Expert: Dan Liddy - 11/10/2007

Question
I own a street stock car with a rayline body. 85 Chevy Monte Carlo. The rear wheel fender wells needs replacement. I intent to replace with fabricated sheet metal. Given that, what guage sheet metal should I use that would allow easiest bending and hand moulding while providing adequate support for coverage purpose? Fender wells provide no support. Thanks......

Answer
Most body work these days is done with 20 Ga.  or perhaps 22 Ga. the 20 Ga is about .036" thick and is usedfor flooring and most unibody fabrication.  for your purposes, you could use 22 Ga which is about .030", a little lighterand easierto bend and fabricate, but will offer less structural strength.

You will need to roll a couple of longitudinal beads in it so it will hold it's shape.  Unless you're experienced with this, I'd take the whole works to a sheet metal shop and let them do it. They have the equipmemt and the know how and it won't take them very long to make a fender well.

Finally , if the fender wells support the shape of the fenders, you should have a support flange rolled in the outside edge to butt against the inside of the fender.

Good lluck

Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida