those parts don't seem to be any less rusty than what you already have.

Unless you live in the desert southwest... I got a passenger side fender to replace my caked bondo one on my 71 and 2 inner fenderwells all rust and damage free for 70 bucks in the local pic a part in vegas.

[Classic Heartbeat]

I have installed my first and LAST set of stupid cheap chinese made reproduction fenders. I've never had to do so much tweaking, cutting, bending, shimming, and mounting hole enlarging just to make parts fit.
I don't care what it cost, from now on, if at all possible, I will use nothing but original parts.

Thre are 5 different manufacturers that reproduce the front fenders for these trucks. Not all 5 are the same. We have found that Triplus has the best quality fenders and fit the best. Gorden is a manufacturer that fenders that are absolute junk. They are also less expencive. I have installed NOS GM fenders that require shimming to get the gap close. Bending, tweeking, prying and shimming was common place on the GM assembly line also. None of the fenders are perfect, but some are better than others. WES

[Vintage Windmills]

Approx cost of triplus?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Classic Heartbeat]

$189.95

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by Classic Heartbeat

... I have installed NOS GM fenders that require shimming to get the gap close. Bending, tweeking, prying and shimming was common place on the GM assembly line also. None of the fenders are perfect, but some are better than others. WES

Agree. Back in the 80's I was still able to get some NOS sheet metal parts for my 69 at the local Chevy dealer. Every part I got I had to tweak, bend, and/or wallo out the mounting holes to get them to fit. I was told they were original GM parts and that they usually kept them for around 20 years. Not sure if they were stamped here or in another country, though.

[Gus350]

It cost 150 to ship a fender from Classic? Did I read this right?

[Classic Heartbeat]

Front fenders are truck freight items. They are too large to ship UPS, this is why so expencive. Truck freight runs about the same for all large items up to 150 pounds. (Hoods, Cowl hoods, bedsides, doors, fenders, front inner fenders and tailgates.) WES

[Eddie H.]

Originally Posted by Classic Heartbeat

Thre are 5 different manufacturers that reproduce the front fenders for these trucks. Not all 5 are the same. We have found that Triplus has the best quality fenders and fit the best. Gorden is a manufacturer that fenders that are absolute junk. They are also less expencive. I have installed NOS GM fenders that require shimming to get the gap close. Bending, tweeking, prying and shimming was common place on the GM assembly line also. None of the fenders are perfect, but some are better than others. WES

These are "Gorden", absolutely the worst pieces of junk I've ever seen. Even If they gave them away, I wouldn't use them again.

[Classic Heartbeat]

Yep, I can see why you are having so many problems. You will be lucky if you can get the grill to fit around the recessed areas. We do not experience those problems with the Triplus fenders. WES

[Boog]

This is good discussion. It just may save a fellow truckr some misery finding out these kinds of problems with certain brands. I had been lead to believe there was just one manufacturer of repop truck sheet metal sold under different names. Apparently not. I being in the south am fortunate to be able to find good useable oem metal still so that's the road I take. A few more years and it will be a problem as with the high scrap metal prices more and more of these old trucks are being recycled. Turned into rebar and wire mesh somewhere in China..

[Classic Heartbeat]

Like in most other things, you get what you pay for sometimes. Cheaper almost always never equates to better. I don't think that Eddie H. purchased his fenders because they were cheaper than other companies like ours sells, but because they probaly were more local for him. I know one of the major importers in Texas buys less quality sheet metal and I steer clear of them. But when you don't know anything better, then sometimes this will happen. What sucks for companies like mine is that all of the impoerted parts get a bad wrap from things like this. As enthusiest, we need to be more dilligent about what we buy. Ask the questions, and if you get responces like "I don't know", then maybe move on to a different supplier. WES

[Eddie H.]

Originally Posted by Classic Heartbeat

Yep, I can see why you are having so many problems. You will be lucky if you can get the grill to fit around the recessed areas. We do not experience those problems with the Triplus fenders. WES

You're right, the grill doesn't fit either, it's gonna take some more tweaking.

Also, I didn't buy these fenders, they were given to me ( and I still paid too much)

[Classic Heartbeat]

I have talked to many people who purchased the fenders that you have. The only way it seems to make the grill fit is to cut the recess area and reduce it. More work than the fenders are worth. Good luck, I hope this helps. WES

[Classic Heartbeat]

they were given to me ( and I still paid too much)

I totaly agree. WES

[Rochlow]

I have triplus fenders and doors.. They are ill fitting at best!