I'm looking for a front driver's side fender for my 76 Valiant coupe. I called Desert Valley Auto Parts in Phoenix. They told me they have them in stock, rust free $225 each. Has anybody here used them before? i think I'm definitely gonna be sending them a money order, giving my credit card number to a bunch of guys on the other side of the country working in a junkyard wouldn't be a smart idea.....

...that's a bunch of herb for an old Valiant fender. I realize all the ones near you are rusty... Not sure what to suggest, but I'd think you could do way better than that.

D/W

_________________

If it ain't broke, fix it!

1) That is WAY too much money. www.car-part.com shows lots of good '76 Valiant-compatible left fenders for a LOT less money.

2) USE YOUR CREDIT CARD! If some random guy across the country decides to screw you, you have recourse through your card company. On the other hand, if you send paper payment, if they decide to screw you, yer screwed with no recourse.

I bought a back glass for a 63 dart from them when I could not find it local. They pulled it, crated it, and shipped it to San Diego. They told me up front what it cost and let me make the decision.
When I said do it, they made it happen. No surprises - just the kind of
people I like to do business with.

I picked up a Hemmings and called all the sheet metal vendors for Plymouths. Desert Valley had the lowest prices believe it or not. A couple of places out of California quoted the fender at $350+ My biggest issue is the condition of the sheetmetal. If I have to pay more money for a fender that is truly rust free, compared to one that needs " a few hours of conditioning", I'm okay with it. I'm not expecting it to be in NOS condition, but like the old saying goes, you can't polish a turd.

Yeah, but you can Armor-all it...

I wouldn't give 300+ bucks for a Valiant fender if I lived on the moon. You can come south and buy a whole car for that. I understand the convenience and rust issue, but when you pay prices that exorbitant, you are adding steam to the train taking this "hobby" out of reach of regular gear-heads.

D/W

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If it ain't broke, fix it!

Dennis, you could probably make a business out of walking into junkyards, taking rust free sheetmetal, then selling it online. People in New England would pounce on it. The fender I'm replacing has a large dent in the lower corner, and is rusted through on the lower edges and around the wheel lip. And this is on a car with 34k miles. It's impossible to walk into a junkyard around here and find anything even better than that. Believe me, I'm a regular gearhead. I inspect fire extinguishers for work, I'm not exactly swimming in money. This Valiant is my pride and joy, and for once I want to restore a car the right way, not cut corners with sheet metal and rivets and bondo So I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and pay extra for good parts. BTW...ever think of putting a six in that newport 4 door of yours?

Foolish. I bet you called exactly zero of the yards resulting from the car-part.com search to ask the exact condition of the fenders they offer.

*shrug* Your money.

Foolish. I bet you called exactly zero of the yards resulting from the car-part.com search to ask the exact condition of the fenders they offer.

*shrug* Your money

Actually, I called a bunch of the yards on carpart.com. Most of them said the fenders they have are "useable". I'd like to go with one that needs as little work as possible. So don't ASSume I didn't call them. And you're right, it is *shrug* my money. I was going to make a donation to this site with it, but now that I have a moderator / board sponsor being a wise ass, I think I'll hold onto it.

Jon, it's your money, and I won't be a wise ass, but the ludicrous prices people are paying do affect the market for everyone. It just pumps up the people who say "ha! I'll sell it for a fortune on eBay!!!". I know we're not talking about eBay here specifically, but it's that crowd, the ones that aren't really enthusiasts, they just want to buy up stuff and resell it for big bucks. All I ask as an internet friend and fellow enthusiast is that you thoroughly exhaust all other options before spending an insane amount of $$$ for a fender. I tripped over several the other day, the guy is too high on prices, but not that ridiculous Unfortunately, I don't get around to the junkyards as often as I used to. I can send you some numbers, but shipping may be a problem.

D/W

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If it ain't broke, fix it!

Sorry, no sale. I will not buy into your attempted guilt trip. If you feel the information and assistance you receive from the existence of this board is yours for the taking, without doing your part to ensure its continued existence, that's on your head, not mine.

The best price quote I got was $200 from a yard in California. All the ones selling them for $35 - $100 said they were useable fenders with some putty or needed work. Unfortunately, they'res not too many hobbyists left in the hobby. If they did it for the hobby they'd be giving the parts away, or letting them go for what they paid.

There are fewer than in years past, but there are still plenty. It's just that you have to do the work to find them. It's easier than ever, now that we've got the internet. Sure, good sheetmetal costs money 'cause there's a finite supply and it's a hassle to crate and ship. But $250 before shipping is still outta line.

On the other hand, $698 for a brand-new pair of fibreglass fenders is steep but reasonable, given that they'll never rust and are brandy-new. And some of the cost difference would surely be made up in shipping, due to the lesser weight.

-DS the incorrigible wiseass

-DS the incorrigible wiseass

Ever since I commented on gay marriage Dan's been having a tizzy

Please note that this thread went WAY off topic, and has been continued (the off-topic part) down in "Social Corner"...

D/W

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If it ain't broke, fix it!