grafx

I had a little fender bender recently and dented my driver side fender. I found a new one cheap but it's aftermarket, not GM. Has anyone replaced a fender with an aftermarket one?? I'm wonder if they fit exactly the same as the original.

sittincamaro

unfortunetly the aftermarket body parts/panels never fit perfect. usually maybe 2 out of the 3 bodys line will line up but the most important one is off into no where. how well the fender fits depends on the quality of the fender really. but with the small amount of expeirence (about a year and a half) that i have work at a body shop after makert fenders are always a pain. either it just looks wrong, something is missing, or you cant get the gaps between the other body panel to be where you want them to.

JeffW

i bought a gm fender for the rights side of my project z 28 and it fits real nice. then i found out that my left was in bad shape so i went cheap and got an aftermarket one........ when looking at the both of them the gm fits 100 times better and even looks better made. it has a better rolled design on the top where all the bolts go in and just looks better. the point that is close to the a pillar at the winshield even sits in better that the aftermarket one. I would go gm if you have the money. i have to align every thing still but the gm one was almost perfect at bolt in.

GMTech

Aftermarket parts are JUNK. GM did a test in which they bought "aftermarket" parts to do a side by side comparison and after you read it, you'll probably never by aftermarket collision parts again.

http://www.gmgoodwrench.com/resource...tingReport.pdf

86z/92rs

I happen to have a brand new OEM GM driver side fender for a Z28. Still in the box and primed, ready to bepainted. Yours for $55.00.

Tony89GTA

iTrader: (7)

I wish that was the case but if you looked at my last two bumper covers that GM sent me the aftermarket is starting to look pretty darn good right about now! Hopefully the third one they send me will be better, if they can find another one.

DJP87Z28

Aftermarket fenders will fit, it all depends on the bodyman's skill.

grafx

Will an 86 fender fit on a 92 Camaro???

DJP87Z28

GM did not change any major body parts thru the entire run of the 3rd
gen Camaro. Trim parts are the only changes.

86z/92rs

85-90 front driver side ender has a different part# than that of a 91-92. So to answer your question, an 86 driver side fender will not work work. I do not know why, maybe there are additional holes put on the bottom of the fenders to accommodate the ground effects?

FlamedROC

I bought my fenders from keystone. they are really cheap aftermarket stuff but all of my lines fit perfectly and I mistakenly ordered 91-92 front fenders and they fit just fine on my 86. But I dunno if anyone likes keystone but thats the brand a body man near me uses. I installed em my self and I was impressed with the fitment. Also ordered a keystone fron bumper cover and that is great quality to. Just my opinion on the subject but if I was to do it again I would buy the fenders straight from GM.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Keystone makes great stuff. You can order there stuff through autozone now. Well the one I work at anyways. We can actually look it up right in the computer now...they updated us so we dont have to use the paper catalog. The best thing Ive found from them so far is they have replacement fog light assemblies. Atleast for the 82-90 firebirds... But Ive sold body panels from them and everyone seems to like them. Just my two cents on keystone.

Justin

kaotik

iTrader: (1)

Is this still for sale? if so what do you need for it shipped to appleton WI 54913?

thanks

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

Flat sheets of steel fit with enough talent too. It's all a question of how much you want to pay him to dick with it. That aftermarket crap is used to save money, and if you're trying to save money, my guess is that you won't pay him an extra 2 hours to make that piece of crap fit right.

Plus, some are just too distorted to EVER fit perfectly.

But even if for some reason you are willing to pay 4-10 hours of labor to get a low quality piece of crap aftermarket panel to fit, it's not going to be as durable as stock. It's going to dent easier and rust sooner, and if you're in an accident you may be potentially severely comprimising the integrity of a unibody vehicle.

87z28camaro

i heard aftermarket fenders arent the best, oh by the way, the 91-92 fenders ARE differents than the earlier ones, they have a dif. groove/design to them, noticed this when me and my buddy were comparing camaros, so it wouldnt look right if u have one 91-92 and one prior to those date fenders on one car

87CIZ

iTrader: (8)

i used an aftermarket fender and bumper cover and they do not line up at all i have about 1/2 inch on each side of the hood where the bumper cover is supposed to meet

ES87iroc

No, it will look just fine. Most everything that was said thus far regarding the camaro fenders is only half correct or not correct at all.

The 91/92 fenders are only different in they have a slot for the front spoiler to affix to instead of a hole and the hole(s) for the side gfx to mount to. An earlier fender will work just fine, but will require you to make a slot hole for the front spoiler tabs to slide into unless you cut the tabs off the front spoiler which will still mount, but not as flush as it could, and possibly relocating the hole for the side gfx to mount up to.

Take it from me, someone who actually had it all apart, did the conversion, and knows.

My car has:

85 driver's fender (made a slot & holes)
91 passenger fender
87 nose
92 front spoiler
82-92 cervini's cowl hood

...and everything lines up great. I hunted around for good used rust-free gm panels instead of buying aftermarket JUNK.

MaineIrocer

I had to replace on on my car and it was close but it didnt really fit up as well as i was hoping..... I went to a salvage garage and found a fender off a camaro that was in good shape and put that on instead.. it fit alot better.

87z28camaro

lmao, i've done the swap dude, i KNOW there is a SLIGHT difference other than the front clip, i'll put money on it anyday

ES87iroc

Uh, sure. Look at it again.


Please do show us, let's see some pictures of this elusive difference.

