Source/quality for reproduction front fenders (wings)

[Hodgepodge]

Well, as I was pulling things apart yesterday, I noticed the failing patchwork covering up some rust at the common location just inside the front turn indicators on one side and some fresh rust-through on the other side.  Since I also know there is a small amount of rust lower on the fenders, and that it is generally more cost effective to replace fenders than fix them, I 'd like to ask about reproduction fender quality and fit, as well as seek recommendations for sources. 

 

I've seen 2 shops selling reproduction front fenders, although I don't have their names handy.  One was in Europe and one was in the US.   The European vendor was selling them for less, but by the time you got done with shipping, they were about the same or a little more than the ones in the US., which I think were about $185 each including shipping (compared to, what, about $750 if you can find OEM).   That's in line with other decent quality replacement fenders I have purchased for other cars. 

 

So....Who has used them?  How are they?  And can you recommend a good US vendor?  

 

Thanks,

 

Scott

 

 

Edited March 4, 2018 by Hodgepodge

[rms_sandiego]

WollothNesch

Quick shipping even from Germany, price with shipping reasonanble, good fit. I've bought their stuff and would recommend

 

Restoration Design Inc

Haven't bought their body panels, but the other things I've gotten from them have been excellent.

 

[Hodgepodge]

OK, great!   Those are actually the two sources I had seen before.  Glad to know others have had good results.  

 

Anyone else? 

 

[Henning]

I'd like to know how to properly install a turn signal into this bag:

 

 

I have my doubts if this will be an easy job. And so about the other aspects.

 

hen

 

[sailorboy]

I've bought various  02 and E24 body panels from Walloth,  and I recently bought a pair of fenders from Restoration.  $185usd  ea.      They came in Walloth boxes.   (Walloth has BMW OEM fenders for 657 Euros ea ,  or another suppliers for 100 Euros.     100E = $128usd) 

 Worked out about the same total price from either, once shipping was factored in.     Both of them have good fast shipping connections.    Not sure why Restoration only has fenders, and not doors and other Walloth parts.

[Hodgepodge]

OK, so the Restoration and Walloth fenders are the same.  That's actually a good thing.  Thank you. 

 

Henning, there is a grommet in the inner fender (with a long tail inside near the headlight and a grommet in the outer fender (pictured...I am going to try to re-use mine.).  You have to fish a wire through them and then pull the loom wire out from the inside.   It is tricky but not impossible.  The good news is that there is no connector on these wires.  They connect to the turn signals via screw-down terminals.  (Note that both of these leads are hot, one is running lights and the other is turn signal and the lamp grounds to the fender.)  I am in the process of pulling my loom out to paint and took the picture below before doing so. You can see where the wire goes through the inner fender.   My turn signal only had one set of wires and one lamp, although there were two grommets in the outer fender.  Judging from the rust in the lamp housing, one probably should have been a drain.  

Judging from the non-matching black in the housing on my car, this fender was either from a donor car or already a replacement fender.   

 

Hope this was helpful. 

 

THanks,

Scott

 

[TobyB]

Holy crap, Hen, that picture makes that 'fender'

look like a real fiasco.  Is the stamping

really that bad?

 

t

[Hodgepodge]

I'm an idiot, of course.   Wrote a long response to Henning because I didn't realize he was referring to a really poor fender stamping. 

 

Where did you get that fender?  

['76mintgrün'02]

there have been a LOT of posts about shitty fender quality.

 

EDIT: Okay, maybe just a lot of them... not a LOT.

Edited March 5, 2018 by '76mintgrun'02

[Hodgepodge]

From the vendors above, or someplace else? 

['76mintgrün'02]

them's the venders fer the fenders

 

here is one thread on the topic... my quick search did not pull up many, but I do remember a few other people saying they needed a lot of work to make them fit well.

 

 

[npdw]

There are a few problems with the aftermarket fenders. I purchased two W&N fenders so I have some experience:

• The turn signal shape is not good - I tried to get the shape back in to it but that is almost impossible if you are not removing the turn signal housing. 
• The distance between door and fender is to big
• The construction is more weak/flexible compared to orginal fenders

 

So bottomline - you think it is an easy and cheap new fender but it is not up to my standards. If you are really good with metal then I think you can make them work but it takes a lot of time. I decided to buy original fenders that I am now restoring. That takes time too but at least you have a good starting point.

 

Good luck!

[Tommy]

I made them fit but it was a huge work. Result is ok for me but it would require more skills to make them good. The turn signal area is really poorly made.

I recommend fixing the old ones if possible.  

[harold]

I have two of the reproduction fenders in a box in my garage.  Fit was terrible, particularly at the turn signal housing, and at the lower front where it joins the valance below the bumper the curvature did not match at all.   There were horrible wrinkles in the horizontal surface at the top. 

 

I bought two BMW fenders instead.  They were (only!) about $500 each at the time, but made worse by having bought the trash repros first. 

 

I got both the repros and the original fenders from W&N. 

 

 

[02Les]

I guess i was lucky. My local (never seen an '02 before) body shop had only a minor problem with the W & N fenders matching up to the W & N supplied BMW nose panel on my Touring. I did have to massage the blinker opening slightly.