Start the Ark - MR2 Fender question

Noah's Ark is coming along, we finally mounted the first pieces of wood to make it really look like a boat. Pics here:
http://team-babel.com/

We had to remove the fenders so that we could curve the wood around the front end and attach to the bow stem. If I left the fenders on, the bow would have stuck out another couple feet to make the curve. I'm hoping that removing the fenders is OK, because this is important for our theme. We were able to expose the front bumper on either side, so that's good for the sake of impact. The wood will be fiberglassed on the inside and very strong, and the sides of the bow will be braced in three places. This will be stronger than the original sheet metal fenders.

And so I also have a question about the stern, er... back of the car. I'd like to do a rounded stern like a tug boat, but this means cutting away part of the fender behind the wheel wells so that I can make a nice gentle curve. This part isn't structural and if we can get an exception here, it would totally make our boat theme rock. The bumper would be exposed beyond the rounded stern, and would still be the first thing that would take an impact. So from a safety standpoint, I think it would be fine (of course I think it would be fine).

Looking forward to our first race at Thunderhill!