Fender Skirts --- Thumbs Up or Down ?

[Marty Roth]

On 11/29/2022 at 8:20 PM, Paul Dobbin said:

I like anything in skirts, especially women and old cars with whitewalls.

   

 

 

On 11/29/2022 at 8:25 PM, SC38dls said:

Paul, I agree. I met my wife 54 years ago when she walked in a bar with a short skirt and great legs. Love at first site. 
dave s 

1968 - era of miniskirts - I was to transport gifts from a friend's fiancee's lingerie shower.

Long legs, short miniskirt, fantastic smile, amazing package - married over 52 years ,

'nuff said ---

 

Oops - make that 53-1/2 years

Edited December 10, 2022 by Marty Roth (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

Slightly off-topic but is a good case for skirts-

 

Has anyone noticed women with ugly legs and feet are the first to put on a miniskirt and sandals?😏

 

Like some cars with not-so-great rear fender lines, skirts can be an improvement.

 

And so as not to be accused of sexism, guys will do the same thing with shorts and flipflops!😬

[nick8086]

😁

Edited December 12, 2022 by nick8086 (see edit history)

[1935Packard]

Fender skirts look fantastic on cars that are part of the 1940s-to-1960s aerodynamic movement, when they were trying to make cars look (to varying degrees) like teardrops or other aerodynamic shapes.  The fender skirt ensures the consistency of the teardrop look.  For example, I think an XK120 coupe looks much better with than without: 

 

 

 

 

[PhillyFordGuy]

8 hours ago, rocketraider said:

Club Coupe yes, but why do they make the 49-51 sedans look so frumpy? Amazing what a slightly longer rear deck can do for styling. Think 30s Lincoln-Zephyr coupes, which btw also look fantastic in skirts.

Well observed. I don't like them on the sedans either. Also, I don't think they are "necessary" to make the Club Coupe look good. It shines either way, but the skirts tend to accentuate its slightly more rakish lines. 

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

8 hours ago, rocketraider said:

Slightly off-topic but is a good case for skirts-

 

Has anyone noticed women with ugly legs and feet are the first to put on a miniskirt and sandals?😏

 

Like some cars with not-so-great rear fender lines, skirts can be an improvement.

 

And so as not to be accused of sexism, guys will do the same thing with shorts and flipflops!😬

 

 Women with ugly Legs??   Nah, just some not as attractive as most.😁

 

  Ben

[coachJC]

The car I always think about if your talking about fender skits, is the 49-51 merc. I think this car looks better with than without.

[EmTee]

Another case of 'split personality' is the 1970 Riviera.  It was obviously designed for skirts, but I feel the full skirts reduce the 'sport' (as in Gran Sport) and really accentuate the 'personal luxury' look.  I generally prefer the 'mini-skirts' on these, but would never put full skirts on a GS...

 

 

 

And to beat this horse once more, I totally agree with @Pfeil and @rocketraider when it comes to the '65 - '66 full-size Pontiacs.  We had a '66 Catalina coupe with skirts when I was a kid.  I really didn't like them at the time, but now I think they can look really nice...

 

 

...so, I like these both ways! 

 

[31 LaSalle]

9 hours ago, 1935Packard said:

Fender skirts look fantastic on cars that are part of the 1940s-to-1960s aerodynamic movement, when they were trying to make cars look (to varying degrees) like teardrops or other aerodynamic shapes.  The fender skirt ensures the consistency of the teardrop look.  For example, I think an XK120 coupe looks much better with than without: 

 

 

 

totally agree look a different car with skirts just my personal opinion

 

[rocketraider]

In the case of the 60s Pontiacs, the skirts both complemented and completed the "Coke-bottle" styling goal. I like them either way though I think the Grand Prix looks truer to form without them.

 

Again, how well a car pulls off wearing fender skirts depends a lot on whether the skirt was "designed in" to the car's overall styling. 

