non bed liner finishing of the fender flares

[dudedude]

I have been looking and looking but have yet to find anyone that has removed their fender flares and then welded the holes and then repainted with an OEM color.

Is the price too prohibitive?

I have a little surface rust on my rear quarter under the flares, this is going to get fixed this summer, I hate the look of exterior bed liner and was wondering why every single member that removes the flares covers the holes with bed liner?

 

[41magsnub]

I like the look, plus, it is armor against scratches and dings.

 

[scottryana]

If you squint you might be able to imagine it. Haha.

 

[skintunes]

I have been looking and looking but have yet to find anyone that has removed their fender flares and then welded the holes and then repainted with an OEM color.

Is the price too prohibitive?

I have a little surface rust on my rear quarter under the flares, this is going to get fixed this summer, I hate the look of exterior bed liner and was wondering why every single member that removes the flares covers the holes with bed liner?

yes- Just go ahead on getting an estimate for repairing and refinishing 8 large panels.... you will get it then

 

[mdesouz]

Fenders

I went to MAACO had the holes plugged, paint done with clear coat plus a ding in the back fixed. 1200 bucks! but the fenders and flares were in bad condition when i purchased it. MAACO paintjobs aren't the best, be warned the paint scratches easily. but a real paint job is 2-3k. Mark

 

[landcruiserman]

Here is one i parted out about 4 years ago.

This was a 1991 fj80.
Came from the factory with no fender flares, no running boards.
No power windows or lock. No power mirrors. The only power it had was the sunroof.

Any way this is what it looks like factory without those options.

 

[plutonius]

...and was wondering why every single member that removes the flares covers the holes with bed liner?

I'll speak for myself in saying that the last thing I need to worry about these days is if my would-be $XXXX paint job gets scratched up. My dad has antique cars that if you so much as breath on he starts having convulsions, and it makes people crazy. Painting an 80, even a low-grade job, isn't cheap. So liner makes sense. But if you don't like the look of it, I'd suggest painting it yourself. I know in my case whatever new shiny paint I would apply would be pinstriped, stonechipped, scratched by skis, bikes, hockey sticks, kids with sticks, beach toys, camp gear and so on within a day. For me, liner.

 

[FloydtheDog]

I have been looking and looking but have yet to find anyone that has removed their fender flares and then welded the holes and then repainted with an OEM color.

Is the price too prohibitive?

I have a little surface rust on my rear quarter under the flares, this is going to get fixed this summer, I hate the look of exterior bed liner and was wondering why every single member that removes the flares covers the holes with bed liner?

If color/texture is the reason you hate "bed liner", you always have the option of tinting the liner to match your paint. Also, as I understand it, there are specific additives and application techniques which can make the final product smoother, and with more shine (if that's what you prefer).

Plenty of info on the Al's Liner site.

At the end of the day you want it too look like it never had flares in the first place, you may be stuck ponying up for a "standard" paint job.

 

[Dgurley2000]

I got mine color matched at LineX. My only regret is not getting the holes welded shut. They put aluminum tape on the backside and you can seem impressions if you look close enough.

I like the look of fender flares better but they're a pain to keep repairing.

 

[girraffe]

People do it because its cheap and easy.

I think it might be a little cheaper if you brought some front fenders, to the repair shop doing the work, that are already of the truck. And then swap them on to your truck. Unless its easier for them do it with them on the truck, im not sure.

 

[MYSHERPA]

I love the look of the flareless 80 without the bedliner. I also love the look of having the "black" around the windows painted to match the rest of the body. It really updates the look of the 80.

 

[Lumpskie]

Ok, thread revival time. I am scheduled to take my 80 into a local body shop in a couple of weeks to have my fender flare holes filled in. I didn't want to do the bed liner approach but didn't want to spend $2000 either. So the body guy said he would use a fiber glass patch to fill the holes and then paint/blend. I've hear conflicting opinions on using glass to fill body holes. Does anyone have experience or opinions they can share? I want to prevent my fairly clean body from rusting... will glass/paint hold up ok?

