Help needed

[SRT392]

Hi all, so i got my parts back from the dipper and the drivers fender needs a lot of work up front. does anyone have a front section that i can section in some sheet metal from??   The rest of the OEM fender is in great shape and i am not crazy about buying a new one for a little sheet metal and and making some new sheet metal in the English wheel will take several days.. can anyone help with some doner sheet metal???

[jimynick]

I don't think you'll find somebody who has a good fender that they'd be willing to cut up for your donor, but that's just my  . I'd take a good body hammer and dolly and a selection of bars and flatten/smooth those slidehammer holes and spend a couple of hours tapping and knocking and re-sizing and see where you are. I obviously don't know your abilities, but patience and application can take you quite a ways towards success here. Good luck! 

[RUNCHARGER]

I would try to work it as well, You might want to separate the front structure out of it temporarily to access everything.

[SRT392]

well,  abilities are very good with English wheels and planishing hammer.  i thought someone might have one that was rusty, crumpled on the top or side that i could salvage the area from in a scrap pile.  getting behind it is problematic as the light bucket structure is in the way. removing that would cause more damage than you gain not to mention getting everything to line up again. i have a pile of old Mustang and Camaro parts in the scrap pile that got used for years. When working with the old stuff it all gets used up eventually.

[MoparLeo]

It seems like a lot of work to savage something that is available. What is the real problem with just replacing it ? Time is money and it would take much more time to salvage than to replace unless you time has little value to you.
I would replace it and if you want to, put it in the salvage pile for another project.

[jimynick]

If you not only know what a planishing hammer is, but how to use it, why are we having this discussion? As for the inner structure being hard to re-install, just tack it back in on the old marks and trial fit it. It'll either fit or not and you go from there, as you apparently well know. I get that in a perfect world, the guy across the street would have a fender that, as you said, was whacked at the door edge and you could salvage the front, but today ain't your day, apparently. lad. 

[70 Top Banana]

I agree, that fender is not that bad. Looks like an old repair where maybe an old screw in dent puller was used. I think you can take some body tools and make it straight. With a little time and patience. Good luck.

[SRT392]

it was worth a try...  its only time and i was trying to cut some of it down... thanks for the advise all....

[jimynick]

You've got this, I know! 

[SRT392]

Moparleo,  well, you are right they are available. after shipping its about 1K to me here. after doing a few of these i have found that the new stuff requires as much if not more to fit as it takes to repair the old one (in some cases). the current fender is in great shape except for the old bash up front and fits real good with excellent gaps. so case in point the deck lid back edge was rusted thru in several places but fits good so i spent the money for a new AMD deck lid. it arrives and the front is over arched by at least 1/4 inch and the length is short by 1/8 inch. all fixable and i had to re-arch the new hood for wife's 65 mustang which took 2 1/2 days. could have fixed the old hood for that.  so, for the cuda do you fix the new one or repair the old one?  6 of one 1/2 dozen of the other... i'm into the new deck lid about 700 after shipping so i'll make that decision when i get to it but either way its the same amount of work...  just my rambling thoughts here so i hope i don't offend anyone. i certainly don't intend to. apologies in advance if i have..

[RUNCHARGER]

Yup: These new parts don't fit as well as the OEM ones. that's a fact.

[SRT392]

SCORE......   So i put the word out to some of the old car folks and got a call today..  For a 45 min drive this guy has a 71 Grand Coupe that went thru a telephone pole sideways in the early 80's. They are slowly bringing it back and picked up new sheet metal over the past several years. As they pick up new they tossed the messed up stuff in the scrap pile. so this is why we never throw anything out..  didn't cost anything but the drive and this is what i ultimately salvaged from it...