58 Chevy Body off progress

[58 Guy]

Hi guys got the body off and stripped it's a good news, bad news kinda thing you know, better in some places than I thought and worse in others.
Got a question When I took off the fenders I was surprised to find that the inner front fenders are a sort plasticy rubbery material not steel. I thought that they were steel up until the late sixties. Now this is a Canadian Car and I wondering if any of you guys have it different in any of your 58's or even later chevy's.
Thanks John

 

[jim_ss409]

I don't know anything about those inner fenders, but the car looks good!bang Good luck with the project and thanks for posting some pictures.

 

[Bob Core]

You go, man!

I'll be watching your progress - the '58 Bel Air 2dr hardtop is my favorite for that year. It amazes me how much difference there is between that and the Impala, they must have spent a load on tooling for that model year.

Apologies, you may have said this earlier, but what are your plans? Are you going to keep the 235? Stock interior (are they even available)?

Can't wait to see it finished.

 

[58 Guy]

235

Hi Bob and thanks for the encouragement
Yeah I don't know what they were thinking
the Impala is a different animal body wise, maybe they were trying to keep the tooling guys guessing or maybe since it was the first Impala they thought to make it special. Go figure, look at the new Impala's, you have to look hard to notice it's a GM let alone an Impala.
I'm keeping the 235 but it's not going back in the car, aside from a sticky lifter it runs real good and doesn't use a drop of oil. But I still don't understand why they used it in the first place, it's okay on fuel in the city but on the highway it's as bad or worse than an 8 (without the power). Aubrey is building me a 348 stroker and I'm looking forward to being able to pass at will on the highway. Having said that the 235 has a bit of pep at about 3000 RPM. I know it won't, but at that RPM it's really howling and sounds like it's going to fly apart.

 

[58impala]

58 Guy

I own a '58 Impala and have owned several '58's and I can say that I have never seen a '58 Chevy with plastic inner fenders. All I have seen are metal.

 

[58 Guy]

Inner Fenders

Thanks for the info Jim,
They are kind of a flexible thick black rubbery plastic and are the exact shape for the fender fit so I they're not home made and I doubt that someone would go to the trouble of having the made when they could use steel , maybe they were only used on Canadian models, I keep looking into it. I'l get some pics and show you, if you don't mind.
Thanks again John

 

[1958 delivery]

Never seen anything before 1968/9 with plastic inner fenders.

 

[58impala]

58 Guy,
Sure, send a picture, meanwhile, I'll do some research on plastic inner fenders.......see what I can find out. All the metal ones have raised beads rolled in to reinforce the panel. Do your's these raised beads? Are they one or two pieces?

 

[58impala]

58 Guy,
Whose paint products are you using? Are you planning on using B/C? I can highly recommend a USA manufacture whose products I feel are the absolute best for custom work. I'm not sure I can post a link to their website, but if you send me a PM I'll be happy to give it to you. Don't want to get in trouble with the web master here. Are you planning on using your original stainless trim? I also know a company in Tenn. that does the best stainless trim restoration that I've ever seen.......and reasonably priced as well.

 

[tripowerguy]

To answer your question about the inner fenders my 58 Bel Air hardtop has steel inner fenders. Also you can contact Auto City Classic, they handle nothing but 58 Chevrolet parts. Roy

 

[58 Guy]

Sorry

When I took them off I wasn't paying attention to them but was surprised how flexible and thick they were. Today I dug them up and scraped off some of the thick undercoat and paint and gee whiz they are metal
Sorry about the fuss it was just an after thought to my orig post and they just didn't feel right thought maybe they experimented that year like with the air ride suspension.
P.S. I'm not a complete idiot but do a good impersination sometimes.
Sorry again for the brain fart!

I took a good look at the underneath of the car and can see I have my work cut out for me.
I pulled a piece of sheet metal out of the rocker pannel to wheel well joint and realized it was not welded or even riveted, just held in buy bondo!
Man what some body shops get away with.