VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1937-38 car front fenders

Funny how you don’t “see” things until someone asks about them. I was asked about the use for the holes in the front fender lips near the top of the wheel opening. I didn’t notice them or pay attention to this area before since I have never thought of attaching anything to this part of the fender.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sdxymoj0wjy6afs/AADLPmUouwRZyyZ0N8nogM6-a?dl=0

Perhaps they are provisions for mounting the accessory fender guides, but I have not seen mounting instructions for the guides nor cars with the original fender guides.

Were there instructions on mounting fender guides and do they use these holes?

Tom

My Pontiac has 2 holes in that area for a fender / headlight support brace.

Does the backing plate for the optional park lights mount there possibly?

Headlighter
My 38 truck has 2 holes slightly higher and forward of that 1 but I know they are for a fender support bracket that mounts to the side of the radiator housing.
I am thinking the holes in yours are for a accessory of some sort but have no idea what.
Tony

Now you're going to make me go to the garage and look.

The holes do not belong there. They wre drilled by some one possibly for fender guides. Any fender guide I ever saw clamped on.

Thanks for the ideas.

I'd appreciate observations from others if their front fenders have this feature. I have checked three (2 right and one left) and all have the same hole with a widening of the lip metal around it. One of the fenders (in the photos attached to the original post) I believe is NOS.

Chevrolet cars do not use fender braces in this area and the fender running lights are at the crown of the fender so I don't think the holes would be for them. Still wondering...

Yes on mine, both sides. No clue what they're for. There's nothing attached to either of them.

Personally I think the lack of a fender brace on the 38 Master is a deficiency for that design. I have seen a few fenders for sale with a big crack across the wide curve of the fender. I wonder if that happens after many miles of bumpy roads.

Is that hole on the under side of the bead and not visable under normal viewing?

Actually the earlier fenders with the braces had more problems with cracking. Especially if they got tapped from the front a few times.

Chevgene - Yes the hole I am asking about is only visible when looking under the fender. It is in a section of the lip at the wheel opening near the top of the opening. I have seen many cracks in used fenders, but this hole is not due to repairs or modification - it is in the original stamping.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sdxymoj0wjy6afs/AADLPmUouwRZyyZ0N8nogM6-a?dl=0

Thanks Tiny for checking and reporting that your fenders are the same.

Any other ideas? Tom

My fenders were badly fatigue cracked even though the supports were in place. I have yet to fit them together and drill the holes for the support brackets.
Tony

I should have my unrestored '37 out of storage next week. I'll take a look and see if there's a hole there. If there is, I've never noticed it in the 25+ years I've owned it.

I should add that my support brackets mounted about 2" above the edge of the fender.
Tony

Well, I got my '37 home and sure enough, the holes are there on both fenders. I've owned the car for 25+ years and never noticed them. They're definitely factory, but look unused. My car is an early-November of '36 build - wonder if that has anything to do with them ?

Bowtie Bob - Thanks for checking.

I've also looked at a few more front fenders since my earlier post and all have the same holes. I've seen them on both 1937 and 1938 cars so think the feature was used throughout the run.

Still hoping someone knows why the holes are there.

Headlighter,
Did you ask this question of the VCCA Tech Adviser for the '37, Mr. D.C. Gilbert ?

It's rather odd, I think, that all the '37 fenders seem to have this hole, but not one car, at least not yet, has been found to have anything attached to the hole!

I wonder if there were plans for a brace of some sort, that was changed prior to, or very early in production. The fender stamping dies would have already been made & in use by the start of production and the holes were just left there. Just a theory, but having spent a lot of years working in the auto industry, I've seen strange things happen.
-Bob

Seeing the two holes are not readily visable they may have been for use when the fensers were being painted or ????