FE Power Forums
FE Power Forums => Non-FE Discussion Forum => Topic started by: dozz302 on February 04, 2022, 07:29:17 PM
-
Hello, does anyone have an idea who would be able to identify an original 427 thunderbolt front fender. Thanks
-
It depends, there were different versions. The early version was made with a horizontal shelf, molded to the inside, beginning at the front edge of the wheel opening and extending forward along the upper edge of what was a formed recess for the bumper extension on the steel version production fender. The "shelf" was intended to provide an attaching point for each side of the one-piece, fiberglass bumper/fender extensions that was part of the early series cars. NHRA rejected the design, proclaiming only metallic bumpers would be accepted for Super/Stock so Ford made a run of aluminum bumpers which were provided for delivered cars and DST changed the build on the remaining cars to include the aluminum bumpers. Later fender design was altered to, mostly, replicate a production steel fender. I'm not certain of the number of the exact first car that DST built with the revised bumper but there are members of this forum that have that information. Effectively, the first design incorporated the front lower fender extension and the bumper ends (the molds were made using a '63 Fairlane bumper design instead of the '64) into a single piece that had the appearance of bumper and replaced the lower grill valance.