After much searching I've finally located what appears to be a very good RH front fender for my '56 Panel. Now I just have to drive 2 hours, both ways to go get it.

 

That's good. Two hours ain't bad.

Show us pictures of it.

 

I've driven to Wisconsin for split rim wheels for the F4, Edmonton Canada for a hood and seat, Lethbridge Can for a good flathead block, Calgary Can for F2 running boards and to tri-cities Washington for F6 running boards.

It's part of the charm of keeping these rigs on the road. Enjoy your trip!

 

I could have saved you much driving if FG repros would do.

 

I've put on a lot of miles picking up parts for my trucks and cars. Take a friend along and stop for lunch. Half the fun of owning and working on an old vehicle is the traveling to find parts.

 

I've heard that the F.G. repops are not very good.

 

That's not too bad. Fenders around here are so rare I had a guy drive from Wagga NSW to my home in Albion Park (4 hours 30 minutes) each way just to pick up
a very tired old pair of Fibreglass fenders off me which he was ecstatic about.

 

Here's the pair of fenders I drove 2 hours each way to buy today. Turns out they came off of a truck that was the same color as my Panel, very light blue. The right one is the one I really needed, since I didn't have one, but I decided to buy both.
The RH is almost perfect while the LH has no rust but some small dents in the front edge. I'm happy to get them. Planning to go to the event in Pigeon Forge/Sieverville in a few weeks but I bet I would have had to pay more for fenders there.
Now all I am missing is a Panel truck gas tank, but I have someone local that can make a tank for me.

 

Looks like a very worthwhile road trip.

 

Did you take a friend along and grab lunch?

I recently found a set of front fenders for the '37 Buick Special I've been working on forever. I was surfing CL nationwide looking for parts for the car and the first ad that popped up was for a "set of pocketed front fenders for a '37 or '38 fenders. Very little rust, $975 for the pair", 40 miles from my house. Called the guy the next day, he didn't know whether they were for a '37 or 38. They're like Volkswagen parts, they look the same when apart but put them together and they are different. He also didn't know what model they were for, pre war Buicks share very little parts from year to year and even from model to model.

I grab on of my beater fenders, good enough to repair but still need work, and took the 40 mile drive to check the fenders. Matched my fenders to the fenders for sale and turned out they were for a '37 Special with sidemount spare tires, which are rare because not many Specials came with sidemount fenders. They both have minor rust outs along the edge but no dents. I got them for $650. Probably saved 40 hours, or more, to fix my original pair. I still think of what are the chances of finding the exact fenders I needed so close to home.

The only thing now is I bought the original car about ten years ago and it turned out to be a total rot bucket. I replace the engine, transmission, rearend, frame, body, grill shell, doors and now front fenders. I do have the original hood and radio

 

Nice fenders.

Ask Jim, 52 Coast guard panel, about his home made tank.

 

I took a friend along and bought our breakfast at Bojangle's, his favorite.

 

Just curious...how much different is a panel gas tank from a pickup? Filler looks to be close to the same location..

 

Panel truck tanks are mounted inboard of the frame rails.

 

Panel tanks are longer but narrower than pick-up tanks. My local sheetmetal shop makes tanks for street rods and off-road vehicles. The one for a Panel can be a long round tube with ends installed. I have a pickup tank that the filler tube and sending unit flange can be salvaged from.