 

[Marine7]

Ok, thread revival time. I am scheduled to take my 80 into a local body shop in a couple of weeks to have my fender flare holes filled in. I didn't want to do the bed liner approach but didn't want to spend $2000 either. So the body guy said he would use a fiber glass patch to fill the holes and then paint/blend. $700 in total. I've hear conflicting opinions on using glass to fill body holes. Does anyone have experience or opinions they can share? I want to prevent my fairly clean body from rusting... will glass/paint hold up ok?

He can “glass in” the holes, but your still going to have filler or “bondo” as the top layer...... can’t get glass smooth enough without top coating with filler. Glass repairs generally last 5-10 years, as long as it’s not driven thru northern winters! Catching salt and moisture up in your fender wells will drastically cut down on life of glass. Good luck.

 

[Lumpskie]

He can “glass in” the holes, but your still going to have filler or “bondo” as the top layer...... can’t get glass smooth enough without top coating with filler. Glass repairs generally last 5-10 years, as long as it’s not driven thru northern winters! Catching salt and moisture up in your fender wells will drastically cut down on life of glass. Good luck.

Thanks for the feedback Marine7. Blocking out the inside of the wheel wells is another item on my to-do list. I can probably ask the body shop about that too. If the glass does begin to fail... what are the signs? Cracked paint?

 

[Marine7]

Thanks for the feedback Marine7. Blocking out the inside of the wheel wells is another item on my to-do list. I can probably ask the body shop about that too. If the glass does begin to fail... what are the signs? Cracked paint?

Cracked paint.... sort of looks like a “nail pop” on older drywall jobs in houses. Usually though it will pop all the way out and you won’t even realize you lost one (or 5!) until you walk around your truck “inspecting it”.

 

[Lumpskie]

Cracked paint.... sort of looks like a “nail pop” on older drywall jobs in houses. Usually though it will pop all the way out and you won’t even realize you lost one (or 5!) until you walk around your truck “inspecting it”.

Good to know. I guess I'll keep an eye out for that.

 

[Notch]

There is no way to pay a shop to do it and get it done correctly and inexpensively. With bodywork you rarely get what you paid for, let alone extra for free! It's a pretty time consuming process. I just got done with the welding part on mine and it's just covered with epoxy primer for now. My roof was the same process and I just finished painting that. It takes time, skills and good quality material$$$

Using fiberglass for this is a cheap hackjob but it will hold up for a few years. I pitty the next owner of the truck.

 

[Lumpskie]

Using fiberglass for this is a cheap hackjob but it will hold up for a few years. I pitty the next owner of the truck.

Wow... "cheap hackjob" and "pitty the next owner". Strong emotional words, but doesn't provide me with any data. How have hot rods and muscle car guys been bonding fiberglass to steel for years without becoming cheap hack jobs? I'm not trying to get something for nothing; this approach was suggested by my body guy.

 

[Notch]

Wow... "cheap hackjob" and "pitty the next owner". Strong emotional words, but doesn't provide me with any data. How have hot rods and muscle car guys been bonding fiberglass to steel for years without becoming cheap hack jobs? I'm not trying to get something for nothing; this approach was suggested by my body guy.

You didn't ask for data.

I've hear conflicting opinions on using glass to fill body holes. Does anyone have experience or opinions they can share? I want to prevent my fairly clean body from rusting... will glass/paint hold up ok?

You asked for experience and opinions. I have thousands of hours of experience doing metal work to automotive restoration industry standards. That has shaped my opinions.

Guys that have been patching with fiberglass for years are not doing it correctly. I have a shop full of these re-dos. They don't last. If someone tells you that putting fiberglass over a hole in sheetmetal is the correct way to fix it is blowing vape smoke up your ass. If you want to have it done correctly, find a different body guy. If you don't care, that's fine too. Just be honest about it.

 

[Notch]

Antenna hole patch.