McDonnell-Douglas Ford fenders question

[deucevikki]

Around 1980 I was building a deuce roadster and ran across an article in a car magazine (I think it was Rod Action), about a company called AFord that was making reproduction 1932 front fenders. I did some research, bought a pair of their front fenders and a fuel tank. The fenders and tank fit the roadster to perfection so I bought another set for a future project.

Now, after a few decades, I still have the fenders. I won't be using them because I want to rebuild an A wagon my kids grew up with. Can anyone give me an idea what these fenders might be worth? Might be a help for the woodie project.

Here are a couple of shots.

[deuce lover]

I bought a set in the late 90's for $1600.Don't know what they would go for now,maybe $2000?There is a guy in Texas looking for a set.Hope he sees your post.

[Steve/IL]

Nicer than Brookville 32 fenders. The McDonnell-Douglas fenders at least got the bead profile right!

[TJ]

The last pair I saw had a listed price of $2500 , but don't know if they sold or not..

[32 ford barn]

There Is a set at the Early ford Store in San Dimas Ca. For $5000.00. I saw them. Could be sold by now.

[JimOH]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I bought a pair of '32 front fenders in 1996 from a restoration shop in PA and I was told he purchased them from a place in CA and they were stamped from the original Ford dies. He said they didn't use these fenders because they decided to go fender-less. If this is the same place, they didn't fit along the frame rail. When these were fitted using the original holes in the frame and running board there was a gap between the fender and the side of the frame. We had to cut the fender flange loose, move it in against the frame, then weld a slice of metal to fit the gap. I am not slinging mud and possibly these could be checked out and may fit perfectly. Maybe the fellow in PA sold me a tanted story and maybe I shouldn't have even mentioned it here. Too many maybes.

[deuce lover]

Jim,I'm glad you brought that up.I built a 32 tudor in the mid 90's.I used a new set of those fenders in my build.I had the same problem and also the bottom corner edge dropped below the frame rail by nearly an inch.I thought because I had a Deuce Factory frame that the problem was because of the repo frame.Also the outer edge of the fender where it meets the running board there was a gap at the bottom edge.Had to cut the fender there so we could pull it to meet the board.Had to fill that pie wedge opening with weld.The front lip where it meets the splash shield had to be massaged as they did not meet up as they should have.Lastly when you look at both fenders from the front side by side they don't match.The right is more pointed at the front curve .Just my observations.

[Krylon32]

Maybe the fenders you speak about in the mid to late 90's were made by a company named (Funk) in Ohio. I used several sets of them in the 90's and early 2000's and had the same fit problems. I also used the fenders Dick Spadaro briefly produced and had almost no issues. I remember a fella in Nebraska building a 3 window in the mid 80's using A Ford fenders and they were excellent. Currently have used 3 sets of Brookville fronts and have the same side rail to fender gap issues plus running board to fender issues. Also had to modify the eye brows to match. Guess it's just to much work to make them right?

[deucevikki]

Thanks for all the input. I figured the guys on this forum could help fill in some blanks for me.

I've heard tales of reproduction fenders out of that time frame not fitting well, but I don't remember having much problem with my fenders. I certainly didn't have to do any cutting and welding. My frame was original and the running boards were repros (maybe Deuce Factory?) and maybe I wasn't as fussy as some folks. And, dang it, it looks like that was 35 years ago. Now I'm depressed.

[deuce lover]

Originally Posted by Krylon32

Maybe the fenders you speak about in the mid to late 90's were made by a company named (Funk) in Ohio. I used several sets of them in the 90's and early 2000's and had the same fit problems. I also used the fenders Dick Spadaro briefly produced and had almost no issues. I remember a fella in Nebraska building a 3 window in the mid 80's using A Ford fenders and they were excellent. Currently have used 3 sets of Brookville fronts and have the same side rail to fender gap issues plus running board to fender issues. Guess it's just to much work to make them right?

I got those fenders from Bill Norton of Valley Obsolete in North Hollywood and they were A Ford.I heard that the fenders from Dick Spadaro fit better then the right die got damaged and they couldn't get that fender right.I am to understand that the die's Brookfield currently has are from Vintique.

[Krylon32]

Deuce Lover: My bad, I was referring to the fenders JimOH purchased in PA in the 90's as an observation. Those Funk fenders were being sold by a lot of shops about that time. Dick told me that his dies were damaged in a flood and after that everything went to hell. Brookville has been giving the impression theirs are their own fenders built in their dies. Who knows for sure????????????????????????????????????????

[Floyd]

Brookville used "others" fenders for a while so they could offer a complete package. However the quality was poor and to keep their reputation they tooled up their own fenders about 10 years ago. It is their tooling, they built it,(kirksite) and they run it on the 1000 ton Clearing. I have seen it run. They have a vintage bead wire and roller machine from the 30's to do the beads. Cool to watch. Unfortunately, it does not form beads exactly like Henry did.
Just an opinion

[Newc]

Hi all; I am working for an estate and we found a pair of new 32 fenders [frnt] with a tag of $2300. They look goood but do not fit the frame rails in the 'tail' or drop to the running board. So they could be A Ford or maybe Funk or McDonald/Douglas???? Nr Portland Or Newc

[deucevikki]

Well, now I'm curious. I've got a 32 that the fenders have never been off. Let's see, after a dozen bolts or so we'll just see how they fit.

Keep you posted.

[deucevikki]

I just spent a couple hours checking the fit of the McDonnell/Douglas driver's side fender on my original '32. I was happy to find that my memory still served me on how they fit. Some of the holes might require a little trimming, but I think this is fender fits pretty good. I just stuck the original bolts in the holes to show they fit.

