AAS fiberglass fenders?

[clutch1]

Talked to the insurance and autobody shop and all, I got a pelasant suprise. If I get aftermarket body panels the body shop will give me the insurance money set aside for them if I buy them myself, great! This means no more OEM front bumper n' such.

Anywho

I'm looking to get the razor fenders ( http://www.andysautosport.com/oldsmobile/1999_9999_alero/exterior/fenders/fiberglass_fenders/aas/ ) to replace the dented fenders I have now. I've heard fiberglass fitment horror stories and been cautioned against it incase the fitment is terrible. I e-mailed AAS questioning if their fitment was precise and got:

The fenders that we manfuacture for the Alero are manufactured out out 9oz fiberglass. We use the best process for hand laying all of our parts which make them fit more precise than other fiberglass parts.

Should I believe this? Even if they're "more precise than others" are they still gonna be way off when I drill and mount them up? Has anyone delt with AAS fiberglass fenders before??

I'm also getting a :forbidden: front bumper (I guess I need a "bumper cover" to fix it now, I decided to just pay a couple hundred extra to get what I really want) and hopefully a rear aswell (used, but that's a different story), and I'm not sure if vented fenders throw off the look the body kit, opinions?

Answers would be cool :cool:

[AGT]

Sweet.:coolio:



The look is yours to make. Personally I think that the fenders would look better with a sportier type front end. Besides "forbidden kits are dicks", and the cost is higher. Now if you want forbidden no matter what then i say keep stock style or something not so stand outish.

[BlackJack]

sounds very "busy" looking.

I'll say this for AAS, I bought their "Kombat" kit. I went to 4 body shops for quotes, with it already mounted up ( I installed it). They couldn't believe that I made no modifications to it for it to fit that well. Said it was the best kit fitment they had ever seen.

I have no idea about their fenders, but if their body kit is any example of the quality of fitment, then I say go for it. (aside from the fenders looking odd)

[battistoni21]

i think that it would look great with the fenders, def go for it

[clutch1]

K, I guess that answers my quality question, I trust Blackjack 100%.

However, what he said is what I'm worried about, the "busy look."
Though it's not the BMW style vents, the Razor's vents are sporty looking whereas the forbidden looks more like a lowrider kit (and the various forbidden bagged Aleros show that well).
Still the forbidden has a couple pointed ends and the razor vents come to a very pointed end. Gah, decisions.

[ppgnut]

no fiberglass aftermarket part will ever just bolt right on the car, iam sure the shop is going to have some issues with the fenders
from wings west to the forbbiden kit to razzi all need slight modifications, trust me the shop will have fitment issues and they might want more money to make them fit right

[clutch1]

The thing is how BIG the fitment issues are. I know that they'll want mroe money if I can't fit it on right and they need to do work on it (if I can get it on ok they said go for it, but he warned me of the extra charge.)

I can drill holes, sand things down, change curves a bit, etc the small things. What I'm more worried about is like it being too small and needing a total overhaul or lots of fiberglass added to it.

[xbxradxsx]

Is there anywhere with a pic of the fenders on an actual alero? Can't tell alot with s10 style and shape.

[mrmike]

I hope you realize that getting all this aftermarket bodywork means that you HAVE to get rims. If I see the 'forbidden' kit rolling on 15" stockers I will puke.

[billytheman1188]

I hope you realize that getting all this aftermarket bodywork means that you HAVE to get rims. If I see the 'forbidden' kit rolling on 15" stockers I will puke.
Agreed, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEE dont get a body kit if you are going to keep those rims with the tacky white writing!!! get 18" "gunmetal" rims

[Ryan from Ohio]

cold>fiberglass

Hit another deer with that and watch it blow apart...

Metal=dent
Fiberglass=break

Consider that.

[steve-o]

metal=heavy
fiberglass=light

who cares if it dents or blows apart, if he hits another deer, its going to have to be replaced anyways.

