Well, I'm starting to get the car together now. I hung a junkyard driver's side door on , and it seems to align pretty well. I removed the fender to make the door installation easier, and the fender has a couple dents, and what the heck?-- why not replace it? The cheapest I found was 'ole JC Whitney at $49.00, but it will cost me $53.00 to get it shipped. That's $102.00 !!! Is a dealer cheaper??? I don't think I have the patience required to fix my fender myself- I'm not a bodywork kind of person- strictly mechanical.

...Also, where is the cheapest place to find T-Top weatherstrip (decent quality) ??
I am trying to get this car on the road by spring, and any help would be grealy appreciated!!!

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Freshly rebuilt 1983 Camaro Z28 305 H.O. (L69) 3:73 Gears, BW T-5, Duel Snorkle, Rhino Clutch, 2040 Compu-cam, LS1 valve springs, porting, PST front end kit, K&N Filter and runs great but ain't streetable yet!!....Future Mods: JUNK IT if this keeps up!!

 

Next Generation ( http://www.nextgenparts.com/fbody/ )has the T-top weatherstripping for $30 per side. I'm afraid I don't know how that compares to other sources, though.

 

Hey confused one im looking for fenders too and i see u got J.C witney fenders. When and if u get it please list on how well it fit your camaro i heard a lot of bad stuff and i wanna see how well it fit yours. Was the fender aftermarket or GM and finally was your car a camaro or firebird

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92' camaro
New 305 block TPI conversion, Forged parts all around,Edelbrock intake,ported plennum,ported corvette alluminum heads accel cam,52mm throttle bodie, SLP runners,ford SVO 19lb injectors,fuel regulator,cloys timing chain, comp alluminum roller rocker arms and pushrods msd 8.5 mm wires hypertech coil and plug, Edelbrock TES headers, free flowing catalytic converter and a 3 ich force II flowmaster exhaust system.
Soon to come!!!
Procharger system 12lbs o boost.
Favorite quote: "where ever u go, there u are"

 

Thanks for the reply DA91BIRD AND VORTECH.
Actually I have'nt ordered a JC Whitney fender yet. I'm trying to find the cheapest price, and if good ole JC turns out cheaper, then I'll order both fronts. I'll let you know how they fit. I must admit, I'm a bit skeptical myself, but I figure - if they don't fit right , I'll send them back and demand my money. I'm afraid that T-top weatherstrip I need will still be $89.00 per side, according according to the address you gave me. The 30 dollar per side ones you mentioned --from what I can make of it, are the small ones on the doors. I need the entire strips that go into the metal channels around both tops. But they are a couple bucks cheaper than the one other site I had visited.

BTW- VORTECH305 - I have the Z28 listed on my sig below. I have'nt even driven it yet after 2 years in the garage. Engine sounds real promising though!! However, I kinda wish I would have used forged pistons instead of the Hyperetics in case I decide later to use some laughing gas.

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Freshly rebuilt 1983 Camaro Z28 305 H.O. (L69) 3:73 Gears, BW T-5, Duel Snorkle, Rhino Clutch, 2040 Compu-cam, LS1 valve springs, porting, PST front end kit, K&N Filter and runs great but ain't streetable yet!!....Future Mods: JUNK IT if this keeps up!!

 

Sorry about that! I must have read the catalog wrong . I'll take a time out, and I promise not to post again for another 48 hours.

 

 

That is REALLY cheap.

I think last time I priced GM fenders, they were less than $90. Keep in mind though, that even new GM fenders aren't always perfect, they sometimes get dings and dents in transit!

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Working on:
'84 Z28 LG4 305 with 200,000 original miles!
Added dual elec fans.
145 MPH IROC Speedo
Building 430 HP 350 (ZZ430)
using primarily GMPP parts.
Block is STILL in shop! (Waiting for my to buy the rods!)

ASE Certified Master Tech

Starting to look like the Kicker poster child!

 

Can't remember now if it was Taiwan or South America. I have a right/front, it fits okay but certainly not show-quality. Worst mismatch was upper rear, but it's close enough to the rearview mirror that you have to be looking to see the problem.

It was certainly better than the crumpled piece I had on there, and a whole bunch easier to fit this new one on than to pound out the old one.

