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Front end mock up shows some problems, cut n weld or frame shop?

2K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  Ripped 
#1 ·
I mocked up the shelby front end a couple days ago, which reveals some problems with the way the front end was welded together. (the whole front end of the mustang was replaced from the firewall out)

I wasn't happy with the way the fenders line up (thought it was repro parts problem) but now when I mock up the whole front end, there is more to it.

I think one of two possibilities, the front clip is welded in at an angle that tilts up slightly, or the repop innner fenders are welded in too high.

The inner fenders on the car now seem to rise up (like a football field) from the firewall to the shock towers, then fall back down to the rad. The old photos of the car, show the fenders coming off the firewall flat, not rising up, then fall down to the rad.

The question is, should I consider taking the car to a frame shop, to bend the front clip down?

The other option is to cut the top flange of the inner fenders and move them down, as I see it close to 1/2 inch.
 

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#2 ·
If the inner fender parts were welded on wrong there is no "pulling them" straight. There will have to be some repair most likely.

Lets start with the repro fenders, you just can't expect them to go on very nice. I have hung genuine Shelby fenders on another undamaged car and they didn't fit very well! You just can't expect fiberglass parts to go right on. It would be VERY common for the inner fender lip on a repro fiberglass fender to be up or down a LOT. Have you tried to hang some original steel fenders on it? You should just to give you an idea of where you are at.

I can't enlarge the photos for some reason so I can't give you much. But first you need to find out if they welded the inner fenders and such on with the rails in the wrong place. The rails would have to be up in the front to cause your problem.

I don't remember exactly how the top of the innerfender should run but I believe you are right. They should be basically flat from the firewall all the way to the rad support with only a slight drop from the shock tower forward.

Soooooo, what you are saying is that the shock tower is high, tha is pretty hard to do, and pretty hard to correct. So my first thought is, there is something that is making it LOOK like the tower is high. Maybe just the upper lip on the repro parts is high?

Has the shock towers been replaced? How about the frame rails?

Brian
 
#3 ·
That does not look right to me at all..I think that this car needs to go back on the frame rack to see if the alignment is right..

My thoughts are if a fellow does the job correctly on the frame rack then hanging the fenders should go fine and only need maybe a bit of "tweaking" to get them to fit right..

Sorry to see your problem..

OMT
 
#4 ·
I still have the original fenders, so I am going to hang them, and see how they look.

I looked at the inner fenders front and back. It is possible that they could be lower, but then like you said the shock tower would have to be high. also the front rad cross member would have to be high.

It could all be due to repop fenders.

I checked and leveled the frame side to side, before I welded in the subframe connectors, and it was right on +/- 1/16 everywhere.

I am going to set up the laser level from work, under the car this week and check the frame dimensions front to back, just to be sure.

After doing all this work, I want to take my time and get all the panels to fit real nice, if it means I have to cut and weld even the inner fenders, again, I'll do that. Or if it means purchasing original die ford fenders, then that might be an easier option ;)

Has the shock towers been replaced? How about the frame rails?
yeah everything from the firewall forward is new including the front frame rails
 
#5 ·
That's some pretty major surgery. Square and level is a nice way to proceed, but it sure doesn't tell the whole story. Without very detailed measurement data and some specialized equipment, really the only way to align the upper body prior to welding is by fitting some known good parts. If all that stuff is welded in wrong, you may have given yourself a fairly large headache. :(
 
#10 ·
Hood gaps are good all around, from the cowl to the fenders

top fender bolt holes line up good.

The holes in the front rad support look high, in other words where the bracket comes across from the headlight housings, it looks like the fenders should be bolted up (lifted) higher, when in fact they should drop.

I might need to get a measurement on the rad support piece, as it is one that I didn't buy, and that came with the car.

I rolled the fenderlips in, but that shouldn't have changed how the fenders line up. I have read repop '67 fenders don't fit that great.

I'll know more when I drop the stock (rusty) original fenders onto the car. Just looking at the inner fenders, my gut feeling is that they are welded in a bit too high.
 
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