[billytheman1188]

metal=heavy
fiberglass=light

who cares if it dents or blows apart, if he hits another deer, its going to have to be replaced anyways.

lmao, i know.....what does it matter???

[clutch1]

Cracking was something I was worrying about, yea. I think you guys are right when you say that dent or crack it's gonna need replacing anyhow.

Rims.. yea I want em, some nie 18" chrome 5 (or 10 spoke in a star pattern) ones, but I don't have $800 for new rims + more for tires. When I get that kind of cash (stop dumping it on lights, lol) I'll get some new rims. Unless you guys wanna spot me?? didn't think so ;P

[ppgnut]

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/bdyman2001/hondawash2.jpg?t=1164855090


ok here is a honda i finished 2 weeks ago came in door damaged and the wings west kit re fitted both fenders are fiberglass, the customer paid out of his pocket to have the fenders and the kit re-fitted, 1,500 later
now the fenders were complete junk and need more work but he ran out of money so this is the finished product, the gel coat had allot of pin holes both fenders were wavyer then lake michigan
i had to re shape where the headlights fit, re shape the rear of the fenders to fit the door, still fits like crap due to him running out of money
had to make bolt holes bigger then had to re-algin the hood and his hood pins to accomadate the fenders
2 days of work on the fenders 2 days on the kit a total of a 8 days and they still needed more work
if you have nmo experience with this type of product dont attempt this your self have them do it for you , this was not fun
oh ya iam on commision so i got 40% of the bill

[clutch1]

That fit doesn't look bad to me.
But the wave sounds like it'd be a bugger. How would you fix that? Layers of fiberglass in the low spots and then lots and lots of sanding to get it right? (Just curious).
The reshaping for the headlights.. did it include just lots of sanding to get it right or also adding to it?

I know having little to know experience will lead to me doing a bad job, messing it up, or ending up having the body shop do the work.. I still want to kind of learn the trade somewhat, though, so that's why I'm still kicking this around.

[ppgnut]

lol!! dude it doesnt look bad becasue i spent ALLOT of time on the fenders, what dont ya understand!!!, one full day on just one fender!!!, re shaping and adding to the fender
dude i can give advice but teaching you how to be a body man let alone a custom body man online is near immpossible
how can i teach you hands on online??? i cant
you do it your self and fuck it up the shop is going to charge you allot and i mean allot more money to redo your fuck up because you want to learn
leave it alone and let a shop do the work

[BlackJack]

man, dont listen to him....pick up your bondo file, put on your blindfold and get hot.

[Ryan from Ohio]

metal=heavy
fiberglass=light

who cares if it dents or blows apart, if he hits another deer, its going to have to be replaced anyways.

And what if a door comes whaling into the fender in a parking lot?

Shopping carts?

If you get into a hard accident obviouslt either or will be junk. But for minor dents/dings the metal would be better IMO.

As for the weight. How cares? Its an Alero street car. Not a race car...

Sorry to dissapoint anyone.

[billytheman1188]

And what if a door comes whaling into the fender in a parking lot?

Shopping carts?

If you get into a hard accident obviouslt either or will be junk. But for minor dents/dings the metal would be better IMO.

As for the weight. How cares? Its an Alero street car. Not a race car...

Sorry to dissapoint anyone.

DAMN!!!!! i thought all aleros were race cars!:( And if a door comes "whaling" into it, im sure its not gonna do too much damage, unless your pretty damn strong. and shopping cart!? are you ok ryan??? lmao, sorry to dissapoint you but shopping carts are gonna mess that up too bad either, beleive me, i worked at Hannaford for 2 yrs, lmao

[alero168]

Cracking was something I was worrying about, yea. I think you guys are right when you say that dent or crack it's gonna need replacing anyhow.

