Replacing fenders on a 1973 911 Targa. Dansk vs. OEM

[Longballa]

You have to put time into fitting the new ones so if you can find good used ones they fit much better. Finding decent used ones is the problem.

[keith]

You have to put time into fitting the new ones so if you can find good used ones they fit much better. Finding decent used ones is the problem.

Agree 100%; I'd repair the originals, and I'd do it with them mounted. It's far easier to find original fenders that are in bad shape but have what you'd need intact, and it saves the pristine used fenders for the cars that need them. (My .02, of course.)

[michaelaiellosr]

I went the new fender route from Porsche. I was informed that they are not actually a Porsche factory part but made under contract.....note the two drain holes in the headlamp bucket. I was told that the later cars used this hole for wiring the directionals....

[Stevie]

Nice! I remember looking at this car when it came by in a thread a few weeks ago. And thought it would look SO much better without the flares.

Now that you've confirmed the front wings haven't been off I would definitely try to repair it without removing them. It will take some time and skill to get it looking right, but I would prefer cutting off the flares and fitting just (old) arches over taking off the lot and fitting whole wings. Yes there will be a weld, that weld is part of the cars history. Beats a new parts-bin-special built up of all new shiny bits. Oh wait, thats what they call a Singer and charge double

[Ivan Fuller]

Rears I'd probably weld in the correct flare from original fenders.
Fronts are probably a toss up - it'd be as much work to remove the flares as repair original fenders with a little rust. We always try to find original if we can but economics are a factor.
Now there is welding & welding!
We would do a butt weld with TIG, dress the weld so no fill is visible on the back hammer & file/planish. A skim of filler or high build epoxy paint then top coat. Nobody will find the repair after paint and underseal even with a paint thickness tester.
Now you can work down from there in cost and looks (from the back side - or the front side if it goes badly)
My one word of advice if you want to sort the men out from the boys find a body shop that can butt weld the joins at the very least - some can achieve the results with MIG but its not as easy to get the result as with TIG - the real old boys will use gas but this is very time consuming compared with TIG. Demand to know how much filler they plan to use - if its more than 1/16" run away. On the other hand if cost is the determining factor its quick to MIG in a the bits bash them in and fill - expect 1/4 - 3/8 of filler or more. We just dug 1/2" to 5/8" removing steel flares from a '72S - same as you need to do. You get what you pay for - top quality work is time consuming - maybe 3-4 times as much.

[keith]

lol, you should probably ship this car to MR. Fuller immediately.

[72targa]

Nice work, Ivan!

http://revivem.co.nz/?Projects:1973_Porsche_911

[Toni Macaroni]

Dear Alan.uk,

I have a question for you, but I don't know how to contact (PM) you. Apparently PM's only work with a 'paid account' (I'm new here)

Thanks in advance, Ton

[Marek]

Old tread alert , be aware the tread is 10 years old

But I would assume you catch Alan at his company mail
info@canfordclassics.co.uk

[Toni Macaroni]

Old tread alert , be aware the tread is 10 years old

But I would assume you catch Alan at his company mail
info@canfordclassics.co.uk

Thanks mate!!!