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metal fenders are stamped using machines that cost more than you can imagine (think in the millions). our fenders also have brackets that require spot welding. the reason why no one has made metal fenders is simply due to tooling and production costs. theyre astronomical, hundreds and hundreds of sets would have to be produced at one time for ANY company who owns the machinery to even consider making the parts. the cost of the parts would most likely be in the $400-$600 retail range, and they simply wouldnt sell to justify the investment.
another example of this is... i have the ability and the vendor to make brand new dashboards for the S13, and i would sacrifice my own uncracked dash to do so. but i have very little interest in dropping $10,000-$15,000 of my money into reproducing a part that will sell 1, 2, MAYBE 3 pieces in a single year so I can make a few hundred bucks per item. it would take me 5-7 years to make my money back and thats simply not in the cards in the current economical climate of the 240sx world.
unfortunately the 240sx scene is very much as SupaDoopa so termed it... cheap. this is no longer the early and mid 2000s when the entirety of the scene wasnt littered with broken down 240sx's and people had zero issue spending good money on their cars. the majority of the kids involved now only know cheap parts that are pumped out of china. unfortunately their mental conditioning is such that why spend $400 on a brand name BOV when they can get a $90 ebay special that "does the same thing". Or why should someone spend $2000 on a body kit when an ebay knock off can be had for $500. its literally boils down to the same conversation ive been having with people for 6 years now about dash boards (as mentioned above).
point is, no one will touch reproducing metal fenders simply due to the initial investment and ROI (return of investment). the 240sx scene now simply wont warrant any sort of profitable return. YES, there are some of us who have ZERO issues with spending money on quality parts, but we are becoming fewer and further in between. the BULK of the consumer in the 240sx scene wants to build a car for as cheap as possible because they see it as a disposable commodity... something to simply take to the track, beat the shit out of drifting, strip it down, throw it away and buy another.
its actually a grander reflection of our "throw away" societal mentality being so accepted by the younger generations without question, but im not going to get into that.
simply put, the ROI isnt there.
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