Gee, and to think for all this time I have been driving around and taken my car to shows with mis-matched fenders!

kahamri

Keystone buy's there parts from midwest fender...There are diffrent company's that sell diffrent aftermarket body parts, Keystone's parts are good. Autobody Pannels are awful, but much cheaper.. Autobody pannels buy's theres from cheap manifactures so they can save cost and give it to you cheap. A big thing in aftermarket parts is most peple think they are all made by one company when in fact there are about 100 diffrent company's oversea's that make the.. They ahve diffrent ways of rating and tracking the parts,

There are capa parts. http://www.capacertified.org/overview.asp
Capa is a way of certifing that the parts are made by the same quality that gm makes theirs. but are aftermarket.. so they are the same quality....

Everything midwest fender is the best you can buy in aftermarket, there are diffrent plates, dyes, and ways to make the part, if a grill is made by three parts (molding, center, emblem) then you can bet if it's capa it's made the same way, non capa are most the time made with 1 plate, that means if your grill is chrome and paitable, your only geting paintable because you cant mix them with one plate..

If you guys or ANYONE has any questions about ANYTHING to do with aftermarket parts, i know my stuff, it's my job...i lvoe to talk about it..give me a email or pm fellas!!

87z28camaro

oh hell dude, im just sayin that there is a diffence in them, they are gonna fit perfect, but theres a slight difference in the design, nothin too noticeable, but if u know what ur lookin at u would know the differnce, but some people dont know what they are talkin bout so they dont see it, thats all im sayin, trust me i know, u must not know, but oh well, a lot of people on this board dont know, but oh well,

ES87iroc

Sure thing jr.

I am sure everyone else is wrong and you are right.

Like anyone is really going to take misinformation from a 17yo kid who can't spell vs. the correct information from someone who parts cars out regularly on the side. Aside from that, it's cleary an obvious thing that anyone with a few marbles in thier head can verify. I guess myself, GM, and the aftermarket panel makers all just don't know what "ur lookin at u would know the differnce".

You can send me nastygrams on PM until you are blue in the face, it does change the fact that you are wrong and an immature kid.

Humor me, what is this elusive "slight difference" anyway?

87z28camaro

holy **** dude, u are stupid, i wasnt tryin to get anyone mad or anything, i was just sayin THERE IS A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE, THAT IS IT DUDE, SO U CAN SHUT UR MOUTH, UR THE ONE THAT IS BEIN IMATURE, GET A LIFE

ES87iroc

No need to get all up in a bunch and resort to name calling, we are not in high school, are we? You are just putting out wrong information, and I was calling you on it. No big deal.

Seriously though, I am still waiting on this slight difference thing. Just a friendly question.

87z28camaro

dude, what really ticked me off, was u saying that i am a 17 yo imature kid, that doesnt know what he is talking about, ok, but w/e u say, then i say ur stupid and ur like ok no need for the name callin, when your the one who started the ****, so umm.. who is imature again??? just a friendly question

ES87iroc

Mine was a statement of fact. Yours however was not. You are 17, right? You did attempt to contradict me more misinformation when I posted the correct answer, right? You did PM me, correct? And you proceeded to call me "stupid", and tell me I need to "shut my mouth"? Were these not your actions? This is not the behavior of a mature person. Enough said, let it go.

You are dodging the question, btw. How are they different? Again, just asking.

87z28camaro

well heres a pic of where the difference is located, i circled where its at, so u can look for the dif.

87z28camaro

oh, btw, in the pm i sent u earlier, i was statin i was sorry for u thinkin i was tryin to make u mad or w/e, i wasnt tryin to be a jerk at all in the pm, so i myself, think that is very mature to do

kahamri

Do you have a enlarged picture or somthing? Thats kinda hard to see..I think i missed it but thats an oem fender right? Is it the curve thats wrong, or the wheel flare?

ES87iroc

Neither. He just can't come to terms with it.

ES87iroc

Here is my car with a '85 driver's fender. (and a '91 passenger fender)

ES87iroc

And the supposed different style 92 fender.


Man I feel silly having a car that I take to shows with two different fenders on it.

87z28camaro

ok, dude, its all cool u dont believe me, im just tryin to help out thats it, ok, where i circled, i was stating WHERE the slight difference was, ok, its a very light different, it just is more defined than the 82-90, its hard to explain, i know there has to be someone on this board that knows how it is, ES87iroc--if u dont believe me its all good, i dont want u to think im just some stupid person that dont know what im talkin bout, i dont want anyone on here to think that either, this is a board to help,

87z28camaro

damn dude, u have two very nice looking cars by the way, also, its a slight difference that u cannot tell by a pic, im gonna take out my digital camera once this snow melts, and i will try to pick it up on camera, unless my buddies 91 camaro fenders were messed up in factory?? see both sides of his look like they have a creese dent, where i circled on the pic, we thought it was a dent at first, but both sides are exactly the same, and i've noticed it with a lot of the 91-92's around here,

87CIZ

iTrader: (8)

sorry for the quality of pictures my aftermarket fender is really close to the factory one. except weaker metal.the bumper cover is totally off score one from a boneyard or get a gm piece

87CIZ

iTrader: (8)

heres another one sorry for the bling bling

87CIZ

iTrader: (8)

and finally this is the fender that was replaced after the accident you cant tell its not gm

ES87iroc

Holy smokes! These were new panels?!? As I had mentioned, just buy good used ones next time. (Or now for that matter, that would drive me nuts! )

The other thing is the aftermarket fenders are made from thinner steel to cut corners on cost. This meaning your fenders will dent rather easily.

87CIZ

iTrader: (8)

yeah it pisses me off everyday i look at it.... still trying to find a used one around here that isnt trashed. gotta get my baby lookin good again.

camarors_guy

I have 2 aftermarket fenders for my 91 RS, that said they were for 82-90 on the box. We just put the driver's side on today and it fit perfectly. The passenger side is being a pain though.