[DavidG]

Dick Spadaro first alerted me to the fact the curvatures of '32 front fenders do not match along their front edge and did not match when new. After looking at dozens of fenders, early or late, early takeoffs or NOS, I concluded that he was correct. Look at the fenders on the cover of the V8 Club's '32 book, which is the cover of the November, 1932 issue of "Ford News". That photo was a head-on shot of a late deluxe coupe taken at the gate on Village Drive in Dearborn. Both fenders are the late, narrow-flange version. The curvatures of those fenders do not match.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by DavidG

Dick Spadaro first alerted me to the fact the curvatures of '32 front fenders do not match along their front edge and did not match when new. After looking at dozens of fenders, early or late, early takeoffs or NOS, I concluded that he was correct. Look at the fenders on the cover of the V8 Club's '32 book, which is the cover of the November, 1932 issue of "Ford News". That photo was a head-on shot of a late deluxe coupe taken at the gate on Village Drive in Dearborn. Both fenders are the late, narrow-flange version. The curvatures of those fenders do not match.

David.....Could you possibly post that picture for those of us ill-equipped? Thanks! DD

[Karl Wescott]

Originally Posted by DavidG

Dick Spadaro first alerted me to the fact the curvatures of '32 front fenders do not match along their front edge and did not match when new. After looking at dozens of fenders, early or late, early takeoffs or NOS, I concluded that he was correct. Look at the fenders on the cover of the V8 Club's '32 book, which is the cover of the November, 1932 issue of "Ford News". That photo was a head-on shot of a late deluxe coupe taken at the gate on Village Drive in Dearborn. Both fenders are the late, narrow-flange version. The curvatures of those fenders do not match.

The shape mismatch continued through 1933 and 1934 both on cars and pickups.

[ReggieK]

Pobody is nerfect!

[Bored&Stroked]

Well heck, now I'm going to have to go out and take a close look at my 32 Fenders - they are mint and I just gotta see this for myself! Thanks gang!

[Fordors]

Here is the photo from the V8 Club '32 Resto Guide-

[DavidG]

As requested.

[DavidG]

The other anomaly that I've noticed on several of my recent restorations which is confirmed by the "Ford News" photo is that the V8 emblem on the head lamp bar does not line up exactly in the center of the grill, but is rather off to the left (when facing the cars) by about an one eighth of an inch. While one or two examples might be evidence of something bent in the way of fenders, fender brackets, head lamp bar, etc., five of them in a row without exception is a bit beyond coincidence when reinforced by this photo.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by DavidG

As requested.

Daaammmm.........those two fenders ain't even close! Thank you guys for the pic! DD

[Fordors]

Measurements on a V8 head lamp bar from the underside of a h/l bolt hole to the lower fender bracket hole show 6 1/16" on both sides, using a tape measure. Checking from the edge of the h/l mount chamfer to the edge of the emblem hole show 1/16" variation, or stated another way the hole is off 1/32". As David has suggested I wonder if the error might be in the fender brackets? Then again, it could be as simple as tolerance stack-up. Think back to just a short while ago when foreign manufacturers showed US builders how to do fit and finish properly.

[deucevikki]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

ttt

[Carl]

....from here and looking at the pics of the front of the fenders, it appears to me that the LF is a narrow flange and the RF is a wide flange. I believe those would be two different stampings. I don't believe that would affect the different front curvatures though. Whats your input David G?

[DavidG]

I have not noticed a difference in the curvatures across the fronts of the late narrow flange fenders compared to the earlier wide flange fenders. A lot of original '32s are/were equipped one narrow flange fender and one wide flange fender with the left side most often to be the narrow version in that combination as perhaps that coupe on the magazine has.

[Krylon32]

I used a pair of Funk fenders many years ago on a 32 pickup project and they required quite a bit of work for a good fit. Then I switched to Brookvilles when they started to make their own. I used them on my 3 window, delivery and 5 window. They required some massaging at the outside running board corner and where they bolt to the frame. We also reworked the eyebrow on I can't remember which fender to match the other as the difference when looking from the front was quite evident. I was lucky to have owned a few pairs of nice original fronts which I used in the 70's and 80's

[Carl]

David, you answered a couple of fender questions in your response. I wondered if new 32s off the line were equipped with mix matched fenders. So, if my car had one of each type fender and was judged in a V8 club meet, it would not be a deduction, right? (My Phaeton has a pair of NOS narrow flange fenders). I heard that the late narrow fenders were designed to allow more clearance on left side for the horn, right? I'm not trying to run this fender issue into the ground, its just interesting info to me. It illustrates just one of the many variances there were(are) in 32 cars and parts, thanks.

[Steve/IL]

While I haven't build as many all steel 32s as Gary (Krylon32). I have build three all steel 32s with original frames and other one with Gary's frame, all with either original narrow or wide front fenders. None of the front fenders fit at the side of the frame rails and some were not square with the running boards. It is not surprising that reproduction front fenders do not fit the side of the frame and/or the running boards. Making most anything fit as it should on either a restoration or a Hot Rod is just part of the process. The pickier you are, the more work to get it right!

[DavidG]

Carl,

V8 Club judges should not deduct for mixed flange width front fenders. If they do, they err.

The left side narrow flange front fender actually reduces the amount of space between the fend and the radiator shell so it has the opposite effect in terms of space for the vibrator horn, but with the correct horn bracket there is still enough room.

In my experience, you cannot use a motor-driven horn with a narrow flange left front fender without the horn touching the near vertical adjacent portion of the front fender. In order to make that type of horn fit, it has to be at an angle, rather than straight, front to back. And doing so, the tab on the bottom of the horn bracket must be eliminated or the hole for the tab relocated.