cut rear mudflap

[9C1]

Maybe my search skills stink, but I didn't find any posts about how to shorten the rear fender on my 5th gen.  Looks like I could cut it carefully and move the light/plate up, but not sure.  Any suggestions?  I'm not looking to spend $150 on a fender eliminator, but I'd like to tighten it up a bit.

[mello dude]

On 5/3/2019 at 4:25 PM, 9C1 said:

Maybe my search skills stink, but I didn't find any posts about how to shorten the rear fender on my 5th gen.  Looks like I could cut it carefully and move the light/plate up, but not sure.  Any suggestions?  I'm not looking to spend $150 on a fender eliminator, but I'd like to tighten it up a bit.

Here's the best all purpose fender eliminator cleanup kit..... 

 

That said, I still like my 5th gen job..... ditch the stock plate lite for a small LED.....

I made a little bracket to hold the light and to mount the plate... Stuff it up as high as you can get it. 

The wiring is stupid simple - just use the stock leads and butt connect it up. No sweat. 

 

Caaaarrrfully cut the stock fender...Its surgery, dont effe it up.  (I may have even used a dremel cut off wheel) Scribe the cut lines. File for clean up. 

All assembled. Drilled the plate mount holes direct into the fender plastic.   Careful again. 

 

The reflectors are long gone. 

 

Odd - I can react to my own post.. 😀

 

[9C1]

Looks great - exactly what I was envinsioning.  Hadn't thought of making a custom bracket/light.  Thanks for the details and pics!

[zoomzoom]

I did roughly the same thing as Mello and trimmed the fender using a dremel tool.  I decided where I wanted to trim and to ensure I made the same trim on both sides I took a string and scribed a line on the fender using the center of the wheel as a guide.  Overkill I know, but I got the fender trim straight on both sides.  LOL.  I trimmed the length to about the same length as Mello but I wanted keep the arc on the fender.  This is where the string came in.  I attached a string to a piece of broom stick and placed it through the center of the hub and used the scribe to make a mark.

 

For the plate light, I went a bit different.  I purchased an LED self adhesive strip light at a local auto parts store and stuck it to the bottom of the factory tail light.  Works like a charm and you can’t even see it, unless you look up under the tail section.  It’s wired using the stock connector, with the LED wires soldered to the wire ends of the stock connector.  

 

 

[mello dude]

How's it going Zoom? Havent seen you post in awhile. Does your cute daughter still have you wrapped around her finger? 🙂

[KevCarver]

I did basically the same and installed an expensive clear tail light by Thurn in Germany. Now it's cracked in a couple places and I bought an unmolested used fender/rear tray to regain my fender.