Front wheel arches protector mesh and fixtures template?

[SpqrEddie]

Got the mesh from the US, it looks nice.
i will try to make the guards now.
Eddie

[SpqrEddie]

FYI - Here’s a pic of a pair of OEM stone guards that my father obtained from the AC Works back in the early 80’s. To answer  your question about construction both the mesh and the frame appear to be aluminum.  Note that they also came with a bunch of aluminum fender washers to secure them in place. I’d get you some dimensions, but they have finally been installed in my car so they’re a bit hard to measure. Hopefully Keith’s source works out for you.

Best Regards, 

John

Hello John,
from your photo, it looks like they are "handed", in the sense that they are rolled over the frame from two different side.
If you look at them from top, it looks like the net is rolled over the edge from the top if you consider the longer side in the front with the longer edge pointing inward the car.  can you confirm?
Despite the same shape this means that two type needs to be made. not a copy of the same.

As well could you or somebody let me know more about the frame? from your photo it looks bent on 3 corners and welded on the 4th corner.

I got the 4mm alloy rods and i will give it a go.

I cut a paper model on the measurement Nick provided here:
https://www.acownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1479.msg84064#msg84064
Can somebody confirm that there are two 90 deggres angles and it is not a truncated cone?

I did a test, and to me it seems it fit better with the longer side of the larger edge pointing inwards.
(Shape B in my scketch for the right side of the car).

Thanks!
Eddie

[nicksonsticks]

Hi Eddie, I've also managed to get hold of the mesh now from the US and I'm going to make up a small batch of 4 sets, the cost of importing was massive and actually cost more than the mesh itself so it sort of made sense to get a bit more than I needed.
You are correct about the frame, it is welded on one corner and the other  corners are a rounded 90 degrees. I'll try to post some photos tomorrow and I have got a pair of originals so I will also check to see if they are sided at the same time.
Hope this helps a bit.
Kind regards
Nick

[SpqrEddie]

Dear Nick,
indeed the cost of shipping and customs cleareance was incredible! fortunately i had somebody coming from the US so it was taken as lagguage in the plane for me.

Looking forward to see the photos you will be able to make, and looking forward to get the confirmation of the shape. i prepared my paper model on the measurement you shared.

when you or somebody can, would be possible to let me know as well on wich corner there is the weleded angle?

Thanks!
Eddie

[nicksonsticks]

Hi Eddie, please see attached for photo as promised, both are identical, ie they are not made differently for each side (unless of course mine is incorrect which is certainly possible! ).
The welded corner is marked with an arrow.
Hope this helps.
Kind regards Nick

[B.P.Bird]

Nick & Eddie,
Glad you chaps are making progress on this quest for wheel arch protection. I would instance one consideration which will require your continued attention: The mounting of these stone guards is only as strong as the mesh which is clamped behind the alloy penny washers. The mesh, being fine aluminium, is vulnerable to corrosion and fatigue. On my Aceca, back in the happy days of the sixties, I experienced failure of a stone guard as it dropped on to a wheel and was ripped off and got mixed up with the hub, brake hose and sundry bits of suspension. Fortunately I was proceeding at a sensible pace - most unusual for me at that time. In any event it required quite a bit of disentangling at the roadside and the failure on the mesh around the penny washers was all too apparent. Needless to say I never fitted the guards again. So do keep an eye on the mountings at every service interval: 500 miles remember.....
Barrie

[nicksonsticks]

Thanks for the tip Barrie,  I'll certainly keep it in mind.
Much appreciated.
Kind regards Nick 

[TTM]

Thanks everyone for your various inputs on this interesting topic. I understand that these were a standard equipment on Acecas, but were these ever fitted to Aces as well? I believe not but I guess they would make for a worthwhile add-on?

[SpqrEddie]

Hi Eddie, please see attached for photo as promised, both are identical, ie they are not made differently for each side (unless of course mine is incorrect which is certainly possible! ).
The welded corner is marked with an arrow.
Hope this helps.
Kind regards Nick

Thank you Nick.
Well noted! and thank you for the pictures.
It looks one of the two is mounted differently.
The left one has the longer front part pointing inward. The right one has it pointing outwards. so they were not mounted the same way
You can work it out how they were positioned by looking at the sings the braket left on your screens.
I can see the longer front part by looking at the extra mesh squares protruding from one side or the other.

Nick & Eddie,
Glad you chaps are making progress on this quest for wheel arch protection. I would instance one consideration which will require your continued attention: The mounting of these stone guards is only as strong as the mesh which is clamped behind the alloy penny washers. The mesh, being fine aluminium, is vulnerable to corrosion and fatigue. On my Aceca, back in the happy days of the sixties, I experienced failure of a stone guard as it dropped on to a wheel and was ripped off and got mixed up with the hub, brake hose and sundry bits of suspension. Fortunately I was proceeding at a sensible pace - most unusual for me at that time. In any event it required quite a bit of disentangling at the roadside and the failure on the mesh around the penny washers was all too apparent. Needless to say I never fitted the guards again. So do keep an eye on the mountings at every service interval: 500 miles remember.....
Barrie

Thank you Barrie for sharing this!
The car seems to have still the original brackets and bolts and washers. So I was planning to use the same mounting points. May be instead of washers I ill use a piece of flat aluminum bar, so that the holding surface is larger.

[SpqrEddie]

https://www.e-metal.it/prodotti/barra-tonda-alluminio-4-mm/

The bar i am using.

Eddie

[nicksonsticks]

Hi
Just a quick update on the Aceca inner wheel arch stone guards. I've made up a very small batch of just 4 pairs. These are made to be exactly the same as the original ones from my Aceca, ie with the correct thickness and style of mesh and the correct dimensions for the frame. All made from aluminium as per original. If anyone is in need of a set just let me know,  a few photos are attached.
To overcome the corrosion issue Barrie mentioned previously,  I've got some stepped plastic washers on on the way which I'm hoping will overcome this problem. I'll post some pictures when they arrive.
Regards Nick

[nicksonsticks]

Photo 2

[nicksonsticks]

Photo 3

[SpqrEddie]

Very good job!
I am away, will post the photos of my result too. Not in the garage in these days.
Edmondo

[nicksonsticks]

The stepped plastic washer option didn't look that great as it meant I had to use a much smaller diameter bolt, so I've gone for plan B, this option uses a 6mm plastic slotted head bolt, nut and washer, 2x 2.0mm thick rubber washers and 2x stainless steel penny washers. This prevents any ally to steel contact and should stop the corrosion issue completely.  I've painted the screw head and washer with aluminium silver so it all blends in nicely.
Does anybody know how many bolts / screws  the Aceca should have?
Many thanks.
Nick