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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R. 2.93 limited slip. Cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LG4 w/LB9 block, ZZ3 cam and intake, WP 305 heads ported & polished, Hooker headers & y-pipe, 3" Catco cat).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. 0.030 over 396, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" headers, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, 3.08 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1 @ 5800' Bandimere. Daily driver while Camaro was being put together.

 

Thanks for the input everyone. Hey JP84Z430hp, I'll check out the price of GM fenders. If I can get one for 95 bucks or under, it sounds like a good deal to me! As I said up top, By the time I paid for shipping charges with JC Whitney, it'll end up costing me 102 bucks for a fender. For me, it's well worth paying 90 bucks and saving the fustration and time trying to do bodywork.

BTW DABIRD - That's OK - I forgive you.

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Freshly rebuilt 1983 Camaro Z28 305 H.O. (L69) 3:73 Gears, BW T-5, Duel Snorkle, Rhino Clutch, 2040 Compu-cam, LS1 valve springs, porting, PST front end kit, K&N Filter and runs great but ain't streetable yet!!....Future Mods: JUNK IT if this keeps up!!



[This message has been edited by Confuzed1 (edited February 22, 2001).]

 

When I was in high school, I knew a kid that put a Whitney fender on his Cavalier RS. It lined up alright, he had to modify some bolt holes, but the most obvious "appearance" problem was the body line that should've been in the middle of the fender.

I don't know the proper term or how to explain this easily, so- You know how in the middle of your door, you've got that rub strip? And how there's a body line that runs along the rub strip, and extends onto the rear 1/4 and front fender? Well his JC Whitney fender was missing the line. Where the fender should've creased halfway between the top & bottom, it was just a smooth curve. You couldn't tell until you got close, and noticed the difference between the door & fender.

I vote for bodywork! If the dings are really shallow then you can use Bondo, no problem. You need to use the smallest amount of Bondo possible, so if the dents are huge, you'll need to tap 'em out so they're not deep.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

If you care at all what this comes out looking like (i.e. you're not looking to sell it immediately) I would strongly urge you to include some other consideration in your search besides price. You get what you pay for! The "inexpensive" replacement parts don't match the car most of the time; they look like hammered elephant plop next to the real thing. Professionals who have to guarantee their work refuse to use such crap, only people looking for (like insurance companies fixing other people's cars!) get stuck with them.

That's the only thing that scares me about nuclear power, is that the plants are built by the low bidder... the cheapest possible!

Do you eat the cheapest possible food, wear the cheapest possible clothes, live in the cheapest possible house, drive the cheapaest possible car (obviously not- it's not a Kia!)? Why treat one of the most visible parts of your car that way?

GM is discontinuing parts on a daily basis for these cars, so you might be SOL at the dealer. Bumper covers I am told haven't been available from GM for several years now. What a drag!

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

OK!! I'm convinced. I don't want to end up with problems like TOMP was describing. Looks like I'll visit the local junkyard. I replaced the other fender a few months ago with one from a 89 Camaro, so hopefully I can find another decent one. The original fender on the other side is bent right at front lip where the door and fender seam is. The door was open while the car was being backed up, hit a bush, and was bent (along with the door). It it were only a simple dent, I might try to fix it, but this one would be a pain in the A** to hide. And RB83L69--- Maybe I should have retitled this post as " Are JC fenders any good? " . Of course, I have no intentions of putting parts on the car that won't fit right and of poor quality. It's getting to be slim pickins and the boneyards around here for any decent parts. I had a matching set of fenders picked out once (perfect-no dents), but I was just there to look around, and didn't bring my tools. So I decide to pick them up the next day. Well someone decided it would be neat to karate kick both of them in before I got there. Oh well... I am also looking for a 455 to build. It may take a few years, but I plan on at least 450 HP plus. I've always wanted to supercharge a V8 just to drop it into a "weekend toy". I roughlt figure around 6 grand in engine alone!! Thanks for the input everyone.



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Freshly rebuilt 1983 Camaro Z28 305 H.O. (L69) 3:73 Gears, BW T-5, Duel Snorkle, Rhino Clutch, 2040 Compu-cam, LS1 valve springs, porting, PST front end kit, K&N Filter and runs great but ain't streetable yet!!....Future Mods: JUNK IT if this keeps up!!

