[79 Phoenix]

I'm trying to get the front end apart on my car. Got the driver's fender off but can't get the nuts off that attach the passenger fender to the fiberglass header panel around the headlight area. The edge of the core support hides them. How do I get to these nuts??

[79 Phoenix]

In case this helps someone, I needed to cut a hole in the core support to gain access to the fender nuts off the back of the header panel.

[Shiny]

Ugghhh...sorry you didn't get any guidance.

I just assembled the fiberglass header and front bumper onto a 70 LeMans and did NOT have to jump through any hoops. There were studs in the header that went into the fenders. My inner fenders and bumper were NOT installed when I attached the header, so I was able to reach the nuts inside the fenders. There were also brackets between the header and the radiator support.

I have no idea how a 71 differs but perhaps it was all about the inner fenders?

Were your inner fenders still in place?

These wheelhouses had to be maneuvered to install with the fenders in place but it wasn't awful. I imagine it would be similar to remove them...

[Shiny]

I also think there were 3 studs on each side of the header but only 2 received nuts. The assembly manual said the other 2 were for alignment only. If nuts were installed (incorrectly) on those other 2 studs, it might have been a different story.

[79 Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Shiny

I also think there were 3 studs on each side of the header but only 2 received nuts. The assembly manual said the other 2 were for alignment only. If nuts were installed (incorrectly) on those other 2 studs, it might have been a different story.

Yes the side stud and outer top stud on mine had nuts on them. I guess the top inner stud helps get the header lined up right.

[79 Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Shiny

Ugghhh...sorry you didn't get any guidance.

I just assembled the fiberglass header and front bumper onto a 70 LeMans and did NOT have to jump through any hoops. There were studs in the header that went into the fenders. My inner fenders and bumper were NOT installed when I attached the header, so I was able to reach the nuts inside the fenders. There were also brackets between the header and the radiator support.

I have no idea how a 71 differs but perhaps it was all about the inner fenders?

Were your inner fenders still in place?

These wheelhouses had to be maneuvered to install with the fenders in place but it wasn't awful. I imagine it would be similar to remove them...

Thanks for your reply! My inner fender was out but my bumper was still on. Now that my bumper is off, I think I would have been able to get to those two nuts if I had removed the bumper and the attached bracket first. You live and learn. Still not a huge deal to patch up the core support. I'll remember this as I re-assemble.

[Shiny]

That makes sense. My bumper was off when I installed the header. On a 70, the bumper has a couple upper brackets that attach to the radiator support and the bumper "overlaps" the bottom lip of the header. I don't think it would be possible to remove the header on a 70 with the bumper in place... maybe if it was dropped down?

Mike