Rims.. yea I want em, some nie 18" chrome 5 (or 10 spoke in a star pattern) ones, but I don't have $800 for new rims + more for tires. When I get that kind of cash (stop dumping it on lights, lol) I'll get some new rims. Unless you guys wanna spot me?? didn't think so ;P
ive got some just like that 18" chrom 5 spoke, i'm looking to let go check the AOTM dec thread to see pics and PM me if youre interested def much lower 800

[steve-o]

well if its a good fiberglass fender then it would have to be a pretty hard hit with a door, or a shopping cart.

Metal dents a lot easier then fiberglass would crack.

[clutch1]

Well I ordered the front fascia! $500 - $x.xx from insurance for a bumper cover. Should end up costing me like $200 or $300. I hate making expensive orders, but I'm excited.

I think I'll go for the fiberglass fenders too. I know ppgnut cautions against it but risks are what make life interesting I guess. I'm gonna go the way Blackjack said and just go for it and try my hand at making them fit. If it works my passenger fender'll be fixed since it's a pair anyway.

Getting the back bumper from Aftermath, too. Might as well (mostly) finish the kit with one for cheaper while I have the chance.

[2fst4u]

wow, ppgnut really doesn't like anyone else doing bodywork. he'd much rather charge you large amounts of money so he can do it, then complain about how much work he did. it's obnoxious.
mount the kit yourself, it's not that hard, and bodywork can be very forgiving. the only thing i'm not sure about is how well the front bumper will be secured, as it mounts directly to the fenders. this may pose a problem, as the stress will be directly on the fenders.
good luck.
oh yeah, and when did they start making fenders for our car? lol

[clutch1]

I'm not sure, one day I went to AAS looking for whatever they had and low and behold they had fiberglass fenders! I havnen't seen an alero with vented fenders like those vents appear to be yet. Maybe it'll be something unique!

At any rate, I ordered the stuff (with the exception of straightening out the forbidden order, their website order system is terrible). Hope I didn't make any mistakes by going fiberglass on fiberglass as 2fst4u said. Guess I'll find out, and maybe can rig up some extra support if needed.
$45 for a headlight
$500 for a bumper
$200 to ship the damn thing
$225 for fiberglass vented fenders
+ $50 for shipping those
___________________________
$1020 - ish

Which leaves about a grand of insurance money to prime and paint and replace the headlight mount (I wish they didn't have to, haha) and all that great body shop work. I'm gonna end up paying more since there's 2 fenders to be painted instead of one, so that means double the fender paint price. And all this is assuming I can mount and get them shaped correctly at home here before I take it in.

[2fst4u]

the "headlight mount" is called a header panel. one can be had on ebay regularly. replace it yourself or get it from a junk yard. probably save you more money.

[clutch1]

Would $60-70 be a decent price for it shipped? How much are new ones?

[ppgnut]

wow, ppgnut really doesn't like anyone else doing bodywork. he'd much rather charge you large amounts of money so he can do it, then complain about how much work he did. it's obnoxious.
mount the kit yourself, it's not that hard, and bodywork can be very forgiving. the only thing i'm not sure about is how well the front bumper will be secured, as it mounts directly to the fenders. this may pose a problem, as the stress will be directly on the fenders.
good luck.
oh yeah, and when did they start making fenders for our car? lol


dude what iam tired of seeing is how every one on here thinks its such an easy job, and you guys think that a monky can do it i got news for ya rim licker i have been in a garage while most of you were still suckin on your mommy`s tity
when i see shit like this it piss`s me off because i know what it takes to make a car look right and not be hacked to death, iam tired of seeing how everyone here thinks you can just pick up a body hammer and a paint gun and go to town, i have been in this trade for 15 yrs built more cars then you have shit your diapers, but oh ya i forgot body owrk is free so why not do what he`s wanting for nothing right???
you and everyone oh here are clueless about the trade us dumb over priced body men are in
so excuse me for giving my "professional" opinion

[2fst4u]

well, you have to start sometime right? i'm sure you weren't perfect the first time ppgnut. give the guy a chance at trying.
time doesn't cost me a thing when i do my own work. materials do, tho. and they aren't cheap, clutch.

and ppgnut, you don't need to be so negative all the time. you'll get hemroids.

