Fender troubles

[OldHog66]

After hours and hours of work, welding and straightening...my original '66 fenders look "ok".. we are about to reassume the braces and of course i bought a rivet tool from vtwin (who obviously never used a rivet tool).. it's about 8 inches long and no way to get inside of a fender...but we can cut it off ... but that's not why i'm writing. I need advice ...any and all...

after a ton of work, the bodyman wants to put a think layer of skin on the finders to take out the "ripples".. we can do that before we re-rivet on the supports... but then we'll likely "F" up that "skin" when we rivet...and if we rivet first, we can't get a smooth skin. this whole thing has cuased me to get an astronomical price from the body/paint guy.

I'm reallllly ready to throw on a set of repops to avoid all the still needed work/expense to have a nice paint job. Everything I read on here talks about repops being junk...so my quesiton is...does anybody make a good repop fender (front or rear)? or should I continue down this path of feeling like I'm throwing money down a bottomless pit only to end up with a layer of bondo skin on top of original fenders?

what should be a $500 paint job is now estimated at $1500 wiht the additional work/smoothing required... arghhhh.... and then I have painted bondo..

the fenders, after all the welding and repair are at least solid and rustfree again, but this whole rivet tool, bondo, smoothing **** has me in a quandry...

is there antoher way of putting the rivets back in without banging them with a BFH?

Please weigh in...love to hear everyone's thoughts and advice... making a "decision" next week.

OldHog66
Steve

[exeric]

That sounds a bit pricey but then, I do all of my own paint and body work and I've never billed myself. I assume you have the correct rivets. That fender has to be well riveted because that's all that's holding it to the fork. When I have to rivet a fender that must have filler to make it right, I use body lead under the rivets. The lead will not crack like Bondo but you still have to be careful because the lead will dent. I would leave an 1/8" to 3/16" of rivet shank for peening. The correct way to work a rivet is to buck the shank, and drive, or hit the rivet head. That may not work in this case so you'll have to experiment on a simulated test part to find what works best. It's probably going to be a two man job.

[Chris Haynes]

By the time I buy my Etching material, primer, paint, reducer, hardner, and clear coat I have spent over $300.00. I wish I could get a $500.00 paint job.

[OldHog66]

Chris,
thanks for the perspective.. Last time I painted one was in '94.

[OldHog66]

so how about quality repop fenders?

Anybody make a decent front or rear ?

[D.Mac]

Anybody make a decent front or rear ?

In a word, NO. With used original parts, you expect to have to do some work to make them right, but it's pretty disgusting to have to put many hours into a brand new part just to try to get it to fit on the bike. After that battle, it will still need body work before it's ready for paint. Stick with OEM.
Doug.

[Chris Haynes]

I was unbelievably happy when I first saw the American Made three piece Knucklehead fenders. Made exactly at the originals. Then I tried fitting one to a frame. The first obvious discrepancies was the fender struts being the wrong width, and the rivets were the wrong size. Then I find the mounting struts on the left side were too short, shorter than those on the right side. This of course had the fender tipped over to the left. The fender hinge is not a match so even if you fix the mounting struts a glance at the hinge screams REPOP. If someone goes to all the trouble to make something, why can't they make it right?

[rwm]

i was told there had to be some differences to avoid patent infringement.

[OldHog66]

i almost forgot

the pain of repops...thanks for bringing me back to reality. my front fender needs quite a bit of rust repair and J&P have a front fender that they claim is an accurate reproduction of the original. Well, as temping as that is (unless someone can tell me it's a good move), with the scooter in 1000 pieces, i have no way to test fit a new front fender until it's painted.... bad plan... guess i'll keep throwin some $$ at the original stuff..

thanks everyone for their input!

[exeric]

By the time I buy my Etching material, primer, paint, reducer, hardner, and clear coat I have spent over $300.00. I wish I could get a $500.00 paint job.

Isn't that the truth.

[Paps]

That claim of patent infrigment......expired long ago....they just gon't do it right. They spend the time but they don't ....do it right !

[Robert Luland]

i was told there had to be some differences to avoid patent infringement.

There is no patent to be infringed. I love how these after market venders justifing this none fitting **** they sell. Just shotty **** to build and ill excuses. Steve take the time to learn and make the fender right. If it can't be repaired. 66 Fenders are abound. You don't need the repop. Bob