About
The Flexible “Flatty Style” Fenders by MCE Modern Classic Enterprises are the next generation of building an off-road Jeep. Think Jeep meets UTV! Our patented fenders give a Jeeper the option to improve upon the factory Jeep front fenders’ shortcomings: low clearance, thin sheet metal construction, and expensive to fix after a little (but easy to do) “woops!”.
The first industry responses to these issues were rigid steel tube fenders. However, while tube fenders solve the problems of low clearance and mangled fenders, they do still had shortcomings. These shortcomings are the high cost, weight, and their inherent nature of transferring impact loads to the Jeep body behind them: the tub and the grille. Over time, many small or just one large impact on the tube fender can take its toll on the rest of the Jeep body.
Not to mention, adding unnecessary weight is a killer on the Jeep’s drive train and certainly doesn’t help the performance and fuel economy.
The extremely durable Off-Road Plastic Fenders by MCE Modern Classic Enterprises, LLC, have a patent pending, and not only give a fresh, modern spin to a classic image, they redefine how a Jeep fender should be built.
By design, they are low profile, so they miss many of the objects that would normally impact an OEM fender. Being made from Extreme Impact TPO Plastic, if they do happen to contact a foreign object, whether it is a tree, rock, or whatever else you can try to squeeze a Jeep through, the MCE Fenders are designed to elastically flex and return to their normal shape. Further, these fenders are extremely lightweight, paintable, and cost substantially less than a comparable aftermarket tube fender. The MCE Fenders are truely an OFF-ROAD PLASTIC, and an industry first. Made in the USA!
Common questions about Flatty Fenders:
Absolutely, plastic has its place in the world, and gaining more technology every day. However, it has gotten a bad reputation from it’s inherent use in many “cheap” things. However, many of these “cheap” items not only use the cheapest, lowest quality plastic available, but also are not properly designed to begin with to work within the properties of the material. The Flexible Fenders are made to the highest quality, and by design, are made to take abuse. The fenders are made from 100% virgin ABS plastic with a UV protectant cap (MCE Original Flat Fenders) or the new TPO plastic (MCE Gen. 2 “Wide” Flat Fenders) which is a UV-stable material and is nearly indestructible!
Here are some pics of our R&D:
Yes, they do allow more clearance over the OEM fender. Also, remember their ability to flex at full stuff will allow you to squeeze a slightly larger tire than with a traditional steel tube fender.
Painting them is not required. However, the fenders can be painted.
Function and the admiration of classic lines inspired the Flexible “Flatty Style” Fenders. They are designed to be out of harm’s way when on the trail, while also giving a modern Jeep that old school, classy look, making it a modern classic. :) We focused on making a functional product that also produced the clean lines of the old flat fender Jeeps.
We offer them in a slightly textured finish. The textured finish is not an add-on coating, it is simply textured plastic. The textured plastic gives the appearance almost of a slight “bedlined” look for the MCE Original Flat Fenders, or a “low-gloss” look for the MCE Gen. 2 fenders, and is very resistant to scratches and scrapes. However, the texture can also be sanded smooth with some medium grit sand paper (a palm sander makes this job only minutes!) and paint can then be applied for a smooth, sheet metal look.
The Flexible Fenders are not hard to install for the person with an average mechanical ability. Minimal tools are needed, mainly for measuring and trimming the OEM fenders for a base. We have detailed directions included with the fenders, and downloadable on this site. We also have you covered if you need any more support: we welcome a call or send us an e-mail.
Usually, yes. In some cases, some messaging and straightening of the OEM fender is needed, but we find in these cases that a simple chunk of 2″x 4″ wood and a hammer does the trick. Most of the damage prone area of the OEM fender gets cut off anyway, so there is usually not much of a problem. Or, if you are unsure, send us some pictures of what you are dealing with and we will get back to you.
Yep, a modified OEM flare will work. The flare will need to have the front cut off, and the fasteners will need to be other than stock (along with new fastener holes drilled). However, by doing this, you can achieve more tire coverage if needed.
No, they will absorb impact better than the factory sheet metal. They will not total out your tub or grille.
