Formed mesh as inner fenders?

[Richard150MPH]

I need to apply a barrier or inner fender to the El Camino front clip and several other fiberglass projects to prevent rocks coming off the tires and starring the body.
Some of them have very little room, so little that owners resort to just a thick undercoat.
I doubt undercoat really does the job and it is so ugly it offends me on a naturally rust-free fiberglass surface.
On the El Camino providing an exit for heat and under-hood pressure is also an issue.
My stray thought of the night is to use a fairly fine stainless or aluminum mesh, contoured to fit the underside of a wire or small diameter tube form.
Been done? If so, where and when?
Not as free flowing as just leaving off the inner fenders off, but seems like a reasonable answer.
Or I may just be a bit sleep deprived.

 

[Shovelrick]

I need to apply a barrier or inner fender to the El Camino front clip and several other fiberglass projects to prevent rocks coming off the tires and starring the body.
Some of them have very little room, so little that owners resort to just a thick undercoat.
I doubt undercoat really does the job and it is so ugly it offends me on a naturally rust-free fiberglass surface.
On the El Camino providing an exit for heat and under-hood pressure is also an issue.
My stray thought of the night is to use a fairly fine stainless or aluminum mesh, contoured to fit the underside of a wire or small diameter tube form.
Been done? If so, where and when?
Not as free flowing as just leaving off the inner fenders off, but seems like a reasonable answer.
Or I may just be a bit sleep deprived.

A breathable type mesh you could form to fit then gel coat but still be breathable after?

 

[Richard150MPH]

Pretty sure gel-coat would render it solid but light.
Maybe gel-coat selective areas where dirt is more of an issue?

 

[Shovelrick]

Pretty sure gel-coat would render it solid but light.
Maybe gel-coat selective areas where dirt is more of an issue?

Can you apply the gel coat then blow the holes open with an air compressor?

 

[Shovelrick]

Or maybe corrugated alum?

 

[Richard150MPH]

Blowing air would probably work but gel-coat is thick enough to easily avoid areas that need to stay clear.
If I am using solid aluminum of any kind it will be difficult to form contours.
But mesh forms easily by hand.

 

[Shovelrick]

How would you keep the mesh in shape?

 

[Richard150MPH]

Attache it to a formed wire or small diameter tube framework.
Like a fryer basket.
Need to find a source for the mesh so that I may experiment.

 

[cheveslakr]

If I remember your build, it's a flip front end?? If so, look at the C4 front clip and gain some insight. I know my C2 vette has 0 starring issues after being on the road all these years and all it ever had was a normal factory application of sound deadener. To me, that's the correct method and looks just fine for what it is. If it was a more presentable or colored finish, it'd be a constant maintenance issue. Not for me, factory knows best.

 

[Richard150MPH]

Corvette uses heavy fiberglass, mine is thin, some of it VERY thin.
El Camino gets a flip front and the original inner fenders will not work.
I may be able to modify plastic inner fenders but it is expensive to get a set to experiment with.

 

[Richard150MPH]

I think I have modified my design.
Most of the time the wheels are pointing strait ahead, or close to that.
Most of the dirt, rocks, etc comes off the tire.
So solid over the tire but mesh screen at the side between the top of the inner fender and the engine bay.
The hope here is to let pressure and heat out and not have to put vents into the hood.
Vents would be fine for a more modern car but I am trying to make this a sleeper.
Also hoping mesh may be a tiny bit lighter.

 

[Richard150MPH]

Need to refine the idea a bit.
I think the easy way would be to modify plastic inner fenders, cut a large hole in them then fill that with a screen to help let heat out.
But they are expensive and I am cheap when I can be.
Another idea is to cut an aluminum wheel tub down the middle to make two arches, then use screen to make up the missing portion.
The major issue with perforated sheet material is that it will not be easy to form for compound curves as screen is.
But if I can just do flat panels perforated would be fine.
I am rearranging the shop, again, to get the El Camino where I can do some work on it.