VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Rear Fender Welting Installation

Hello all,

The PO of my 41 Special Deluxe put 2 different pieces of welting on the rear fenders and it's always looked bad so I bought some new welting and decided to start installing it tonight.

I started with and removed the left rear fender, measured and cut some u shapes in the welting where it will bend.

I then put the fender back on loosely and tried numerous times to work the new welting in between the body and fender, but it's not wanting to slide very easily and seems to bind, and not go on down where it belongs.

So, I had an idea and wanted opinions please. I thought about getting some 3M weather strip glue, and gluing the welting onto the fender, allowing it to dry, then reinstalling the fender.

Any thoughts in this idea, or anyone have a simpler way to install the welting? I know it's time consuming and patience but just want some ideas.

Thanks!!!

Just a thought but owing to the mismatch of rear fenders to the body wouldn't it be better to glue it to the fender rather than the body?

I'll soon be doing the same thing on my 41 money pit project and need the information as well.

You pose a good question.

Charlie

Good morning 41specialdeluxe!

Yes I was talking about gluing it to the fender. For whatever reason, the PO had regular welting on about 2/3's of the fenders, then a piece of rubber welting with a square tab on the end of it, the rest of the way down.

It just didn't look good! Anyhow, yeah it's kinda of a fight to get the new welting slid into the area between the fender and body.

Do a Goggle search. Type in "installing fender welting".

Even though this will produce people telling you not to glue and others telling you to glue.

In the end, I did what you are thinking ('48). Glued it to the fender. Gluing it allowed me to keep the same reveal without fighting the fender, welting and bolts all at once.

Good luck

'Might be good to be careful about what kind of glue. Some glues will remove paint.

Good luck - -

I haven't been through this yet but I have read accounts that gluing is the way to go. For other gluing such as the rubber sealing strips, I use a black glue by 3M. It can be removed with varsol without affecting the paint.

Double sided adhesive tape might be a good choice. When I took my '38 coupe apart the PO used small rivets to hold the welting to the fenders. It worked OK, but not a technique I would use.

I use guide pins at work for alignment of different panels and braces.I would try extra long bolts to hold the fender in "position" but leave enough of a gap so the welting can be worked into place. Then replace each end and a middle long bolts with the fender bolts to draw the fender close to the body but leave them loose. Then remove all the remaining long bolts and add the fender bolts. Pick an end to start, then work the welting into it's final position and tighten the fender bolts.

I've had good results by cutting a slot in the welting at the center of the bolt and then a hole slightly bigger than the bolt. Where the welting needs to make a curve you need to make pie cuts in the welting to it can make the curve. Then take your time to tighten the bolts and work the welting into place. If you have the fender off the vehicle you can lay it on blankets and use some clamps to hold the welting and work from one end to the other to get it fit to the fender. Make small cuts and take your time and it will come out looking nice.

I still hold with the masking tape method. Cut slots for the bolts like normal and every 6 to 8 inches along the welting tongue, fold a 6 inch tab of masking tape. Mount the fender and welting so that all the masking tape tabs extend into the wheel well between the fender and body. As you start to tighten the bolts, pull the tabs to snug the welting bead right up against the gap. When you are satisfied, finish tightening the bolts, pull hard on the masking tape tabs and they will tear off.

Brian

When I restored my '41 coupe I don't remember having any trouble installing the welting in the fenders. I cut pie shape cuts so I could bend it and cut out places for the bolts. I put the fender on the body with the bolts loose and started at one end and pushed the welting in place and tightened the bolts. No glue, tape or other aids. I got almost all my parts etc. from Chev of the '40's so I believe the welting came from them.

Ok guys, I got the left side done tonight, and here's what I did. Today I bought some 3M Super Black weather strip adhesive and I also bought some 3M green painters tape.

I applied a light coat on the flange of the fender, and on the tongue of the welt about a foot at a time and slowly worked around until I had all the welt on the fender.

I had already cut the pie shaped cuts where the welting had to bend. I allowed it to dry for about an hour then went out and successfully put the fender back on my car.

Brian, I do like your idea though. The welting was being a pain and that's why I decided to go with the 3M glue idea and it worked great.

Thanks to everyone for all their advice and thought!! I sincerely appreciate it!!

Now to do the right side! ! !

Jar41, I was trying to install the welting as you prescribed, but (not sure how to explain it), the welting tongue kept wanting to bind on the paint of the fender and body and not go in so that's when I got to thinking, if I can mount the welt to the fender, the hard part is done and it turned out to be!

I also didn't have enough hands..