www.lj10.com

As some of you know, I laid the LJ81 on its side this spring. The only damage was to the drivers side fender and the hood, and I was able to straighten out the hood pretty easily, but the fender was pretty bad. It also uncovered some previously unknown rust in that fender, so I decided that replacing it would be the best course of action.

After checking around for a good used fender, I opted to order one directly from C.I.TROA, the company that used to supply the fenders to EBI. They were a little slow to respond: I ordered it through ebay on May 26, but had no response until June 6th (11 days later). I paid for the fender June 8th, and was told it would ship on Friday June 12th. I left for Africa on the 13th, so could not check on it until I got back, but when I got back (on June 29th) I had an email dated June 18th asking for more information (a phone number). I responded that day, and was told the fender actually had shipped on June 25th, before I got back. I checked the provided tracking number and learned that it was already in the U.S. The fender arrived at the post office July 1st; I picked it up on the 3rd. My first impression is that it looks just like the original (except not dented!); I'll report back here when I get it installed.

Well, it's been a couple of months and I haven't done much with this yet, mostly because the LWB took up most of my time over the summer. I did paint the fender to match the rest of the truck as best I could, pulled the old fender out, and did a test fit. The fit is very close, but it will need to be worked a little bit I think. One thing to note is that there are no holes in this fender at all, so if you get one you will need to drill holes for all the mounting bolts, as well as where the wiring passes through (i.e. for the headlight.) It also doesn't have the cutout for the clearance light, but I know that not all LJ80's have those clearance lights, so that makes sense.

we want pix !

I'll see what I can do about pics... BTW, how's the LJ10 coming? Get that engine in yet?

Comments in other threads got me thinking about this again, so I thought I would update this thread. I'm planning to repaint my LJ81 soon, after I repair some rust. The passenger fender is rusted, and I found where a PO repaired rust in the past, so I decided to just order a new fender. While I was at it, I ordered a new bib and hood, so I wouldn't have to fix mine. I ordered again from CITROA, so I will let you know how it goes this time. In reading this thread, I had some communication issues last time; so far all three emails I sent this time were answered very promptly.

One difference this time is that I ordered directly through the company, instead of on ebay. They do take paypal, so my money is still protected. They also charged about a 6% "paypal fee", but that didn't surprise me since I know paypal will charge close to that for international transactions. (You could avoid this fee by doing a wire transfer, but I look at it as cheap insurance.) All in, my cost was $1,250 for all three pieces. Expensive yes, but if I had ordered through ebay it would have been about $1600, so it is still much better to go through the company directly. It is possible that the better communication is due to the fact that I am dealing directly with the company, instead of going through their ebay store.

I was quoted 2.5-3 weeks for delivery, including order processing and shipping. I will keep everyone here informed on the status of the order. I will also change the title of this thread to reflect CITROA, instead of Extreme Bends.

Ok the topic has been split.

I received an update this afternoon, saying the panels would be shipped next Wednesday, Nov. 7. (I ordered and paid for them last Tuesday, so about a week to process the order.) So far, so good...

Nice ! can't wait to see how they look like .

Good to hear. Thanks for the update, Steve.

Checked this morning and FedEx says I should receive them by 11/14.

YAY

FedEx dropped off the fender this morning, but not the hood or bib. Very well packed!

FedEx still shows "delivery by 11/16", but that the shipment is n Seattle, so hopefully the rest shows up in the next day or so.

stevec wrote: ↑Mon Nov 12, 2018 12:41 pm FedEx dropped off the fender this morning, but not the hood or bib. Very well packed!

We want pix !!!!

Just got an update from FedEx, the other parts will be delivered today. I'll try to get some pics of them packed (so people can see how well they are packed), and again after I unwrap them. May not be until after the holiday though; I have a lot going on this week and next.

Cool. If there's a way to set that shiny new hood on an LJ10/LJ20 to check the fit similarities, that would be stellar.

So what's the verdict on the hood, Steve?

Sorry been out of contact for a few weeks. I'll try to take some measurements in the next couple of days.

stevec wrote: ↑Mon Dec 24, 2018 5:29 pm Sorry been out of contact for a few weeks. I'll try to take some measurements in the next couple of days.

Any update, Steve?

I did take some measurements, and the LJ80 hood will bolt right up. Hinges are in the same spot so no issues there at all.

Between travelling and the holidays, I haven't worked on my LJ's at all in a couple of months. Now I am at the time of year when work gets busier, but hopefully I can get some work done soon. I think rebuilding my LJ10 engine will be first on the list, but as it gets warmer I'd like to get the new panels on the LJ81, and get it painted.

stevec wrote: ↑Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:23 am I did take some measurements, and the LJ80 hood will bolt right up. Hinges are in the same spot so no issues there at all.

Between travelling and the holidays, I haven't worked on my LJ's at all in a couple of months. Now I am at the time of year when work gets busier, but hopefully I can get some work done soon. I think rebuilding my LJ10 engine will be first on the list, but as it gets warmer I'd like to get the new panels on the LJ81, and get it painted.

That's awesome to hear. Thanks!

I'm looking forward to seeing the progress with your project.

Warm (50's) and sunny here over the weekend so I pulled the old hood off my LJ81 and did a test fit of the CITROA hood. A couple of notes:

1. The CITROA hood is noticeably heavier. I expect they used a heavier gauge steel than the OEM hood. I'm tempted to weigh the two to see just how much heavier it is.

2. As expected, it will need a bit of massaging to fit. The bolt holes for the hinges are about 1/8" too narrow, enough to require drilling out the hinge holes slightly for a proper fit. Also, the threaded holes for the hood latches are about 1/2" lower than the stock hood. so the side latches do not go on tight. Putting a shorter spring on the side latches is probably the cleanest fix, but would be a pain.

I still have my old hood, and may try to straighten it a bit more. After taking it off I noticed a curve in the side that I hadn't noticed before, and straightening that should allow it to sit properly. If I can beat the dents out a little more, to where I can use some high-build primer to get it straight, I may just use my old hood.

Good detail. Thanks, Steve.