71 dart inner fender install help

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71 swinger34

71 swinger34

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I got a 71 dart that I'm restoring. I'm replacing the inner fenders due to rust, so I ordered AMD inner fenders. When I went to test fit the drivers fender it did not rest into place, it was rocking back and forth on the shock tower and would have about a 1/4 in gap where it welds to on the cowl. I know that when you buy new panels you have to "massage" them to fit correctly but it seems that my panel wouldn't fit good at all. Any advice would be great. Also has anyone else had this problem with AMD metal before.
 
I didn't use AMD, but I removed a rust free drivers inner fender from a '74 Dart and welded it into my '67 Barracuda. I used a ball-peen hammer and slowly hammered it down while spot welding it in. Another thing I'd use vice grips or C clamps to hold it in place so you can spot weld it in.
When you remove the rusty inner, you should put in some kind of brace from your rad support to firewall to make sure it doesn't flex out of place, and make sure its square before tacking all 4 corners of the inner fender into place.



 
What do you mean by supported? I have them on jack stands, if that's what you mean.
 
In my opinion, the inner fender along with the shock mount creates a structure.
The shock mount alone is nothing structural really. You'll see ballooned sheet metal in its forming just above the frame rail. It will bend there. If you need to take its top down a 1/4, maybe the suspension has driven it up a quarter over the years. Anyway... The shock doesn't care a 1/4 one way or the other.
Height and angle of the inner fenders does matter where body panel alignment comes into play, There should be measured points.
 
What the above guys have said. I would set the car on jack stands or similar and take the weight off the wheels. Then use a lot of clamps or clecos on the entire piece, then fit the fender and hood and make sure stuff lines up. I like to leave the clamps until the piece is almost totally welded so there is no chance of movement. Tack the four corners and work all over the piece.
There are sometimes the replacement panels fit crappy and the next time they are as good as factory. Every car and part are different. Don't get all hung up on the fitment work. These cars didn't have very good fit and finish from the factory. Everybody overlooks that part of it.
That being said, the cars around here leave better than factory.:glasses7:
 
I agree with SNKEBIT. I have run into this crap alot. Take your time and think it out before you dive in. But dont over think it either.
 
I have run into this crap alot. Take your time and think it out before you dive in. But dont over think it either.

^^^THIS^^^^^ Sometimes people doing this for the first couple times tend to wonder why it isn't exactly perfect. It wasn't. These cars have a lot of fit and finish issues that nobody notices until they take it apart and try to put back together the "right way" that never was.

Did that make sense? lol:D
 
I've never seen the hole in the inner fender perfectly centered over the hole in the shock mount. Varied space between them too. They placed a extra wide overlapping flange at the cowl/a-pillar so they could weld the inner fenders where they needed to be.
If the top of your inner fender should run downhill too far, lots of spacers and longer bolts would get the fenders rear edge inline with the door edge. If the inner fenders run uphill, you're at do over. I think there are some measurements in frame books.
 
I replaced both inner fenders with AMD on my 73 duster and the drivers side would not fit without reworking it.
I ended up splitting the inner fender about where the washer jug sits, and just below the battery box.
The passenger side did fit good, but still needed minor rework.
They came out fine after some minor body work.

opBPFj.jpg
 
first thing anyone should do is make sure the car is square. make sure you don't have any sway sag or mash. before you tear the car apart inspect you existing gaps and lines between the doors and fenders as well as the hood gaps. are they wider at one end or another? always whenever possible fit and weld it when the car is on it's suspension. this is the cars natural stance. with its own wait your fitted panels will stay in place. if you let the suspension hang in the air, more than likely when you lower the car down on its weight again your gaps will move and something will buckle
 
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