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It maybe crazy, but looking for a non-magnetic fender cover to protect the body and paint while working on the engine. Its not a stupid idea when you drop a wrench and ding the paint- oh I'm @!#$. This will never happen again when I find one. Looking for any leads to sources; the Porsche parts places only list the 911 and up. Thank you, Michael

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TROY SLOAN- I love to do my own work on the small stuff so that I can fix it if I have have problems on the road. Plus, I save money for the big stuff. 

SACTO MITCH- I'm using this idea right now with large clamps from harbor freight. The portion of the towel over the engine bay gets in the way and cutting it makes the whole towel flimsy. 

CRAIG- great idea; thick and may hold its shape better when I try to cut the material out hanging over the engine bay. Cheep enough to give it a try.

 

 

 

Michael, I really hadn't given this too much thought before you brought it up.

I usually just throw a towel down and done. But if you don't want it to move around or flop onto the engine, how about these simple clamps? Use them with any towel, shop rag, or whatever. Flipped back, there's nothing to stick out and snag on.

They're available in a million different sizes from, like, a quarter-inch wide to about four inches. These are about an inch and a half and seem to hold just fine.

Keep it simple, SOC.

 

FenderCoverClamp

FenderCoverClamp02

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I remembered custom fender cover/cushions for 356s from when I was a kid so when I had my Pfaff sewing machine I made up three of them - two went to the Carlisle Raffles and I kept one.  

Basically, it is a big, flat, donut -shaped thing with a hole roughly the size of the engine cover.  Mine is made of black vinyl (easy to clean) and there is a cushion material on the car side of the same stuff as tool chest drawer liner (looks suspiciously like black carpet padding, which it is - wicked cheap at Bed Bath and Beyond (with a coupon)), and that is bonded to the vinyl with 3M upholstery adhesive.  

Putting it on takes all of two seconds to flip it over the opened engine cover and then the top of the donut is held in place by the cover, letting the bottom half just sit on the car, like this:

fender cover

Removing it takes about 2 seconds, too.  Unfortunately, I sold my commercial sewing machine and haven't made any since, but it's simple enough that anyone could do it.  You could even make it out of  some old towels and no clips needed!

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Last edited by Gordon Nichols
MusbJim posted:

@Michael B (aka bluespeedster SoCal) Mike, SOCer Terry Nuckels has a fender protector similar to the link provided by GRA. Looked to be perfect protection for the car while working in the engine compartment.

DSCN0469

I think that is a decent price for that item!  

I made that. I bought a bunch of vinyl and felt. Made a template with butcher paper, cut and glued the vinyl pieces together. Used spray adhesive to attach the felt to the back of the vinyl. The "condom" is held in place with tonneau snaps.

I agree with Jim, that's a very fair price for that fender cover!

Last edited by Terry Nuckels

Michael the feeling that you screwed up by damaging the car in any way is a gut wrenching one that no one likes to have...

It reminds of the the silly story about the guy who buys a new car and then takes a hammer to make the first dent in it so that he is CURED of the OCD symptoms of perfection... 

I guess the thing about buying a convertible rather than a coupe is that you can get your head in it if it swells  

 

Ray- I can never do what the guy did with a hammer, but understand the gut wrenching feeling decreases after the very first impact. After that the rock hitting my windshield didn't feel so bad. But, I may need to get it filled so the temperature changes or stress cause the spyder web effect.

Michael McKelvey- I know where you are coming from. Someone within the family stacked some boxes too close to the speedster. Good thing I had the cover over the car which didn't do any scuff markings.

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