Original fender flares

When did factory fender flares first come on the scene? Were they ABS or rubber? Wondering if the rubber flares on my 73 are original.

Chilly

 

They may be period, but I'm sure they are not factory original. The largest tire from the factory (L78-18 Polyglas) is covered by the stock fenders. You don't need flares with those. You could buy molded plastic flares across the Jeep parts counter by 1975, and the rubber flares were used with wide tires before then.

 

Should have specified that it's a 73 SuperJeep. At http://www.goldeneagledecals.com/super.html you can see a photo of a white SuperJeep with flares but the photo isn't clear enough for me to make any determinations about what the flares look like. This is the only photo I've seen of a SuperJeep in guaranteed factory trim.

 

Hmm. I don't know about that photo. I expect that with 8" wheels, you need the flares to be legal. Enforcement was lax then - I drove my '73 with 8" white spokes and wide tires without flares and never was bothered.

Pretty sure all the factory packages came with either the 7" slotted wheels or the steel 5.5" wide wheel, and the Polyglas tires. With those combos (not like in the picture?) you shouldn't need flares. I know that we sold the rubber flare material at the Jeep dealership during that period. Comes in rolls, you cu it to length and attache with sheet metal screws. It's a standard trucker part, not anything designed or built for Jeep.

 

I've read somewhere that SuperJeeps came with 8" wheels and flares like the white Jeep in the photo. Add to that the fact that you say the stuff was not Jeep-specific and one might conclude that formed ABS or rubber flares specifically shaped for Jeep wheelwells didn't exist yet. Otherwise Jeep dealers would have had them. So if SuperJeeps DID have flares they were probably the commercially available bulk material you mention, and mine might well be original. However, I guess they're hardly a scarce item since the rubber flare material is still available in bulk.

 

Boyink, what makes you think the molded plastic flares were available in 71? I didn't get that impression from the link you posted. Unless you happened to be in the Denver area, I suppose.

Did you ever notice the picture on the top of the page of the Disco Stu driving his yellow CJ5? The flares look like the bulk rubber kind, not the molded kind.

 

When I was working at Chuchua's in CA, the thermoplastic fender flares were just coming in. This was about 1974-75. I left near the end of '75, and that's when I bought my (first) CJ-6 - which had the plastic flares, and they came in a box from Jeep. Prior to that they sold the rubber flares, and they continued to handle the coils of molded rubber material. Brian was up on any new developments in the parts market, and I'm certain the plastic flares were not available from there in 1973, and maybe 1974.

The referenced page first talks about fiberglas extenders sold to local dealerships, then about the move in 1971. The timeline is pretty vague ... about all I get from a critical reading is that the change to thermoplastic came after the move in 1971, and that 'soon' they were marketed nationally. I don't think this conflicts with my memory about what was available and when.

Hope we aren't splitting these hairs too fine ... :stout:

 

It's a minor point, but because the SuperJeep is regarded as a rare bird I want to try to keep it original when I can.

 

Time Frame... 1974....

There was a white superjeep around here ... it did not have the moulded flares.. but the 'rubber' flares... there were some 73 renegades here also ... and did not have the moulded flares, but the 'rubber' flares

Our 1974 renegade did have moulded flares

And yes the superjeeps were not plentiful... the white one here at that time had a BUNCH of options..... A/C, console, winch, you name it, it was on it... also at one time had a helluva 390 amc in it ... it was not a trailer queen tough... i remember one sunday afternoon the SJ was dang near dash deep in the lake... picture made the newspaper

there was a pale yellow one about 20miles away from here in high point NC back then also....

 

Very intersting.....

I just replaced my flares....they were rubber but they were a heavy molded rubber, not like the ones timgr is talking about I bought them from a salvage yard in about 1979. Anyway, I had one split and all I can find now is the plastic.

 

Either Quadratec or 4WD Hardware sells bulk rubber flare material of varying thickness, some with wire in the edge to allow you to form it to shape. It looks comparable to mine, though it's difficult to evaluate a picture in a catalog.

 

I called and talked to the owner of this company, great guy! He said that the guy he purchased the company from was actually the man who invented the fender flare in 1971. Unfortunately, he just loved what he did and never put a patend on it. He also said that AMC came to him in the mid-late '70's inquiring about making them a factory item. If the story is true, WOW!!

Also, in regards to this guy, has anyone used his plastic half doors for the 5? If so, do you like them?

 

I'm several years late to the party with this thread, but thought I'd post for future search purposes. The 1971 CJ-6 I'm buying was purchased new by a fire department in Ohio, and only has 5760 miles. It has flares on it. I can only assume that they were a factory option when it was purchased, given that it's basically an unmolested vehicle (aside from the fire station upfitting).

Craig

 

Craig, I’m pretty sure your flairs are not original. There was originally a spare tire on the right rear corner that would have interfered with the rear flair, plus the factory flairs, which came a few years after your Jeep was made, had indents for the marker lights on the front flairs. Also, your Appliance wagon wheels are not original to the Jeep.
Your Jeep looks like a real find to be that well preserved!
-Donny

 

Craig, as I remember also, that the later models intermediates( 72-75) had factory flairs only on the renegades with the factory rear solid panel and rear mounted spare tire. I can remember them arriving new at our dealer already installed. The factory flares were more of a soft flexible rubber material rather than a molded hard rigid plastic. I cannot say about the earlier models or pre AMC jeeps as to what kind of flairs they may have had factory installed, But I would guess if they are rubber the might have been factory but if it they are hard rigid plastic I bet they are after market, as I can remember those were available to purchase at the dealer for the non renegade models.

 

Ol Fogie. I bet you're right. Mine are more rigid plastic (and cracked in a couple places). I'll likely remove them once I get some other more important tasks done with my "new" '6.

 

I too don't think those are original flares. The wheels and flares were probably fire station up fits. Probably easy enough to remove flares and fire station stuff if you wanted to get it back to just CJ-6 status.

 

Hard to tell from the pictures, but do those flares have the cutout for the side marker lights? I haven't seen the none cutout flares in years.