When I set out to build my truck I really didn’t know how or what it would take to accomplish my goals. I started off by drafting a plan not on paper, but in my head, so that things would somehow magically start putting themselves together. Well you and I both know that does not happen, but what I did realize was if I didn’t start somewhere I wouldn’t start at all. Try and fail, but never fail to try is a quote I like to stand by when doing anything in life. I guess my point is how do you know you can or can’t do it until you try?
I admit sheetmetal work is not the easiest thing for me to do, but with practice and time my skills have improved. So when I was up against the challenge of making my rear fenders fit in my new bed floor I asked for help and suggestions, which came pouring in from the guys at Deuces Wild and Coachcraft.
Since I raised the bed floor on my truck, the fenders sat way too high in the bed. So I opted to remove 3 inches from the bottom of the stock fender.
If you didn’t read last month’s CLASSIC TRUCKS then let me explain. I used a steel bed floor from LMC Trucks in my ’59 Apache. Now I need to make my stock fenders fit, but also add clearance for the larger wheels and tires. I widened the inner fenders with the help from a MIG or TIG welder, cut-off wheel, hammer and dolly, jigsaw and some cold rolled steel.
I purchased a half sheet of 14-gauge cold rolled steel for the base of the fender and 2-inch-by-8-foot 16-gauge cold rolled flat stock to widen the stock fender. So with some direction and a basic idea of what I wanted to accomplish I started by diving headfirst and just going for it. Turned out the job of widening the stock fenders was easier than I thought.
