Fender skirts or whatever their called!

[Deleted User]

Okay, here's another one for you guys.........

What do they call those fender pieces that aren't really skirts but are much larger, covering more of the fender with like an air scoop look on the leading edge in front?

Are they just bolted on to the fender? Or do they become an intrigual part of the fender. I'm wondering if you could use this to give you a little more side-to-side room for tire clearance, by eliminating the original skirts. Not sure if you could seal them against the outer framerail though, that may present a problem. How are they made? I'm wondering if someone could cut down and section a rear fender a bit and use that so it could keep the same lines as the fenders?

I guess I have too much free time right now! Mama's overseas and the kids taking a nap! lol

Jay

Unknown

That sounds like what we call "cruiser skirts" around here. I'm not sure how they are mounted



Dany

Unknown

Yep Cruiser skirts. Would look cool on a Hudson. I'm pretty sure you would have to make them. I doubt very much if you would find them available to buy.

nick s

jay
not sure that a cruiser skirt would look right on the 48-53 stepdown without maybe a chop and section. now a two door jet probably has the right lines to pull them off.
anyway you would need to section the perimeter frame to gain tire clearance as it is the outer rail not the skirt theat limits the fit. to add width to the fenders without adding to the reae track would really look wobbly from behind as the wheels are already quite inset.
perhaps a compromise would be to make a vertical slit in the lower portion of the fender perhaps about centerline of the quarter window of your coupe and and by taking in the forward metal a bit in and bring out the rear you could add a simulated scoop. the fender would then smoothly disappear back into the lines of the car. properly executed, i think that could work well with the 48-53 lines.

[Deleted User]

Good idea nick, I'll have to look into that. Might be more work than I want right now, but I think it could look cool. I like the way some fenders have that air inlet with some chrome or horizontal stainless bars on the inlet.

As far as the rear track width, I'm considering welding in new steel frames inboard of the original inner frame (c-nothced), then cut the originals out. This would allow me to widen the inner wheel tubs and either run wider tires or just not have to worry about having a specific rear axle width. I've talked to a couple guys around here and they think its an easy solution, since I'll have to cut the trunk floor anyway to c-notch the frame. Should still have the needed strength.

Just kickin' around some ideas.

Jay

Unknown

Jay, check out www.thenightprowlers.com, they have a lot of custom parts and accessories, including bubble skirts. They are nice people and I have been to their store and purchased a number of items from them.



Barry

[Deleted User]

Checked out their website, Barry, some cool stuff. Definately somethings to look at down the road.

Jay

Unknown

Hi guys,



Some folks call them bubble skirts as well....I happen to have a photo of a Hudson with them installed...looks pretty nice. I can email them to anyone...or perhaps someone can upload the photo here?



Adam

[Deleted User]

foresaken80206 wrote:

Hi guys,

Some folks call them bubble skirts as well....I happen to have a photo of a Hudson with them installed...looks pretty nice. I can email them to anyone...or perhaps someone can upload the photo here?

Adam

Hey Adam, I PM'd you.

Jay

Unknown

Here's the photo I have...

[Deleted User]

That's one sweet looking coupe! Love the pipes.

nick s

the teeth are what i was thinking, but the extra bubble is too much, it needs to blend with the natural lines.

btw hope you don't mind the retouch forsaken

Unknown

I'd like to see it from the rear just to see how the wheels look. I like it. Maybe thats how I should do my 49 coupe. I don't know about the front wheels though.

[Deleted User]

Thanks Adam, that's exactly what I was thinking of. These seem a litle square in relation to the rear fender, but maybe there is another design or a way to modify these. Does anyone have a source for these? I've googled and seems like they always pop up with the normal fender skirts instead of these.

Unknown

I dunno Jay, this is more how I pictured your car. Yours would just be lower, with the Olds Grill, chrome not painted, and enough smoke coming from the back tires to give a traffic cop a heart attack!



Terry



By the way, it looks like I'll be in Phoenix the 22nd & 23rd. I send you a PM later. Maybe we can get together. Let me know if you need anything delivered (Bill A., Dany, etc.) I'll be driving my P/U.

nick s

jay, after smoothing the the skirts into the quarter in the pic, i thought about it. it really shouldn't be that bad.

i think you could make the 30 degree cut in the quarter a couple inches below the crease. shim the bottom edge out starting with the cut an inch or so out down to nothing at the rear. let the origional rocker remain but form a new smooth rocker from the cut back letting the lines of the origional disapear into the cut. i actually have skirts that would be a start for that project.

