I’m having some trouble fitting my new Inner Wheelhouse and am hoping for some insights from those that have been here. I’m using this piece from Restoration Design:

Click to view attachment


Before I removed the old rusted part, I made a jig that bolts to the driver’s side console to help locate the passenger outer suspension console:

Click to view attachment


There seems to be a lot of leeway as to where the new piece actually fits, so I decided to bolt the jig in place before I weld on the RD piece, and before I even do the final trimming to the existing inner wheelhouse. That way I make sure that I’m locating the RD piece in a spot that lets me put the outer suspension console where it’s supposed to be.

Click to view attachment


The problem I’m having is that the new wheelhouse seems to sit too far to the outside of the car. I can’t line up the suspension console with jig because the distance from the driver’s side console is too large by about 3/16”. Here’s a pic that shows the discrepancy:

Click to view attachment


This has me stumped.

There’s nothing in the way of the new piece – it’s mated flush with the existing inner half of the wheelhouse along the bottom (which is in good shape and not being replaced). There is material in the way near the top edge that I haven’t cut away yet, but that isn’t affecting the distance at the jig.

I know repro parts often need some fitting, even excellent parts like the ones from RD, but this seems like a big gap, and I see no simple way to correct it by working the new part (I’d have to actually cut it apart and reweld it). The jig is solid and I am sure it has not changed. The car is well-supported, and there is still both the firewall (upper and lower) and the wall between the engine compartment and trunk, so it seems impossible that the car has “spread” between the wheelhouses.

Has anyone had this issue with the repro pieces? Any ideas what else could be causing this?

I would suggest that the placement front to rear is far more important than the placement side to side.
I have found that these cars are different from one side to another, and they all seem to have that problem.

Get it squared up and weld it in place, use the trailing arm to adjust for the small difference.

Rich

This is normal with aftermarket panels regardless of it being a Porsche VW, