Fender repair question

[eki912]

I have to ask here too , as I still haven't got the whole truth...

Planning of fixing a -76 , drivers side front fender. rear lower corner area , rust damage. It is fixable , but making it from sheet metal , will take time and money.

Instead , trying to locate a source for repair pieces.

Found 2 :

www.*************
and their part # : SIC-501-005-00 , should fit 65-89 . So far so good....

www.alfaparts.net/911.htm
And their P1L kit , fits only 69-73 ???

What is the difference ? I don't mean the price...

Why doesn't that Alfaparts kit , fit later ones ? Like my -76 ?
Or does it ???

Thank You , and please share any information you might have on this .

[jester911]

Fenders changed from 73 to 74. 73 fender included the front turn signal light. 74 on does not.

[eki912]

Is that the only difference ?
Naturally , the earlier model had a totally different front part of the fender , due to the front corner mounted indicator.
So does this mean , that the lower corner area is the same ?
What I mean is , if I order that repair "kit" from Alfaparts , it should fit my 76 fender too ?
Altough they say it is only 69-73.

[ossiblue]

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that the Alpha part is advertised for 69-73 because those are the ungalvanized years, and therefore the market for the part. The Alpha part may not be galvanized either so you'd be mixing metals--don't know if that's a problem, aside from the rust-prone issue. As far as I know, the lower rear of the fenders are the same through 89, and the alpha part should work for you. Certainly, others who are expert should respond, but this is my understanding.

[kycarguy 935]

The Alfa parts repair section should work fine for you.

[jpnovak]

Eki, Are you back in Finland? When did you move from DC? Hope things are well with you.

The lower fender section is the same all the way through 89, possibly later. The Alfa parts repair kit will work.

btw, You may want to consider finding a good used short hood fender. You will still have to paint it but you will not have to weld on it.

[eki912]

Yes , back here in Finland now. Left DC last July , after a long road trip in California .
Not in a Porsche , though...

Anyway , the lower corner area of my fender , I will try to get that part , and get it fixed with that Alfaparts kit.
The new fenders here .... are expensive ! The cheapest ones are 800 euros , about 1100 dollars.

Cheaper ones were around , used. But they are still used ones.
Anyone who has seen how the rear side is put together , will understand that any used one can be as bad or worse than mine is.

Putting new metal there , should keep me happy for many many years !
And naturally , now that I have seen how that area is built , I will cover all areas with rust proofing stuff.
Even the small gap going up , from the bottom rear corner.

[tcar]

The lower rear (behind the wheel) of the front fender is the same. Only lower front (by turn signal) is different.

[trentwat]

Go fiberglass...

[Zeke]

The lower rear parts are indeed the same. They are also double wall, hence the rust. I don't know if you need the second wall if you're not going concours. In the past, I have employed used parts and welded both sides to include the double wall.

[Tim K]

Originally Posted by eki912

... I will cover all areas with rust proofing stuff.
Even the small gap going up , from the bottom rear corner.

Is this where you're talking about?

I always thought that this area was left open to allow any crap that got in a way to get out. I don't actually think that there is an opening in the cavity above it, so maybe it would be better off closed?

Tim K

[sballard]

Referring to the "new" fender piece in photo above, the 2 pieces are welded together along the left edge (the rear edge), but there is a crack opening between the 2 pieces at the bottom and along the right edge (facing the wheel well) all the way up. I suppose that the intention was that there be drainage between the pieces but in reality it is a great place to trap dirt and moisture.

[eki912]

Yes , that's the gap I mean...
Mine was really bad back there , sort of rusted from inside out .
Will get it fixed , hopefully.
And will not block that drain hole (or what ever it is) , just trying to spray some protectant in there.And all around.
It sure looks like a real dirt trap to me.

I have been told by several owners , that this area is prone to rust.Isn't that weird , as I was also told that the fenders of a -76 are galvanized ???
So that area behind there , or inside that "gap"/drain thing , is it then left ungalvanized/untreated from the factory ???
Mine was totally covered in surface rust when we cut the surface metal out.But only from the inside.And only from there.Other areas were sort of OK.Except some surface rust here and there ( read everywhere ) , due to the cracked rustproofing and sand thrown from the wheels , after all it is 31 years old !

[Tim K]

Glad to see you're attacking the problem. No mercy.
Would you mind posting your impressions of the fit/finish of the Alfaparts piece?

Post pics along the way!

Tim K

[rlane]

I used the alfaparts pieces on both sides of my 73
the pieces were well made but required a fair amount of gentle persuasion to get aligned and to make to curvature correct