[Oldsnut]

I say, let him learn by his mistakes. When he screws it up he'll be callin ppgnut to fix it.

Ppgnut is trying to help you guys from making major mistakes and wasting money in the long run. What you view as negativity is really his frustration. There is a lot be said for experience, and he has plenty. You might want to listen to him a little more.:rolleyes2:

[Oldsman]

i say let him do it that way we can have a good laugh. because body work is an art and not something you learn over night or in a few days.

[ppgnut]

I say, let him learn by his mistakes. When he screws it up he'll be callin ppgnut to fix it.

Ppgnut is trying to help you guys from making major mistakes and wasting money in the long run. What you view as negativity is really his frustration. There is a lot be said for experience, and he has plenty. You might want to listen to him a little more.:rolleyes2:


thank you andy, and scot is right as well, it is my frustration i try to help not being a concieted prick but iam the only person on this forum that does body work/custom work for the past 15 yrs
all i did was give my advice because i have seen it to many time where kids like him try to do it him self and fuck it up real bad take it to a shop then I am fixing the whole thing all over again and costing the customer ALLOT of money
i do get very very frustrated seeing this all the time when scot is right what we do for a living is an art that was taught to me by someone else who has a talent
so if i give my profeesional advice people should listen to me yes i am a asshole but i can be because iam damn good at what i do

[clutch1]

I respect ppgnut a lot, I gonna say that. UI understand why he don't want me to try it myself, but I'm only attempting this as a kind of thing to do I guess, a challenge. If it ends up bad it's totally my fault for being an idiot and you guys are free to rub it in my face.

[Oldsnut]

Clutch1 if ya have to try this on your own, take your time and work slowly. Rushing things causes mistakes, if ya run into a problem ask a proffesional. Good Luck and show us the results, who knows ya might make fools of us.

Remember if ya screw it up we'll not forget.lol

[ppgnut]

and you know who will be right back in here to say i told you so
sorry but its true oh its true

[2fst4u]

that's the kind of encouragement i like.

[bnight04]

i have been in this trade for 15 yrs built more cars then you have shit your diapers,

I dont know man, I still shit myself.

[clutch1]

Ordered that header panel today! Got it for $70 shipped from ebay.. like 1/2 price of the insurance quote! :D

My headlight should be here soon!
No idea on when AAS will get the fenders here.
The forbidden bumper isn't even a concrete deal yet due to a weird payment system (credit cards plz thanx.. ), but I'm still happy with the bumper choice.
Header panel I'm not expecting for a while since I just ordered it like 5 mins ago, haha.
Still gotta talk to Richie to get his paypal and finish off the rear bumper deal, too.

It's coming together, now hopefully I can do a decent job, learn some stuff, take my time, and most of all be careful once I finally get it here and start putting on the aftermarket panels!

Just felt like updating.

[Oldsmowimp]

Lol. Nuthin like my bi-monthly visit to aleromod and seein my nukkah callin this guy a rim-licker!!! man that made my day. lol. But I agree......people always writting it off as 'easy', and 'oh...well why is it going to cost so much?? cant you just hit it with the DA a bit??" LMAO. Everybody wants something for nuthin.

[clutch1]

My headerpanel came today! Exciting.
I could tell it was a little lower quality plastic than OEM, especially the metal pieces on it, but I just used the OEM ones pulled out of the stock broken one.
The fit was really nice, went in without a problem!
Too bad I must've snapped a wire somewhere when doing it, cuz only 1/2 my engine lights come on, my cathodes in the bumper holes, and my passenger headlight LEDs don't work. Oh well, I'll get it figured out.

Still gotta clear the new headlight and put the LEDS in it though, not looking forward to it, such a pain.

[billytheman1188]

pics?

[clutch1]

I got some on my phone, I'll make a thread later with them in it. (Is there a how to thread for changing the header panel? I could make it into one)

edit: they're in a how to thread.