Um, don't know what '69 Novas you've been looking at Richard but all the ones I've seen do indeed have metal inner fenders, not plastic ,,and usually rusty in this part of the world. And a Nova being a unibody car without a frame, they help keep the front fenders, radiator wall, etc in place and lined up properly. The only time you'd see one of these cars without inner fenders is if it's a race car.