[Pfeil]

Being a dark color blends the skirt to the body. If the car is a light shade it looks like a hang on.

[JamesR]

On 11/29/2022 at 5:57 PM, Pfeil said:

There is no way around some Cadillac's because of the structure behind the skirt.

 

Still, most of the 57-58 Cadillac line was all about sweep cut, so much so they put wheel well molding on them to drive home the point. My favorite GM 57 car.

 

I agree...the skirts on the early '60's Cadillacs work visually. It seems that for '60's era cars with heavily contoured rear quarters ('61 to '63 Cadillac, the big '65 Pontiac that you mentioned, '65 Chrysler,  4th gen T-Birds, etc.) fender skirts could work fairly well. However, it seems to me that styling during the '60's was generally moving away from those kind of contours. From a 3/4 view, the '65 Pontiac looks fine with skirts because the skirt gives continuity for the heavy contour line. From a side view (like you showed), though, the Pontiac looks better with the rear wheel well open - no skirts. It makes the car look less ponderous.

 

Most cars of that era didn't have those contours. A '65 Impala, '65 Galaxie, or big '65 Olds (and all of those clean looking midsize cars of all makes) with fender skirts? I don't think so. Of course, fender skirts came back with a vengeance in the 1970's with the full size behemoths that Detroit was selling. I have less of an opinion about skirts on those cars because I'm less a fan of that styling, in general.

 

The profile views of the '57-8 Cadillac you showed looks great. I can see why you like them. Cadillac got it right those years.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2022 by JamesR (see edit history)

[The 55er]

Big thumbs up to skirts on the 1965-1966 Pontiacs and even on the 1967-1968 big cars too. Definitely NOT on the 1961-1964 Pontiacs though. They seem like a popular accessory on the 1959s but on the 1960 model year I'm not so sure. 

Edited November 30, 2022 by The 55er
added a word (see edit history)

[JACK M]

I see alot of Pontiacs here that would look stupid and incomplete without the skirts.

My 65 300 is that way.

 

Edited December 1, 2022 by JACK M (see edit history)

[31 LaSalle]

1 hour ago, Pfeil said:

Being a dark color blends the skirt to the body. If the car is a light shade it looks like a hang on.

love them on the dark car hate them on the light one what a difference a color makes

[Pfeil]

3 hours ago, The 55er said:

Big thumbs up to skirts on the 1965-1966 Pontiacs and even on the 1967-1968 big cars too. Definitely NOT on the 1961-1964 Pontiacs though. They seem like a popular accessory on the 1959s but on the 1960 model year I'm not so sure. 

Interesting what you said about the 59. Since the new 1949 models (probably before) there was a skirt option on a Pontiac. 1957 Pontiac has sweep cut styling (1st time), and there was a factory skirt for the car, but in 59 there was no skirt in Pontiacs option book. I speculate that Knudsen might have had something to do with that.

   lip bulge and shadows 

rolled lip causing sun refraction, shadow below it. Aftermarket.

[Dave Gelinas (XP-300)]

Depends on the car, but in general a thumbs up.

Edited December 12, 2022 by Dave Gelinas (XP-300) (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

Some 70's and 80's cars had integral skirts and would look funny without them.

 

Mercury has the advantage over Ford even though both cars are styled similar because the Merc has smooth rear wheel arches compared to the rolled Fords, but both cars were made for a skirt.

 

[PONTIAC1953]

[Pfeil]

5 hours ago, pontiac1953 said:

Definitely a car for a skirt. It sure looks amiss without it.

 

[Pfeil]

Here's how to make an "A" body look larger than it is. Not bad!

[pont35cpe]

30s/40s, no. `49 and later, with OEM skirts, yes. They are naked without them.

[Pfeil]

1 hour ago, pont35cpe said:

30s/40s, no. `49 and later, with OEM skirts, yes. They are naked without them.

You didn't read the earlier post?

