[JIMMYM]

What is the easiest way to install the front clip. Would it be attach the radiator support to the inner fenders and then attach fenders to inner fenders and then attach the entire assembly at once or how. This is my first gto and i want to do it the correct way. Any help and other tips would be appreciated.

[Jerry H.]

I've had the front clip off of about a dozen 65's over the past 30 years. I've always started with the radiator cradle, then the inner fenders, then the outer fenders, then all the individual parts, etc. Never tried to attach the entire assembly, of course that would be hard all by yourself.

[Keith Seymore]

Agree with Jerry.

The only modification I would make to his recommendation is that you can attach the wheelhouse inners to the fender and install them as an assembly. That's how it was done in the assembly plant at those locations where the front end was assembled to the car "piecemeal" (ie, one fender at a time).

Also - leave the rad supt bolts and top (vertical) fender bolts loose, to allow the radiator support/front fenders to shift side-to-side. This will allow you to fit the hood (hood to fender gaps). Once you've done that then you can torque and seat all the fasteners.

K

[JIMMYM]

Thanks for the help.

[Jerry H.]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Agree with Jerry.

The only modification I would make to his recommendation is that you can attach the wheelhouse inners to the fender and install them as an assembly. That's how it was done in the assembly plant at those locations where the front end was assembled to the car "piecemeal" (ie, one fender at a time).

Also - leave the rad supt bolts and top (vertical) fender bolts loose, to allow the radiator support/front fenders to shift side-to-side. This will allow you to fit the hood (hood to fender gaps). Once you've done that then you can torque and seat all the fasteners.

K

Agree with Keith about leaving the bolts loose. Never tighten any bolt down until you get your adjustments right. I've never mounted the inner fender onto the outer fender for the reason I stated earlier; I was always doing it all by myself. If I had help I may have tried it that way.

[dld]

Years ago when cars had frames salvage yards would sell what was called walk off front clips. Insurance co. liked to use these as it would save labor cost. This made a good repair. But as a restorer you may be fooled in the fact some things could be different than oe for your car .

The A bodys out of Baltimore were installed this way. Other plants also as pic of lancing shows. eight bolts at cowl and core support bolts a few wires and hoses. A little playing with misc and alignments.But as said not easy without wife's help.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by dld

The A bodys out of Baltimore were installed this way. Other plants also as pic of lancing shows. eight bolts at cowl and core support bolts a few wires and hoses. A little playing with misc and alignments.But as said not easy without wife's help.

Varies from plant to plant. The plant in Pontiac Michigan installed fenders piecemeal (one at a time).

In fact, when I started at Flint: Line 2 (Blazer/Suburban) was buck built, as shown. Line 1 (pickup) was piecemeal. So it varied within the same plant at the same time for the same product line.

K

[Jake64]

You may also wish to use plastic or cardboard washers. Make sure the washers are larger than the bolt heads. This will reduce marring your finished paint as you are making adjustments, and you will be making adjustments. You may also consider using a spare set of bolts rather than your original bolts. This way, you will only need to install your original bolts once after the adjustments are completed. This will reduce scratching the finished plating/coatings from the bolts.

Also make sure your emblems are applied to the fenders (first rub out the immediate area aroung the emblems) if using the original factory method of securing the embems, prior to mounting the fenders to the inner fenders.

[elefantrider]

First the radiator support. I also bolt the inner and outer fenders together before installing each in one piece. Then install the front trim and grills. Have done everything myself including the hood but the hood is easier with someone else helping.

[AMX guy]

Sorry to bring back a 12 year old thread but I figured why start another.

I'm getting ready to install the front end on my '66. I do have someone to help. everything was fit before paint I just need to reassemble and I REALLY don't want to screw my paint up. the only thing that makes me nervous is getting the fenders on, the hood I know how to do.

It seems putting the fender on the wheelhouse is best, my only concern is the paint not my time so do we agree this is safest? are there any other tips I should know?

[Keith Seymore]

Put a couple layers of masking tape on the leading edge of the doors (and any place else that looks vulnerable).

Take your time and be careful.

Maybe take the front tires off so that you have one less thing to manuever around.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Agree with Jerry.

The only modification I would make to his recommendation is that you can attach the wheelhouse inners to the fender and install them as an assembly. That's how it was done in the assembly plant at those locations where the front end was assembled to the car "piecemeal" (ie, one fender at a time).

Also - leave the rad supt bolts and top (vertical) fender bolts loose, to allow the radiator support/front fenders to shift side-to-side. This will allow you to fit the hood (hood to fender gaps). Once you've done that then you can torque and seat all the fasteners.

K

I was the foreman on the line where the fenders were installed at Flint Truck Assembly.

We had two guys - one at the front and one at the rear.

They would swoop the fender off the carrier (it was upside down on the carrier) and into position, jammed rearward against some spacers on the door to set the gap. The guy at the front would hold the nose of the fender up while the guy at the back drove the upper vertical bolt partway (left loose). Once it is hanging the guy at the front would drive the nose bolts (about 7 of them, 5/16" with small washers) and the guy at the rear would open the door and drive the horizontal bolt (tight). After that is done he would take a big stick and pry rearward off the tire on the rear dogleg portion while the guy in the pit drove the bottom fastener.

Line rate was 60 jobs/hour, or one completed vehicle every minute. That gave them about 45 seconds to do all of the above (plus some minor wire routing).

I watched them do about 900,000 vehicles this way (or about 1.8 million fender installs).

K

[Keith Seymore]

A couple thoughts about shims (because you are probably going to need to do some shimming):

1 - we used to shim to trends, not individual vehicles. So the guys would tape a packet of shims together and run that all day until the repair area at the end of the line would yell at us. At that point we would create a new setup and run that until something required a change. There just wasn't time to stop and look at every truck.

You will want to set it on there and observe and adjust. Also - I have taken a front end off and put it back on, only to find it needed different shims than what was just on there. So just because you took them off and preserved the locations doesn't mean that's what it will want going back together.

2 - shims can go under the rear vertical bolt (to set your up/down at the door), behind the upper horizontal bolt (sets in/out at the top) and behind the bottom bolt (sets in/out at the bottom). We never shimmed at the front although I suppose a person could.

K

[AMX guy]

Thanks this is helpful. and this is with the inner fender loosely attached to the fender right?

[Keith Seymore]

Ours were tight but loose should be ok.

K

[1_Wild_Cat]

My 64 had a few shims under the bottom of the core support. I assumed these were used instead of shims between the front of the fender and the core support.

[Keith Seymore]

Right.

We would shim up/down underneath the rad support - but I meant we would not shim the width (side to side) at the front.

The attachment of the fenders to the rad support defines the front of the opening.

K