[Deleted User]

nick, are they skirts like in the gray coupe pic?

nick s

no, 48-53 skirts burried in fiberglass, i got them with a 50 sedan and other parts from the estate of an old fiberglass guy. i think he was working to smooth the rockers on the 50. if you sectioned the quarter as i suggested, you could skin over the existing rocker a smooth a roll in metal or even glass. these would roughly have the profile you would need in the skirt area.
if you found the skirts like in the pick, i think you need to find a way to extend them up to the body line.

Unknown

wonder how he did the rear perimeter frame on the red car. I have a set of those grille teeth...hmmm. On the siver car I think the bumper would look better with out the vertical pieces. Just me and my weird tastes...lol

[Deleted User]

Jimalberta wrote:

wonder how he did the rear perimeter frame on the red car. I have a set of those grille teeth...hmmm. On the siver car I think the bumper would look better with out the vertical pieces. Just me and my weird tastes...lol

I agree jim, I'm going to weld the bumpers and leave out the bumperettes. Besides, I don't think they would look good with the '55 Olds grill insert anyway. My challenge is going to be the grill mouth, but I'll wait until I can get the front end on and see what that opening looks like.

nick, those rockers are a pain to figure out. 49hudson and I have been thinking about how to do those without using the clips and stainless strips. That red car must have just welded things together. If he's welded the rear fenders, not sure how he'd get the rear quarter windows out, or maybe they're non-functioning windows. Not sure how he got the lower portions secured to the perimeter frame. I guess you could weld the upper part of the rocker to the fender and just have the stainless strip (painted of course) along the bottom where you screw it into the perimeter framerails. Maybe you could figure out how to use a clip fastener welded on the inside of the rocker and push it into holes drilled into the framerails.

Jay

nick s

jay, other than for body work you shouldn't need into the rear quarters. i would figure on 3 pieces split like a 54 but could allow for fasteners rather than welds. (54's had factory welded rockers and rear quarters) and weld a front fender extention, a rocker below the door and extend the rear quarter. on each fender weld the piece and screw under the frame rail. under the door you can burry the top below the sill plate and screw. you will have vertical seams matching the door lines when done but can still remove either fender and the rocker if necessary later.

nick s

jay, i found a pic of the car with the skirts i mentioned. the in progress pics look like he weded the rockers but he opted to use the trim to hide his seam anyway.

[Deleted User]

nick, thats not what I originally was thinking of, but you know, I think that looks cool! Too bad you can't see how he did the bottom of the rockers. I wonder if they are screwed on from the outside, or how he did them.

But I like this look...very clean! Thanks for the pic.

Jay

nick s

not sure exactly what he did, you can see the clamps in the side pics i have but they are all about same quality and nothing that shows the detail.
scallap job works well with the lines of the car especially with the rear sitting up a bit to show it off.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the pics nick. Definately some things to consider, I'll probably be trying to figure out how he did that bottom rocker for awhile.

Jay

[Deleted User]

I've got a pair of those bubble skirts, never been on a car, cost $259.00 + shipping, I'd like to get $200.00+shipping

rambos_ride

jsrail wrote:

Thanks for the pics nick. Definately some things to consider, I'll probably be trying to figure out how he did that bottom rocker for awhile.

Jay

Simple...he just fabricated new pieces...the side picture, although grainy, clearly shows the newer pieces clamped in place for fitting or welding.

It would be a bit-o-work, but if you left the trim on the bottom of the bodyline like this guy did you could make the piece removeable still and then it would just bolt up like a factory rocker all the way back to where the quarter extensions would be.

I don't know about later stepdowns but the giveaway for me is that my 49 Commodore rockers have ribs rolled into the metal along the length...these rockers/shirts are smooth no ribs...

[Deleted User]

billjharris, can you email me a couple pics of those skirts? I might be interested if they are what I'm looking for. hetjayeldridge@cox.net (drop the HET).

Thanks....Jay