Author Topic: Better now than later front fender bad  (Read 645 times)

Offline AZDAN

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Better now than later front fender bad
« on: October 21, 2010 - 12:32:11 AM »
 On my 72 barracuda the left front fender had been repaired before I bought the car. It had a big crease from the front edge past the marker light. The previous fix some one drilled holes and pulled part of the the crease out. I used a stud welder and pulled more the crease out and also filled in the marker light. I had to do the  patch panel on the lower fender behind the tire also. It had dings all along the body line also. Just what you would have expected from an old 72 318 daily driver. The fender fell over today in the garage , what a huge dent where the crease had been. I pushed it back out by hand but then realized that for such a small fall that was a huge dent. I think the metal there has been over worked and it seems real weak. If someone had just leaned on it when it was on the car it would have probably buckled. Time to order up some new front fenders, the other fender has damage at the front and I'd probably never get it back to the right shape, close but not right. It also needed the patch panel behind the tire. At least it was good practice on knockout the dents and using filler and getting the body line back. I think I knew all along it was going to come down to new fenders, Might as well go for changing it over to a 70' style grille while I'm at it.




Offline E-Body Products

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Re: Better now than later front fender bad
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2010 - 07:18:26 AM »
Sounds like you are making a wise decision.  The new fenders fit pretty good and no rust...

Offline Topcat

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Re: Better now than later front fender bad
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2010 - 11:11:43 AM »
An option to consider: The dent can be heat shrinked to help restore its original hardness. A good bodyman can do it with a torch and a shrinking hammer/dolly in a few minutes of work.
Mike, Fremont, CA.