[fairwayhit]

My 71 lemans has some bad rust around the wheel well and in the lower corner. I think I could fix the corner, as they make patch panels for that, but the wheel well is probably beyond my skill level. I don't believe there is any patch panel for that area, so someone would have to fabricate the area...

These fenders are getting harder to find, but I may have found one that doesn't require too much work for $500...

How much do you think a good metal man would charge to cut out the rust and weld in new metal my current fender?

I would drag this thing down to a body man and get a quote, but it might take some time to find someone with the skills, and I need to make a decision on the other one.

The only other option I can think of is to buy a repo 1970 GTO fender, and cut/weld in the front bumper section that differs on the 71 Lemans . The repos are around $600.

[mrennie]

I can't help with an estimate, but I would NOT buy a 70 reproduction fender and use the front of your fender to make a better one. I say this because I bought reproduction fenders for my car and have over 40 hours of labour in them to make them right. The curve at the back where they meet the door is wrong, the gap at the top near the windshield is too wide, and the side marker light opening is wrong.

If you can't find a patch for your wheel opening, maybe buying a 70 fender and using it to get the brace area and wheel lip might work, but I would use your original fender and put patches on it rather than the other way around.

[steve v]

Buying a used fender may be your best option. I think there's still a good supply of solid used Southwestern sheet metal although shipping cost may be expensive.

[gto4evr]

this is a chrome bumper Lemans right, not a T41? you can use a 70 lemans fender as well as 71/72 with 3 modifications that would be easier than trying to add in the whole front section. All you need to do is flatten the valence bracket and cut it down to size, drill two holes into the flap. then cut out the side marker light section and insert it into the fender, and thirdly trim out the face of the fender so the 71 header panel can mount. I learned the last one the hard way after I already had the fender painted, even though the headlight areas look the same between 70 and 71, they're made differently and the low beam bucket area is larger on 71 so you need to cut away some of the bracing on the fender to accept the 71 header.

[gto4evr]

pics of the front modification to make the 70 lemans into a 71/72 lemans fender

fender on the car started as a 70, fender on the saw horse is 71 and the white shows what needs to be cut away on the 70 fender to make it work.