OK so maybe cutting off half the fenders was not such a good idea.

I posted my fender flare idea on a couple forums and got an even split of comments.  Half the guys think it will never work, never look good and I ruined the car.  The other half think it’s great and can’t wait to see it done.  I switch camps about as often as I change paint colors.

Since the last post I decided I needed more clearance so I took another whack at the fender wells.

That was fine in the front but in the back I got into the inner fender well farther than I should have and kind of messed it up.

I tried to weld it back together but as usual this car is impossible to weld on.  So I tried to wrap the seam with fiberglass but it was too cold and took forever to set up so it just sort of fell off.

Yeah I have had better days in the garage…  As I contemplated what an idiot I was for not covering the tire and what fun it will be welding new quarters on I decided I should work on the front because when this bombs fenders are easy to replace.   

 

So I finished up my front frames and welded them to the fenders.

 

I spent quite a bit of time trying to get them the same.  I should have covered them with contact paper or something to better see the shape of them but I thought I had it close enough to glass them.

I also should have taken the paint off farther back and primed everything but it was the first 50 degree day in 6 months and the forcast was for snow so now was the time to break out the fiberglass.

Looks like a big nasty wart...

It would be easy to list all the ways this could end up looking awful or structurally unsound.  But as nasty as it looks now in my minds eye I see the end result and I'm feeling fairly OK with it.  Mostly because my wonderful wife reminded me of how many times last year I thought the car would never run again and how confident she is that this is no different.  Yep she is the best wife ever!.  

Update on paint colors - Matte Black is out and Copper Pearl is in!

For the better part of 2 weeks the car was going to be sun burnt copper pearl with silver stripes.  If you are counting that was “this is it” color number 4…  I love the copper but it's just too much of a good thing.  So todays top pick is gloss black with sun burnt copper pearl stripes.

A tad less orange than this and smaller stripes but very close to what this looks like. 

 

And what happened to dark blue and silver that everyone liked?? 

Yeah I know but we have been given so many options!  I'll just have to see what next week brings…