How do you remove front fenders, without destroying them? Options

[kafermeister]

I'm looking for pictures from someone who has completed the process. For the spot welds, I was going to drill them out.

How are the front fenders attached at the cowl area? Are they fastened at all at the front of the door post?

Rick

[URY914]

Front fenders are welded at the cowl and at the door posts. I have pictures at home that I can post.

Where the fender and the cowl meet is a seam that has the gasket in it. It runs from the corner of the hood/fender/cowl to the w/s post. That seam is welded (or rusted) together.

Cutting the fenders off is not easy but can be done.

Paul

[Slowpoke]

I'm not sure what you are asking. Do you want to remove good fenders from one car and install them on another? Do you want to remove good fenders and install them on the same car?
I can cut one off with and air chisel in about 1 hour, but either the fender or the car is damanged in the process. I'm quite sure you won't be able to remove all the spot welds with a spot weld saw, and some parts of the fender to body welds appear to be mig welded.
They are spot welded and mig welded at the cowl area. They are also spot welded at the door pillar post. accessed from the wheel well area. But, it seems to me most of the fender is being held on with the tons of seam sealer they crammed in everywhere. I find it easier to air chisel the fender off and then remove the seam sealer and drill out the spots welds if I'm trying to save the fender. If I'm trying to save the car I cut the fender to bits and then drill out the spot welds and grind the mig areas..
Peter

[URY914]

Peter is right,

You will be destroying one or the other. You can't get to all the spot welds to drill them out and in some areas it is a continous seam weld.

Tell us some more and we'll try to help out.

Paul

[kafermeister]

Do you want to remove good fenders from one car and install them on another?

Indeed, that is exactly what I desire to accomplish. I want to remove from one car and put onto another. I have a car without any quarters at all and need to remove 4 fenders from my parts car (old project actually) without re-inventing the wheel.

The rest of your post cleared up what I was looking for.

Thanks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)
Rick

[kafermeister]

Front fenders are welded at the cowl and at the door posts. I have pictures at home that I can post.

Pictures would help. I'm having a tough time picturing the cowl attachment in my head.

Thanks Paul.

Rick

[URY914]

Here is a shot of the cowl rust area.

[URY914]

Sorry so big. I think that is about life size.

Paul

[ThinAir]

So if you drill out the welds and then use a sawsall to just cut right through the weld in the seam, do you end up with a useable fender and cowl? From the picture it looks like one laps over the other before welding. If you just cut right down the middle of the seam, how do you put things back together?

I'm wondering because my project car may require removing the fenders and I want to do it in a way that will leave the car ready for a donor or new fender.

[kafermeister]

Sorry so big. I think that is about life size.

Paul

Excellent! That does help. No problem on the size. Bigger is better.. Right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I now see how the fender attaches to the door hinge pillar. I can even see part of the old fender in the front hood opening. I still can't pick out where it actually is welded to the cowl. Am I missing it or is it just rusted over?

[Joe Bob]

Cut long....meaning cut the fenders off and get them off the donor car with as much extra material that you can.....once they are off, they can be trimmed....