 

Well i have a question and im hoping if u guys can help me out. I was gonna order new fenders but now im thinking twice. Fist, my right fender was hit in then i had my friends shop work on the body. It looks good but not perfect. For example if u look at the fender in an angle especially when its clean u can see waves sort of,(guessing its due to uneven sanding)and i was just wondering if it can be definitly repaired as if it were new. I know it depends on the shop but is it possible. I hate the waves, it just gives the car a bad look. Please help.

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92' camaro
New 305 block TPI conversion, Forged parts all around,Edelbrock intake,ported plennum,ported corvette alluminum heads, accel cam,52mm throttle bodie, SLP runners,ford SVO 19lb injectors,fuel regulator,cloys timing chain, comp alluminum roller rocker arms and pushrods MSD 8.5 mm wires, bosch plattinum plugs, hypertech cap & rotor and coil, Edelbrock TES headers, free flowing catalytic converter and a 3 inch force II flowmaster exhaust system.
Soon to come!!!
Procharger system 12lbs o boost.
Favorite quote: "where ever u go, there u are"

Other car;
1971 plymouth Duster
Mods:340,edelbrock victor jr. intake, 650 4 barrel holley, heddman headers,40 series dual flowmasters, cold air intake,4:10 gears, just got a new paint job and cragar rims with 315 tires in the back.
:Yeah its not a chevy but damn how many 71' dusters have u seen in the streets.

 

As far as the weatherstripping goes. GM still carries a kit that includes ALL the weather stripping for the T-tops. It cost me $143 for the set. Fit beautifully. I don't remember the Part # though sorry.

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Randy
84 Trans AM LG4, 700R4 T-tops
84 Z28 L69, 5 Spd, T-tops
"Don't sweat the petty things...Just pet the sweaty things"

 

vortech, it can be repaired, it's more a question of whether it's more economical to spend the time it takes to massage it, or just replace it. The last time I bought new GM fenders, which was in about 90 or 91, they were like $110 apiece; use up 3 hours of labor at shop rates, and you've spent more than that. Nowadays I don't know what the would cost but the same sort of analysis applies.

If you can't get a good quality new one, or you just are willing to spend your own time so the money issue doesn't apply, then yes, you can definitely repair it to the point of perfection. The best thing to do is to take it off so you can get at it easily from all angles, use a torch gently to heat up all the old Bondo and get rid of it, get a hammer and some dollies like the paintless dent guys use, and carefully massage the metal back as close as possible to the right contours. The thicker the filler is the more likely it is to change shapes after it's been there for a while. Then body fill it back smooth, and sand it with sandpaper wrapped around something rigid but flexible. The sticks they give you at the hardware store for stirring paint are about perfect. Then, prime and sand, prime and sand, until all the tiniest scratches ar filled by the primer. That's what it's for, in addition to giving the finish paint something to stick to.

Confuzed, I don't want to come off as some kind of jerk just telling you to spend wads of money, but I've seen too many cars with body parts on them that don't even come close to looking like thay were for the same kind of car because they were so poorly made. Some things in the world are just commodities, where it doesn't matter who prodced them or where they came from; but body parts, like tires and engine parts, aren't in that class of things. The adage about "you get what you pay for" is more true than people like to admit sometimes. I'd hate to have the opportunity to help somebody avoid that trap, and let it slide, and then have to listen to somebody suffer the results.

And BTW - even new factory parts in the box often aren't perfect; that's why they're in the box instead of on the production line, is because they were slightly damaged or imperfect. They figure that a body shop has the time, tools and expertise to fix minor dents or whatever, but they can't stop down a rpoduction line to body work some fender or something. So even with a new one, be prepared to do at least a little fix-up.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

I have an 86 T/A and the drivers side front fender near the nose was hit in a parking lot ( a hit and run no less ). but the crease that runs along the fender is called a beauty line was pushed in. A couple of friends are lifetime body men and said they could pound it out but that beauty line would never be true without alot of body filler and suggested a new GM fender, because like someone said earlier, you get what you pay for....