HIGHBROW DECISIONS

By GERRY BURGER Photography by CHADLY JOHNSON

riginal or repro? It’s a longtime hot rodder’s battle with no one correct answer. On the one hand, there is something special about repairing that original tin. There just seems to be a bit more “soul” in 68-year-old fenders, but on the other hand, there is a strong argument for today’s high-quality reproduction sheetmetal. If that gennie fender requires too much repair you can fall prey to the old axiom: “The handle has been replaced three times, and the head twice, but it’s still Grandpa’s axe.” Likewise, be sure to buy quality reproduction sheetmetal so you don’t end up doing excessive work for proper fit. In the end, the decision comes down to a good, honest assessment, the availability of quality new tin, all mixed with just a bit of opinion for flavor.

When Jon Mannila and his team of craftsmen at MetalWorks Speed Shop in Eugene, Oregon, set about assessing the front sheetmetal on Dave Goodwin’s ’55 Chevy they knew almost immediately the driver-side fender had issues making a replacement fender the better option. The passenger side fender was a different story. The fender was remarkably straight and had no rust in the lower extremities or wheelwell, but there was the common problem of rust over the headlight and one other relatively small, damaged area. It is a rare ’55 Chevy that doesn’t have fender brow rust. But since that was the only real issue (along with the small repair and filling some trim holes) it was decided the passenger side was “a keeper.”

Both fitting new front sheetmetal and fender brow repair are within the capabilities of many backyard hot rod builders. Smaller projects like these provide the perfect platform to develop your sheetmetal working skills. What we’re saying is, maybe try a headlight brow before chopping a top. So, follow along as we show you how the pros at MetalWorks do things, and maybe you’ll take on a similar task with a bit more confidence.

6. First the trim holes were welded closed and dressed off. The primer was removed from the lower extremities to ensure there was no rust in that area. Note the perfect door to fender gap.

8. Here we see the trimmed fender and the inner ring tack welded in place. This ring is located between the headlight bucket and the trim rim.

10. The inner mounting ring is carefully fitted inside the fender and tack-welded to the fender. This ring mounts the sealed beam and trim rim so it must be a perfect fit.

11. Here we see the ring inside the fender, with just a couple of tack welds it can still be massaged to perfect alignment. Note the fine metalwork where the patch panel joins the fender.

13. The headlight bucket and seal beam were next to be checked for proper fit. Since the lower mount holes on the fender were not disturbed, fitting the headlight bucket was a straight-forward affair. Two cut marks on the headlight brow show where a small slot will be cut to reconfigure the radius.

15. Here is the finished product, one rust-free original fender. Note the sealed beam fits nicely inside the trim ring and the glass flutes are perfectly parallel to the ground.

17. Team MetalWorks simply cut out the entire leaded area and fit and welded a new piece in place. This piece carries a slight radius, so time was taken to match the fender.

19. Now our attention is turned to mounting and finishing the reproduction fender. Note the crisp fender lines and good overall fit of the new fender from Classic Industries.

21. You must have a keen eye to see the slight variation in the trim ring to fender gap. Once again, that seam in the fender will be welded and metal finished.

23. Those two seams used in the assembly of the reproduction fender have been welded together and metal-finished. Now is the time to check for the proper lower splash pan fit. It was spot-on.

24. Here is the finished product. The headlight fit matches the passenger side headlight and after body- and paintwork you will never know which fender is original and which is reproduction.