is removing front fenders easy?

Planter91C2 · 03-22-2002, 07:36 AM

is it pretty straightforward or a pia?

warment · 03-22-2002, 07:53 AM

Pretty easy for me. It is a pain getting to the bolts behind the fuel filler neck though...

Bill

steve911 · steve911's Garage

question: do you really need to take the fenders off or are you looking to do something like replacing the cowl to fender seal. if the latter, then you just need to loosen 4 bolts on either side. I can add some insight if that's the project.

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 03-22-2002, 09:20 AM

Removing the front fenders is a straightforward pia, if you ask me. It's a pure remove-and-replace procedure, assuming that you have the proper tools such as Allen-head "sockets" and maybe a universal fitting for your wrench, but stuff like digging out the fittings under the undercoating where the fender attaches not to the cowl but to the area of the door can be a pain.

Stephan

Jim Sims · 03-22-2002, 09:57 AM

There is one hard to reach fastener up near the top behind the gas filler neck; removing this fastener can require 25% of the total disassembly time. If you remove the fenders you'll likely find the "packing" between the fender and the body shell warrants replacing and many times the fasteners are badly corroded. If the car is "vintage" one might do well to have new packing and the fender fastener kit on hand. Often one will also find hidden rust which needs dealing with. Good luck. Jim

PORSHIN · 03-22-2002, 08:11 PM

I just removed mine along with everything else that could be removedin order to restore everything to new condition. I'm having everything repainted that way so that there will be no overspray etc. and it allows the cleaning of areas that can't normally be reached. I was having the most difficulty with the rubber undercoating which covers the bolt heads so I devised a tool to help and help it did! What I did was to take a 10mm 6-point socket and on the outside edge, ground the round perimeter parallel to the inside flats at an angle so as to create six knife blades at the opening of the socket. Then you just put an extension on it, place it on the bolt head, tap it with a small hammer, and it cuts cleanly through the rubber so you don't have a chipped up mess when you put them back on. Now that the socket is firmly on the bolt, you just put a ratchet on the extension and unscrew it! Hope this is of some help!
Rob