What did you do to your G-Body today 2024

[Rktpwrd]

Agreed. How does everyone feel about fiberglass? And would the fenders be smooth or have a factory like appearance? More than once I've pondered making a mold of the originals but just don't have the time or space right now.

Fibreglass and vibration don’t usually play very well together. It would have to be a pretty substantial fibreglass piece to withstand the road abuse thereby negating any weight savings. Given its proximity to the engine and the front suspension components, I wouldn’t give it a very long longevity expectation. Not to mention the stone impacts they’re bound to get. Stone impacts will cause chipping and hairline spiderweb cracks. There might be fiberglass versions out there, but I for one wouldn’t consider them.

Carbon fibre maybe, but you better have deep pockets.

 

[Sweet_Johnny]

Fibreglass and vibration don’t usually play very well together. It would have to be a pretty substantial fibreglass piece to withstand the road abuse thereby negating any weight savings. Given its proximity to the engine and the front suspension components, I wouldn’t give it a very long longevity expectation. Not to mention the stone impacts they’re bound to get. Stone impacts will cause chipping and hairline spiderweb cracks. There might be fiberglass versions out there, but I for one wouldn’t consider them.

Carbon fibre maybe, but you better have deep pockets.

Very valid points- there'd be no weight loss for sure, and fiberglass bedsides on trucks always spiderweb. It's happened to more than one of mine.. I don't think the heat would be a concern though so long as there was ample airflow considering boats are fiberglass and some have enclosed SBC or even BBC. Granted, the transom is also bolstered with wood but the sides and cover typically aren't.

These hypothetical inner fenders would certainly need to be as thick if not slightly thicker than the originals to avoid the ravages of heat and rocks if made of fiberglass. Carbon fiber would be phenomenal but that's well beyond the reach of most wallets. This idea is probably yet another that I'll never see through.

 

[scoti]

Wow those are wide. Maybe it’s just the angle, or contrast in colors, but they look really really wide. What front wheel and tire combination are you planning on running?
Also, how much taller than stock are the tubs?

Looking good, keep posting pictures of the progress!

The tubs are ~15" wide. There is 12" from the inner skin of the fender to the outer edge of the frame rail & 3" between inner & outer fender surfaces. They are ~1.75" higher (@ center) which yields 2.25" more clearance vs the molded plastic version due to the shape of the plastic & how/where the hardware is attached.

The plan is to eventually have a 9" front w/5.75bs to keep the 255/40-18's tucked which is necessary for my ride height. 275/40-18's w/10" rears will occupy the tail end.

Fiberglass was considered but you guys ran through the same logic steps/scenarios I did. Weight savings would be close to a wash. That being said, they would also require more room to yield the same clearance above & around the tire.

I wanted these to initially look 'OE' but offer the needed clearance. But as I press forward it's morphing into an ' OE inspired' appearance.

 

[Rktpwrd]

The tubs are ~15" wide. There is 12" from the inner skin of the fender to the outer edge of the frame rail & 3" between inner & outer fender surfaces. They are ~1.75" higher (@ center) which yields 2.25" more clearance vs the molded plastic version due to the shape of the plastic & how/where the hardware is attached.

The plan is to eventually have a 9" front w/5.75bs to keep the 255/40-18's tucked which is necessary for my ride height. 275/40-18's w/10" rears will occupy the tail end.

Fiberglass was considered but you guys ran through the same logic steps/scenarios I did. Weight savings would be close to a wash. That being said, they would also require more room to yield the same clearance above & around the tire.

I wanted these to initially look 'OE' but offer the needed clearance. But as I press forward it's morphing into an ' OE inspired' appearance.

Thanks for sharing the details with your setup. It’ll help me when the time comes to tackle mine. Currently the top of my front tires are sitting right on the bottom of the steel wheel well flange (w/ the front wells removed) when it’s aired down. I already know for sure that I have to raise that flange to still clear the tire, I’m just not sure how much yet.

My front tire combination is quite a bit narrower than yours so I won’t need to go quite as wide. I have some steel front inner tubs from an early Grand Am that I’m going to try and use, albeit modified, to try and retain that factory appearance as you mentioned.

Appreciate the info.

 

[scoti]

Thanks for sharing the details with your setup. It’ll help me when the time comes to tackle mine. Currently the top of my front tires are sitting right on the bottom of the steel wheel well flange (w/ the front wells removed) when it’s aired down. I already know for sure that I have to raise that flange to still clear the tire, I’m just not sure how much yet.

My front tire combination is quite a bit narrower than yours so I won’t need to go quite as wide. I have some steel front inner tubs from an early Grand Am that I’m going to try and use, albeit modified, to try and retain that factory appearance as you mentioned.

Appreciate the info.

I looked into the possibility of utilizing another models steel or plastic inners. One of the better options as far as tweaks @ the inner skin for a Malibu is the 78-87 Caprice. When I measured them, they're @ about the same height as where I raised mine to. The curvature where it drops down to the outer wheel opening lip is fairly close (I feel close enough that w/some relief cuts it could help move things along faster vs starting from scratch). Inner skin to frame depth was similar as well.

My issue was finding them local to me near Dallas w/o buying an entire car that has no paperwork. It wasn't worth that hassle just to test the waters. Since they're popular DONK's, the 2 & 4 doors get a premium. Wagons were found but nobody wanted to part w/just the front inner/outer fenders for cheap & I wasn't about to roll into South Dallas w/a bunch of cash.

I also played around w/C10 rear wheel tubs as a possibility. They would require sectioning (too long) but I liked the look from the mock-ups I did w/some leftover flanges after building some mini-tubs for a guy (years ago before the aftermarket started re-popping wider than stock versions).