Need help getting left fender off!!!

stormmaster · stormmaster's Garage

I have the lower four bolts on the rear of the fender off...all of the bolts inside the trunk......the two hex heads by the cowl.....I think there is one hiding behind the fuel inlet.....can somebody tell me the tricks of getting the fender off...what else has to come off the rear of the fender area to get it to come off? By the way....this is on an 87 Carrera.

rattlsnak · rattlsnak's Garage

has it ever been off before? if not there is a spot weld in the cowl area.

stormmaster · stormmaster's Garage

hey....thanks for answering....can you give me a call so I dont have to go on and on here? I am concerned also about a bolt hiding behind the fuel inlet...what else in that area will have to be removed?

ghnat · ghnat's Garage

When I took of my front fenders there was no spot weld (87 as well). You will need a raiser blade and score along the top and side of the inner fender. You need to separate the undercoating between the fender and inner body. In the pic below score along the red lines.
Let me know if you want me to email you the full size image.
However, rattle snake has much more experience than I do and I can only say what I did for my car.

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 10-20-2009, 06:37 PM

I just replaced my left front fender a couple of weeks ago. There are no hidden bolts along the top; they're all equidistant from each other (as I remember) so you ought to be able to spot them all.

I suppose scoring the sealant might help, but you can also just pull or pry the fender off. The sealant is sticky, but it's by no means any kind of superglue. The first time I removed the fender (six or eight years ago), it had been on the car for 20 years, but I could just pull it off. Hard pull, admittedly...

What feels to you like an un-removed bolt is probably just the sealant gripping the fender to the tub.

I assume you've removed the two Allen-head bolts accessible (barely and with great difficulty if the driver's door is still in place) from the door-jamb area with the door open? Also the very forwardmost bolt along the top seam?

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 10-20-2009, 06:37 PM

I just replaced my left front fender a couple of weeks ago. There are no hidden bolts along the top; they're all equidistant from each other (as I remember) so you ought to be able to spot them all.

I suppose scoring the sealant might help, but you can also just pull or pry the fender off. The sealant is sticky, but it's by no means any kind of superglue. The first time I removed the fender (six or eight years ago), it had been on the car for 20 years, but I could just pull it off. Hard pull, admittedly...

What feels to you like an un-removed bolt is probably just the sealant gripping the fender to the tub.

I assume you've removed the two Allen-head bolts accessible (barely and with great difficulty if the driver's door is still in place) from the door-jamb area with the door open? Also the very forwardmost bolt along the top seam?

theiceman · 10-20-2009, 06:49 PM

okay i just gotta ask .. whay are you guys taking fenders off .... cause that is some ANAL detailing

ghnat · ghnat's Garage

Well, I am SLOWLY rebuilding my 911 and wanted to learn all about the car the hard way

For me the best way was to take it a part. Now it has been sitting in the garage for a while. Been busy with other stuff, but amassing parts for when the time is right.

newms · 10-20-2009, 07:02 PM

As the cars get newer the factory used more and more sealant at the seam. There are no welds. Get a good utility knife and score, score, score and it will come off easily. Don't forget the headlight bucket bolt. Or behind the hood hinge. It's also easy to miss the lower front one in the trunk, behind the windshield washer pump near the battery. Good luck.

snbush67 · snbush67's Garage

I'm assuming you removed the large nut from the bolt behind the headlight, from the headlight bucket? You wont be able to budge it until that is loosened and removed.

NY65912 · 10-21-2009, 02:27 AM

+1000000 on the razor blade scoring the inner flange thing!

We busted our azz trying to get the fenders off the SC and it was all due to the undercoating from hell.

BryanM · 10-21-2009, 03:51 AM

did you get these?

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 10-21-2009, 04:31 AM

"okay i just gotta ask .. whay are you guys taking fenders off .... cause that is some ANAL detailing."

Rust in the area around/under the headlamp bucket, from a substantially earlier minor accident that I repaired when rebuilding the car--it had basically been Bondoed, and I smoothed it out--which obviously removed the galvanizing.

tsuter · 10-21-2009, 05:52 AM

I believe you will need to remove the entire fuel inlet so that the fender can be lifted off the bracket bolts.

Unclamp in the trunk. Two bolts under the inlet cover. Pull it out.

The you should then be able to remove fenders and drive a nice open wheeled monster!

NY65912 · 10-21-2009, 05:58 AM

Fuel inlet does not need to be removed. I easily lifted the fender over it.

tsuter · 10-21-2009, 06:18 AM

Look inside. If the bracket is like this, the fender will not come off without removing the fuel filler inlet.

Pictured is an SC.

Years are different. Later years, maybe a redsign.

w21055 · w21055's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsuter

Look inside. If the bracket is like this, the fender will not come off without removing the fuel filler inlet.

Pictured is an SC.

Years are different. Later years, maybe a redsign.

No offense But it will come off with the inlet still in. I can post pics of mine, While it is not easy it can be done, you have to work the fender around it.

stormmaster · stormmaster's Garage

Thanks for all the help guys....I finally got it off tonight.....there will be a new post soon showing what I started with (an 87 Carrera)....and a progression as to how it looks today (74 Carrera)....followed by the process of changing it to make it my own personal interpretation of how to make an 87 Carrera look like a 74 3.0 RS-Touring on a tight budget....nothing fancy being done to the suspension...it wont be a show car....but it will be a nice driver when I am done.....thanks for all your help so far

snbush67 · snbush67's Garage

Um...your not getting out of this thread that easy stormy....what was holding the fender on?

stormmaster · stormmaster's Garage

There was I bolt covered with the thick facotry under coating that I found....I also ended up removing the fuel inlet while I was at it....finally got it off.....I HATE UNERCOATING....all the hard stuff is done....now the clean up begins before further teardown before bodywork and paint....going to be a fun project from this point forward