[OB1KUBOTA]

Its been a while and the fender wells are detailed so im trying not to scratch them, Is it better to secure them to the fender or to mount them on the car then hang the fender. The nose has been off for 4 years now. Those rims are just rollers to accommodate the new rotors

[400 4spd.]

If I'm building a front end I prefer to:
1. Remove front wheels and support the weight under the control arms, under the cross member, or at the sway bar brackets. That eliminates any sag but provides room to work.
2. With all bolts started, loosely assemble the inner and outer fenders and install as a unit.
3. Start all fender attaching bolts loosely.
4. Align rear of fender at cowl top/upper door area and tighten the bolts in that area. 5. Move to the lower rear fender area, align and tighten bolts.
6. Mount and align hood at rear, then fit front of fender with hood and tighten bolts in front.
7. Tighten all the inner fender related bolts after everything else is tight.

That's more than you asked about, but I thought I would throw that in.
BTW, I built a front end on a 70 Nova today, and those methods work for me on just about any car.

[rolling money pits]

what 400 4 spd said...

you're guaranteed to scratch up an inner fender trying to install it after the fender has been put on. not only that, but also scratching up the upper control arm and frame rail. it also goes w/o saying doing it that way can, and usually is, a major PITA.

only thing i would suggest that's different from what he said is this -

save the final panel alignment until that 500 pound nose and bumper brackets are on as well as sitting on the wheels you plan on running. it's fine to snug things down before, but the nose will cause some flexing when it's bolted up.

[400 4spd.]

Good point regarding the nose. I had in mind the average old car with the traditional steel bumper, not the Endura and the complications that go with it. At step #6 I would certainly want the bumper on before tightening the front sheet metal bolts.

[Greg Reid]

Question....What, if anything should be done with the core support during all this. In other words, what's the core support's part in this procedure? How does one know it's set at the right height and distance forward/back?
I've been able to get sheetmetal pretty straight in the past but I always felt like it was just more luck than anything else.
I had been putting the inners on loosely and fitting the fender over it...and I never did get the inner fender to fender-wheel-opening holes to liine up.
Going to try it your way this time.

[400 4spd.]

Greg, leave the core support a little loose also. Loose enough so that it can be slid forward or backward and side-to-side to match the fender. The fender location and hood alignment should determine where the core support ends up.
After fitting and tightening the upper fender to cowl bolts, the fender to rocker fit will help you see if the core support is too low or high.
Does that answer your question?

[Half-Inch Stud]

Knowing a thing or 2 about the 68GTO...


you could bolt the Fender/wheel assy onto the car, THEN do the Fender alignment to Door gap, (while the Wheelwell is totally-loose).

Install the Hood, Set the Nose-to-Fender Gap while also SQUARING-UP the Hood-fender gaps. Line-up Hood rear stainless to match Fender tip stainless. DO NOT concern yourself with Nose-to-Hood leading edge.
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ALTERNATELY: you could do all that without the wheelwells. THEN undo the 2 lower Fender bolts and muscle each wheelwell in place with judicious leverage from a long flat-blade screwdriver. Not a safe bet huh, but I've done that this year for all the right reasons. Cannot do that to a 70GTO.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

Greg, leave the core support a little loose also. Loose enough so that it can be slid forward or backward and side-to-side to match the fender. The fender location and hood alignment should determine where the core support ends up.
After fitting and tightening the upper fender to cowl bolts, the fender to rocker fit will help you see if the core support is too low or high.
Does that answer your question?

Yes sir. Thanks!