costpenn

I've seen a thread on this before but now I cant find it.

Needing to install new fender well flaps on a 72 442. They are out of the car, and I"m trying to keep it looking stock. I'm currently doing the front air deflector (attaching the rubber flap from one good core to the molded plastic piece from another core) and am having a lot of trouble getting the staples to bend over without hurting the plastic, and am wanting to avoid the same problem on the wells. How is this typically done?

76 Regency

Funny you should ask this because I'm literally just about to install new ones on my car in the next few days. I had originally thought to try the staples like factory but after seeing my friends car, I think I'm going to use the black plastic push clips. I'll just drill a small hole and put the clips in from the engine side through to the wheel side so you'll only see the head of the botton under the hood. I know it's not factory but it will be a nice, clean installation and not something I could imagine anybody taking points off for. It looks like something the factory would have done anyway.

Lady72nRob71

I prefer to use the existing original staples.
As long as you have a clean, smooth metal backing plate behind the staple, bend the legs in with pliers and then tap 'em down with a small hammer. Not a problem when i did mine.

See if this helps you out...
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...tml#post306296

mmcilroy

I did mine the same way as Lady72nRob71.

Had to clean out the original holes a bit with a small drill.

76 Regency

Hmmm. Now you guys have me thinking. My original staples were kind of a mess so I yanked em when I painted the fenderwells. I do have a heavy duty staple gun so I wonder if I could try it and then bend them back on the wheel side??? Of course, my fenderwells are already on the car.

navvet

I attached mine using the clips. It is a strange design...but I did want to keep mine original. The clips I rec'd were crap!! When I tried to bend them over they snapped off.
Glad I ordered more then I needed.
Quick thought: I noticed by installing the flaps the engine compartment cools better.
I have mentioned this before and have not rec'd opinions on it. I have been told more then once the flaps do help with engine compartment cooling. Any thoughts?

Lady72nRob71

I had once heard that the spinning tires create an air turbulance that somehow interferes with the proper air flow of through the radiator and exiting under the car.
I could see this being true with no inner fenders but not so sure about just missing those little flaps...

OldsManNJ

Where did you order the staples from? I have the new rubber pieces to attach to my fender wells, but have no staples in the ones there to reuse.
Thanks...

Tom442

Fusick has the staples as they came with the replacement rubber splash shields, not sure if sold separately or not. As far as installing them, (I can't imagine installing them still on the car). I used the staples and held a block of wood behind and drilled a tiny holes through the inner fender(filler) and into the rubber where the original staples were removed. Watch that bit coming through the backside. Then with the same block of wood on the back side, tap the staples through the filler and the rubber into the block, swap block to other side and tap staples flat.
tom
68 442 (new splash shields were kind of a pain)
70 F85
95 Aurora (wants to be an Autobahn)

costpenn

Did the staples that come with the flaps (the set that I bought is branded Millenium Industries) seem a little short in the staple length? I tried using a couple of them on the air deflector to rubber flap issue I'm having trouble with - they seem too short to go through the plastic and that thick rubber flap. Maybe they work fine on the wells - I havent yet tackled that issue(wheel well and flap material seem slightly thinner than the air deflector materials), but Rob, is that the reason you re-used the originals?

Joe

Lady72nRob71

The staples i got with mine were run-of-the-mill staple gun staples. They were too flimsy to use as is and my staple gun takes a wider staple. Not sure if it would have even penetrated that thick plastic.
So just make things EASY and not have to drill more holes in the plastic, I reused the originals. Not one broke or gave me a hard time. They are as close to factory as one could get.

jdana24

So, I'm the next one to take on this task. I removed my original staples, but they are not in very good condition. Also, my staples don't look like a traditional staple that would go in a staple gun, but the staple is round and about the gauge of a large paper clip. Has anyone used an air stapler to install the flaps, and if so, what staples did you use? And has anyone made their own staples out of the large stainless paper clips. Based upon the previous comments, I'm leery of using the staples that come with the flaps. And is does Fusick's have the best fitting flaps, without having to trim them?

navvet

fusicks product needs a small amount of cutting for an exact fit and mine required drilling holes in the flaps. I placed the clips in from the engine side to give it a clean look.

Bluevista

How are you supposed to snag the towel on the staples every time you clean the inner fenders if you put the staples in from the engine side/backwards??

navvet

Ok the flat part of the staple will show in the engine compartment. The pointed end will be on the outer part of the fender well. The staple ends ( in my case) were bent over and are not a concern

costpenn

That's the way the staples have been pointed (outwards from the engine compartment) on the sets of wells I've worked on - red wells out of a 68 H/O, '70 Rallye 350, and now TWO sets of black 71-72's.

belairbob

belairbob

on any car with staples im tired of them rusting 6 mo. later i use stainless steel staples purchased at staples then i bend them to the correct with around the appropiate size pliers then angle cut them to the correct lenth you can bend them with you fingers and they will never rust the angle cut is to push them through the rubber belairbob

Lady72nRob71

Buying staples at Staples - who woulda thunk...
Are they stiff round ones? Are they the same width as the originals?

belairbob

yes there the round ones but you bend them to your own size they are not quite correct but there easey to work with and no rust i have a set holding on my 63 ss 409 inner wheel well seals for 13 years now no rust

1969 442 w30

I used Fusiks flaps, they fit good. the stapels they give you suck...To thin and to short..Don't they try these things before selling them..LOL I was able to use a few of the original staples over. Then after trying a few things, I made my staples out of the same gauge bailing wire and copied the originals and polished with a wire wheel. I installed them like the originals from the engine compartment out. NOT a one man job when doing them on the car!!!