 

Lets look at a 1942 Buick Roadmaster that has "Air Foil body styling". The flowing line of the car starts at the front and exits through the end of the skirt. The car would look incomplete without it.

[pont35cpe]

9 hours ago, Pfeil said:

You didn't read the earlier post?

 

Lets look at a 1942 Buick Roadmaster that has "Air Foil body styling". The flowing line of the car starts at the front and exits through the end of the skirt. The car would look incomplete without it.

I could give those a thumbs up, they look to be OEM. I`m not going to slice and dice someone for their opinion..

[George Smolinski]

On 11/29/2022 at 7:48 PM, rbh3rd said:

To my eye, they look just right on a Shoebox Ford coupe.

Take the skirts off & install triple lake pipes. 

[Pfeil]

50 minutes ago, George Smolinski said:

Take the skirts off & install triple lake pipes. 

Problem is, you'd have to show it on Jalopy journal.

[Pfeil]

1 hour ago, pont35cpe said:

I could give those a thumbs up, they look to be OEM. I`m not going to slice and dice someone for their opinion..

They are GM

[PhillyFordGuy]

8 hours ago, George Smolinski said:

Take the skirts off & install triple lake pipes. 

I'd drive it over a cliff before I'd do that.

[Buick35]

I wonder what my 74 mgb would look like with them? I could probably make one out of cardboard just to see.

[DRH]

Here's our 57,  you make the call.Don

[rocketraider]

👍

71-76 Oldsmobile Custom Cruisers, 60s/70s Chrysler T&Cs, and some 40s and 50s wagons notwithstanding, most wagons shouldn't wear skirts!😽

[Pfeil]

 

This wagons wheel arch is not designed for a skirt.

[DLynskey]

An example from the current ""not mine" forum where fender skirls do no good.

 

 

 

 

 

Don

[58L-Y8]

On 12/3/2022 at 7:16 PM, DRH said:

Here's our 57,  you make the call.Don

The pictures answer the question.  Fender skirts are intended to enhance the visual sweep of the rear quarters therefore should not be defined or noticeable.  The stamped-in flares negate that.

[keiser31]

Some skirts were actually part of the overall design as these promotional Plymouth models show....

[Jim Skelly]

While we're at it, here's a '67, then a '68, Fury III promo:

No Sport Fury promo or kit was made by Jo-Han, but some or all of the kits came with the Sport Fury's bucket seats.

 

 

[EmTee]

From the "Not Mine For Sale" forum...

[Turbinator]

I’d say if the car came equipped with fender skirts then I defer to the manufacturer’s better judgement. In the case of adding f/s to the car it is a matter of personal taste. No arguing personal taste.

 

What is important is how the owner demonstrates his pride in owning the car. Is the car clean, neat, shows love and consideration? If all the positives are checked regarding time invested in caring for the car the fender skirts are insignificant.

[Ed Luddy]

This 1971 model Cadillac looks like a "welfare Cadillac" without skirts. Right up to the 1976 full size Cadi's. The restyled 77's look ridiculous with  skirts.

[Pfeil]

4 hours ago, Turbinator said:

I’d say if the car came equipped with fender skirts then I defer to the manufacturer’s better judgement. In the case of adding f/s to the car it is a matter of personal taste. No arguing personal taste.

 

What is important is how the owner demonstrates his pride in owning the car. Is the car clean, neat, shows love and consideration? If all the positives are checked regarding time invested in caring for the car the fender skirts are insignificant.

The problems can sometimes arise when different departments get involved. I can say that from experience. I've seen a beautiful car come out of styling and is finalized for production, and then the marketing people get involved and contact accessory development and put some accessory (like a skirt or some graphics) on the car that does not go with the styling of the car. The poor styling guy is pulling his hair out and BTW, has my greatest sympathy.

Example, this pop art breaks up the flowing lines of the car and is considered (on the show field) stock. I bet the stylist didn't like it.