Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone had any input on the aftermarket rear fender louvers for the '69's. I ordered a set of OER brand from Classic Industries and I'm not particularly impressed with the fit. They don't hug the fender as closely as I'd like so there are noticeable gaps. Has anyone dealt with this brand before and maybe have any suggestions? Also, if anyone has experience with another brand that might be better I'd welcome any information. Thanks

Andy

 

I have a set from Classic Industries and the fit fine !! Have you had body work done that could be the problem ??

 

 

I put the ones from Classic Industries on my car last year and one side fit like a glove and the other side was less than perfect but still suitable. Jamming my arm as far down inside the door Jamb I was able to tighten down the speed nuts enough to make it look suitable. After thinking about it it might just have a lot to do with exact placement. You did use templates didnt you?
I used templates and I think I didnt take as much time before drilling the second one so I didnt get it 100% exact.

 

I did use the templates. I recently found out the car has repop quarters so that may be the issue. I've found that the vertical sections of the piece contact the quarter before the top and bottom horizontal sections do, leaving about a 1/8" gap that can't be sucked up with speed nuts. I've ordered another set of louvers from TrimParts hoping for a better fit. I hear that they make a part of considerably better quality. Here's hoping...

 

Best of luck. Let us know how it works out.

 

Ok guys, finally got this issue resolved and got some time to update. To recap I had originally ordered a set of louvers from Classic Industries. After using the templates to drill the holes in what I later discovered were repop rear quarters (which may or may not have contributed to any issues that I had) I attempted to place the louvers. The fit was terrible! The louvers did not have the proper curve to them to match the fender, and one was actually worse that the other. I called Classic Industries and they were very accommodating, sending me out a new set. Unfortunately, while these were a bit better, they still were pretty crappy in the fit department. After some more research, I ordered a set from Trim Parts. When these came in they were obviously a much higher quality reproduction and were basically the same price. In short, stick with Trim Parts for this particular piece. I got them installed and they are not perfect, but are very presentable. Steve and Mike at Steve's Camaro's in California are very in tune with the quality of parts on the market and were very helpful. If you order the templates (which everyone carries the same one's) don't expect too much. They are just paper and while they should line up to 3 reference points, they are pretty iffy. They'll get you close but I wasn't overly impressed- especially for how expensive they are. But again, there just isn't anything else on the market. I hope this helps anyone looking to add these pieces to their car. Again, this is just my personal experience and I am not a professional restorer, so take it for what it's worth. Good luck!

 

Glad you found some that fit your fenders. Scary stuff drilling holes in a perfectly good fender! haha