Some may recall my misadventure of expensive 41-46 rear fenders that were shipped in weak cardboard boxes and promptly flattened by Greyhound, and in the end I lost out on long time saved money and gained some fenders that I can't use. The effort and cost to patch, straighten, weld, fill and repair is overwhelming and not cost effective. I walk by those fenders laying in the corner and feel a sting every time I see them not knowing what to do ...other than to hide and forget about them. I learned some lessons - and accepted that it really came down to me - I made a poor and hasty decision. Maybe I will hang one on the proverbial wall of shame as a reminder to temper my enthusiasm and be more careful.
Fast forward to October - and luck would have it that I stumbled on a nice set of 46 steel rear fenders a couple hours south of me stuffed in a barn loft with a complete but dissembled bed, including the running boards in straight and excellent shape, running board filler panels, front bed panel and tailgate, and crossmembers; all for less than what I paid for the other fenders. Everything is straight with slight surface rust and original paint. The rear crossmember is the only piece that requires work. He took the fenders to a shop and they restored them, smoothed out the metal, and sprayed with epoxy primer. They are perfectly smooth with no rust at all. The fella removed the bed to turn his truck into a flatbed years ago - and finally after all of these years decided to part with these pieces after-all.
Perhaps, things do balance out - well, almost. I can now move forward with the bed portion of the 46 truck and feel like I am making progress rather than taking a step back. Perhaps some of the sting from my earlier adventure will now go away. Typical of most things in life and how this restoration hobby goes; when you least expect something - it shows it's face. When you look hard and want or need something - it's never there. And sometimes, when its least expected a better door may open and a step back may, in the end, be short lived after-all. I'll never figure it out.
Tom
Last edited by tom moore; 11/04/2020 1:32 PM.
