1969 pontiac firebird fenders3/21/2024 ![]() ![]() Hope to help, showcarsrob / Showcars-Bodyparts. I may go ahead and mount it just to find out. This is a new, hand laid fiberglass, bolt-on left front fender for a 1969 Pontiac Firebird. I am planning on doign my bodywork next year, but the discontinuation of these fenders accelerated my decision a bit. I ultimately decided I would prefer better fit to perfectly crisp creases.we'll see when I get it if I made the right choice - with my luck, I ll get a stamping with poor creases AND fit). I've heard the NOS units aren't as crisp on the stamping lines as the new repro units, but the repro units seem to have slightly more "fit" issues. In both situations, it seems like "luck" as much as anything as to whether you get a "good" one. I've heard all of the stories about both the repro, and NOS fenders and decided to take my chances with the NOS units. They are basically going to try and get one from one of the other dealers, etc. ![]() They confirmed the part shows to be discontinued, but there are soem still out there. I did let them know that if it arrives with a Dynacorn, Goodmark, OER, or Golden Triangle label that the deal is off. In addition, I am getting the fender for a (still spendy) $550. They confirmed the part number, contacted GM, and jumped through several hoops for me. the second dealership was MUCH more helpful. He also didn't have any way to confirm that my part number was correct, etc. The first said he could not even look it up, but when I provided him a part number he quoted me a price over $700 with shipping, etc. I just ordered a NOS fender from my local GM dealer. If they're not good, no one knows until they buy the part and try to put it on the car (and at that point there isn't much recourse). The service parts are put in a box, and shipped to a warehouse, where they sit for perhaps years. And there's no vehicle plant incoming QC department checking parts the way they did in production to keep things honest. I suspect the check gauges and fixtures are discarded (agian, they take up space) or perhaps not used for service parts the way they were in production. The other difference is that once a car goes out of production, the typical quality processes diminish. The wheelbase remained 108 inches and the track 60 inches, though overall length increased slightly to 191. The gas cap moved behind the rear license plate and front fenders were reshaped with wind-split edges. It is not practical to have space consuming equipment when you're only making parts every few months at most. The big news for the 1969 Pontiac Firebird was the introduction of the limited-production, high-performance Trans Am model in March. The production assembly equipment is designed for speed/repeatability (has to make 50-70 high quality pieces per hour), but takes up a lot of space. It is the fixturing that builds the fender assembly up from the various stampings (outer panel and reinforcements) that is typically not the same as was used in production. In general, a service part would be made from the original dies. ![]()
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