Just want to know if anyone has any comments on using fiberglass fenders on a 122. I need to replace mine, and don't know if I should use fiberglass (cost ~$220USD per pair) or stick with the steel originals(~$1000USD per pair).

Jim at Volvo adventures ( http://volvoadventures.com/classifieds/detail.php?siteid=7 ) is selling them for $400NZD (~$220USD) per pair plus shipping. His fiberglass fenders look great on his car ( http://volvoadventures.com/amazon.html ) , but I don't know how the fiberglass hold up over time.

Also, seems no one sells these fenders anymore. This is the first time in a while I've seen them for sale. I've heard that they shrink? Is this true? Any other problems with them I should consider?

Paul

ipd sells them ($195 EACH!) via special order. Not inexpensive, but a good and reliable source.
Good luck.

Sorry, I believe iPd pulled those for not fitting properly.

I had fiberglass fenders on my old 120 sedan. It was a rust bucket (R.I.P.) so the fiber fenders where a cheap way to keep it on teh road another two years. The ones I got were used $100.00 pair, they could have been smoother and they could have fit better, seemed tough though, and if I still drove my 120 in the snow, i would want a pair. Unless you rally or just generally beat the crap out of your car I would go with the metal, mind you if it's never going to be a show car why not.. Oh yeah, FG is made using a catalyst, boat building lore would have it that the FG gets more and more brittle over time as the catalyst continues to react with the polyester, this can lead to a crazzed (sp?) surface.

Hi Paul,

The fenders on my Amazon are the original steel fenders, they were repaired before the car was painted, they were not too bad. So I do not have any experience with the Fibreglass fenders myself. The set I have for sale came from Smith and Deakin Plastics in UK, Phone: 01905-458886 or Fax 01905-458889 and were purchased during my project when I had ideas of rallying the car. They are very light, but for normal road use I feel a bit safer with the steel fenders. So they are surplus now, but its too expensive to ship them to USA from NZ, if you want a set its better to contact the manufacturer in UK directly. However I have seen them advertised in a USA Volvo Club magazine not too long ago.

My headlight cowls were completely rusted away and I have installed plastic units which were really cheap and do the job well without rusting.

Greetings from NZ
Jim

Story: While making a left turn into an uphill driveway in the snow, I lost traction and glanced the right front off a rough stone wall. All impact force was to the front fender and my knowledege of momentum physiscs had me expecting to see crumpled metal. To my amazement, there were only scratches to the fender . . . and pieces of stone on the ground!

I'm going to be using metal. I don't have any experience with the fiberglass fenders, but know that 1) the metal fenders are extremely strong (a 200-pound guy can actually sit on one when mounted) and 2) paints have come a long way in recent years. Once you strip them down to bare metal and use good prep methods with modern primer and paint, it's unlikely you'll have to worry about rust (at least for the next 30-40 years).

Paul;

Nothing resists rust like plastic! Especially on an Amazon, where the front fenders are known to be suseptable...you know where...that's why you're probably asking. Fibreglass fenders are lighter, will NEVER rust, and look great for a long time...what's not to like? While you're at it, depending on their condition (but I can guess), you might want to consider installing plastic headlight buckets too. It's been a while since I priced glass and metal fenders, but with the current price of the two, unless I was doing a super restauration, I'd go with the glass.

The downside...much less crash protection (I've thought of reinforcing them by adding in an internal tubular framework), brittle in the winter (that's why I have replacement steel fenders on the Snow Weasel).

One word: Plastic fenders...er, two...
...two words: Plastic replacement fenders...er, three...
...three words: Plastic replacement Amazon fenders...er, four...
...never mind, I'll come in again!

Cheers

This is not Vovlo specific.
I have a Jeep that is 100% fiberglas.
It holds up great.

Remember that all your lights will now need a ground wire connected to them. You can just Daisey-chain a 10 gage wire from one light fixture to the next then tie it to the chassis.

--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwr and two motorcycles: it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me