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Fender skirts visually "extend" the length of the Packard and complement the roofline. In the '30s, it was popular for owners of "junior" Packards to have fender skirts installed on their cars to emulate the look of the more upscale counterparts.
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In this episode of Classic Car Restoration, host Mark Lambert addresses some basic cosmetics the restoration of a 1938 Packard Club Coupe. In this fourth segment of episode 409, he fashions and installs period-authentic fender skirts on the car.Materials: Standard automotive tools (socket-wrenches, screwdrivers, nut-drivers, etc.)
Cardboard for template
Welding equpipment
Weather stripping
Spray-on truck-bed liner
Eye protection Safety Alert: Always wear eye protection when working with power tools or pneumatic tools. Note: This is a summary of steps included in the automotive restoration procedures shown in this episode of Classic Car Restoration. These are general guidelines for restoration procedures on this particular make and model of vehicle, and for the level of restoration selected for this project. There may be variations in procedures depending model, condition of vehicle, level of restoration undertaken and the types of replacement parts or upgrade kits selected. Always follow proper safety precautions, and read and follow manufacturer's guidelines, diagrams and safety notices that come with any replacement parts or kit that you select.
In 1937, during the heyday of the Packard era, the carmaker employed more than 5,000 workers at its production facility. Half of those workers were assigned to building around 100,000 "junior model" Packards -- ones like our project vehicle. The other 2500 workers were working on building only 6,000 "senior models" -- the big super-8's and the V-12's. Those 100,000 junior models were the bread and butter of the company. And at the time, it became fashionable for owners to accessorize their junior cars to make them look like their senior siblings. One way to do that was with the installation of fender skirts (figures A and B).And that's just what we opted to do with our restoration car. Here are the basic steps.
- Mark began with a piece of cardboard pre-cut to roughly fit inside the fender well (figure C). He then traced the outline of the curve of the fender opening, and cut the cardboard about 1/2" outside the traced line.
- He then sent the cardboard template to automotive specialist, Agape Automotive®, who then stamped a set of fender skirts from steel (figure D). The skirts were pressed with a subtle roll, and an upper lip that turned under. The cost for the skirts was around $200, plus an additional $100 or so to have them prepped and painted.
Agape also supplied installation hardware (figure E) used to clip the skirts in place. There are three clips for each skirt. The clips fit underneath the lip and can be held in position with duct tape as you position the piece (figure F) and determine the best location for each of the clips. Since this is a scratch custom job, fitting the specially made skirts with the clips involves some trial and error. Ours were placed roughly at a 3-oclock, 9-oclock and 12-oclock positions for best stability.Once the best position has been determined, the clips can be tack-welded onto the skirt pieces.
After the skirts have been custom-painted to match the vehicle, simple weather-stripping (figure G) can be installed to protect the fender paint.Once the skirts have been painted, install the weather stripping onto the skirts. Cut the end of the rubber stripping at an angle (figure H).
We also used spray-on truck-bed liner (figure I) to protect the underside of the skirts from rust and damage from rock chips. This material dries harder than regular undercoating.Slide the skirt into position (figure J) and secure it with the fasteners provided.
That completes the installation of the fender skirt (figure K). Repeat the process on the other rear wheel-well.Once installed, the fender skirts help visually extend the line of the Packard, and complement the roofline, emulating the look of the luxury version Packards of the 1930s (figure L).
In the episode that follows, the finishing touches are put on the Packard to bring the restoration to completion.
RESOURCES :
Resources and Special Thanks for Classic Car Restoration 400 series
The Packard Club
Columbus, Ohio
(National & regional clubs, car shows & judging, magazine, resources, etc.)
The Cormorant magazine
The Packard Club
www.packardclub.org
Packards International Motor Car Club
(National owner's club, judging rules, magazine, newsletter and other resources)
Santa Ana, CA
Packardsinternational.com
Packards of Chicagoland
(Regional affiliate of The Packard Club)
Elmhurst, IL
Packards of Chicagoland
America's Packard Museum
Dayton, Ohio
www.americaspackardmuseum.org
The National Packard Museum
Warren, OH (the birthplace of the Packard)
www.warren.org
The Packard Motor Car Foundation
(Foundation for preserving the Packard marque)
Restoring the Packard Proving Grounds and other Packard activities.
www.packardmotorfdn.org
Motorbooks International
www.motorbooks.com
Automobile Inspections LLC
(Nationwide automobile appraisal & inspection services, including classic cars)
Hartford, CT
www.automobileinspections.com
Classic Auto Appraisals
(Evaluation of Classics, Street Rods, Antiques, Competition Cars, Exotics, Commercial Vehicles and Hand Crafted Vehicles).
www.autoappraisals.com
Special Resources for DCR-409:
Norton Abrasives
Phone: 800-456-8444
A full line of stock products including abrasives, masking products, adhesives, sealers and safety products for the auto body professional.
www.nortonabrasive.com
- Diamond Back Classic Tires
Conway, SC
Steel belted radials for classic cars. The ones put on our car were: 5 Diamond Back 215/85R16N radials with 3-3/4"" whitewall.
Phone: 888-922-1642
www.widewhitewalltires.com
- Agape Auto
Evansville, IN
Phone: 812-423-7332
Custom auto body work. They hand-made the fender-skirts for our 1938 Packard. Our fender skirts were made from original patterns. Skirts are made of sturdy 20 gauge steel. All mounting hardware is included. Foam gasket is included.
Price: $200 pair.
www.skirtsandvisors.com
Classic Car Restorer's Handbook: Restoration Tips and Techniques for Owners and Restorers of Classic and Collectible Automobiles
1557881944
Jim Richardson
(November 1994)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
H.P. Books
Classic Car Restoration Guide: The Complete Illustrated Step-By-Step Manual
Model: 1850108900
Author: Lindsay Porter
Order this book from Amazon.com
Haynes Publishing
Classic Car Restorer's Handbook: Restoration Tips and Techniques for Owners ...
Model: 1557881944
Author: Jim Richardson
Order this book from Amazon.com
H.P. Books
GUESTS :
Mark Hasselback
A-1 Auto Detailing
Knoxville, TN
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