About Us:
We love being outdoors and Jeepin’! Springtime in the Pacific Northwest is a great time to be a Jeep owner. Along the Cascade Mountains, this is the time of year to break trail through the snow as the spring thaw takes place. The snow amount usually varies from nothing at all in places, to ~4 feet deep. Some drifts are still 10+ feet! The temps are usually in the mid 30’s – 50’s (F), and rain (and sometimes snow) sprinkles on and off. Trees that had blown down during a winter storm that block the trail require chainsaws, winches and snatch blocks to come out in order to get through. Water from melting snow can be heard trickling around just about everywhere, and the fresh smell is of a forest coming alive again for the year. Again, what a perfect time to be Jeepin’!! Just as how humbling the surroundings are, however, this time of year provides a challenge for both the vehicle and driver. The vehicle must be built to be reliable, and handle the conditions that are also miles from the nearest paved road. There is no “giving up” either for the driver should conditions become overwhelming or fatigue sets in from hours of driving concentration and running winch cable through the snow. Tires must be aired way down for traction and floatation on the deep snow (3-5 psi for most radial tires is best), and care must be constantly given to wheel speed. Sometimes wheel speed is your friend, or in some areas, too much wheel speed will dig you in quickly or just create ice under the tires and stop your forward progress. Some hills or drifts require lugging the engine way down in the lowest gear possible (or a feather-light foot with an auto), making forward progress literally one tread lug at a time. Other hills or drifts, the only way up is to stand on the gas pedal, hang on to something, and try to keep the Jeep pointed in the direction you want to go!
To add to the conditions, the fir trees can be very tight, with barely enough room to sneak a Jeep through. With the snow present, this creates another challenge as what is known as “tree wells”. This is where the snow is very shallow by the base of the tree, since the above branches prevented much from accumulating. These tree wells not only suck a Jeep in, but also cause the vehicle to lean toward the tree. This time of year, a roll bar also doubles as a tree slider. If you have a top on the Jeep, it must be considered a disposable item, as it will most definitely be dragged along branches and trees. Paint scratches are a given, and the vehicle owner must be able to accept some occasional sheet metal body damage.
This is just one of our favorite 4-wheeling conditions, which we are fortunate enough to have in our own “back yard”! But from our neck of the woods to areas such as the slickrock of Moab, UT, we love to get out and 4-wheel while also provide the best R&D possible!
OK, enough wheelin’ stories, who are these guys actually?
Jason Robson and Mike Waclawski are the founders and Co-CEOs of MCE. Mike and Jason met and quickly became friends while attending college at Central Washington University, and of all places, during a welding class which was offered in the engineering department. With a network of 4×4 trails nearby, and a local friend with a farm and property, 4-wheeling was almost part of the daily routine. There they learned not only how to ‘wheel, but also how to respect and take care of the land. With their new welding skills, Mike and Jason started building items such as bumpers and tire carriers for theirs and a few other rigs.
After college, Jason took a job in the family mechanical contracting business as a project manager and estimator. Mike, after working the old college job for a while in construction, and as a powerboat mechanic, took a job at a manufacturing company as a new engineering project manager.
Fast forward some years, Mike and Jason were still doing welding and Jeep projects on the side. Adding steel tube fenders to their Jeeps was still something that hadn’t been done though, as the extra weight was unnecessary they felt, as well as the possibility of picking up tub damage (which is harder to repair). They wanted something different, but what? One day, while low on shop space and placing a bumper on a flexible storage container to do some final welding, the initial idea hit them. Why can’t a whole fender be like this? Why can’t a fender take a hit and then pop back to shape? Thanks to years of R & D through the ATV/UTV industry, among others, plastic and forming technology has increased by leaps and bounds. Why can’t this technology be applied to the Jeep world? The flexible fender could also be affordable, *without* having to offshore the production – the fenders could be made right here in the USA! Jason and Mike did not have to convince each other that this idea should be pursued. After many long days of designing and testing, and sleepless nights wondering just how the Jeep community would accept the new product, the original flexible fender for a TJ was released to market on a few Jeep forums in January of 2010. It quickly became apparent that other people liked the functionality *and* look of the fenders, and MCE was off and running!
**A big thanks to all our customers for their support!**
What about the name: Modern Classic Enterprises?
This name basically references two things. First, Jason and Mike have a tremendous amount of respect for the values that those before us have carried which got us here today: hard work, honesty, and an unrelenting strive to be the best. Jason and Mike knew that their company needed to be just like this, and continue these values into the modern business world.
Also, there is no argument that the image of Jeep vehicles and the hobby of Jeepin’ are both timeless. Mike and Jason want MCE to have their products reflect this and the iconic image which they project, all while adding the very latest in technology. Mike and Jason want their new products to help carry the hobby of Jeepin’ into the future.
Whether it is simply commuting to work or to the store (which is always more fun in a Jeep!), climbing to the top of a mountain or running that nasty trail, Happy Jeepin’ !
