1957 wheel fender skirt installation

[Walt57Yuma]

Trying to install my wheel skirts on my 57 Bird but having difficulties in doing so. The skirts have the center screw hook and side riveted slot brackets and the quarter panel hook brackets are in place. Would appreciate someone who would provide me with instructions as to connecting the side skirt slot bracket to the quarter panel j hook brackets. Lastly, was there originally a rubber or other molding on the top of the skirt to protect the body from rubbing paint to paint?
walt

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[biddle]

When you post to the forums, your subject should have the four-digit model year along with a short summary of what your post is about. When you put "1957" as your subject, nobody has any clue what your post is about. I've edited your subject/title.

 

[Ward 57]

First there was a rubber gasket stapled to the top of the skirt. When I replaced mine I just used hot glue but a good weatherstrip adhesive could work just as well.
When installing hook the front tab into the slot at the front of the wheel well. Then withe the latch handle hanging down fit the rear into place so the skirt is flush, the flip the latch handle up and to engage the receiver, push the handle up and hook the handle hook up and into the lip of the skirt.

 

[Walt57Yuma]

Thank you, but I just tried that and there seems be something that is just not right. I have attached a few images to see if the previous owner changed something.

 

[Ward 57]

Those are definitely not OEM latches for a '57. I don't know what they were thinking. I don't have any good documentation but I'm sure somebody on here does.

 

[Walt57Yuma]

Those are definitely not OEM latches for a '57. I don't know what they were thinking. I don't have any good documentation but I'm sure somebody on here does.

Ok, it just did not seem correct. I will wait for additional forum input. At lease I now know that I am not just mechanically installation challenged.

 

[swatson999]

Who knows *what* they've done, but here's a site with some decent pictures, both sides, of both L and R skirts so you can see what sort of parts *should* be there. Note that these are missing the rubber gasket that goes on the top to separate them from the fenders.

 

[Walt57Yuma]

Thanks to all, I now see what is wrong with mine. Now to get the right hardware in place is my next challenge.
Side note: I believe I purchased a pretty nice car overall but, as I go through it, there are plenty of non-original fixes that I am addressing one by one. This forum is very very helpful in getting this car right.

 

[Ward 57]

Thanks to all, I now see what is wrong with mine. Now to get the right hardware in place is my next challenge.
Side note: I believe I purchased a pretty nice car overall but, as I go through it, there are plenty of non-original fixes that I am addressing one by one. This forum is very very helpful in getting this car right.

I've had my '57 45+ yrs and even though it was pretty original it was still 20 yrs old and at that time mostly just considered an 'old' car so things that were done had no desire to keep it correct just running.

 

[willcarterdc]

Yes, there should be a rubber mounding/gasket along the top of the skirt.

I’m not sure if I’m following the rest of your question. If you’re asking how the fender skirts should be installed, then:

When I first got my ‘57, I could not for the life of me get the fender skirts back on after the first time I took them off. I read every description that I could possibly find for how to do it and tried many times, but I just couldn’t do it. However: I eventually found this video, which somehow clicked something in my brain:

. (The video is for a 55 rather than a 57, but the process was exactly the same on my 57). Your mileage may vary, of course: I’m not particularly mechanically inclined, so reading how to do it didn’t help me at all - I had to see it being done. Now I can get them off and on in literally two minutes. (Not a terribly useful life skill in the grand scheme, but gratifying to me nonetheless!)

If, on the other hand, you’re asking whether your fender skirts themselves have been assembled correctly - whether all the bits and pieces are in the right place and installed properly - I’m not enough of an expert to comment definitively. As I recall, though, the rear/backsides of my skirts don’t look like the pictures you posted. But I’ll go take a picture of mine tonight to confirm.

 

[Ward 57]

Thanks to all, I now see what is wrong with mine. Now to get the right hardware in place is my next challenge.
Side note: I believe I purchased a pretty nice car overall but, as I go through it, there are plenty of non-original fixes that I am addressing one by one. This forum is very very helpful in getting this car right.

Also take some pictures of the mounting tabs in the fender well. Proper tabs can be bought from the many reputable suppliers and welded on if needed. Do the skirts actually fit the fender well not withstanding being able to latch them? They should be the same for all three years.

 

[Walt57Yuma]

Also take some pictures of the mounting tabs in the fender well. Proper tabs can be bought from the many reputable suppliers and welded on if needed. Do the skirts actually fit the fender well not withstanding being able to latch them? They should be the same for all three years.

Yes they fit fine, just need the right hardware placed back on the skirts.

 

[Walt57Yuma]

Update, was able to replace the fender skits rubber molding (hot glue and staples) and found the right hardware for one of the two skirts. It now looks spot on. Finding the skirt lock/unlock swing bar is very very difficult for any kind of reasonable cost. I hear a lot of others having problems with these skirts to wire wheel knock-offs clearance but, I have plenty of clearance.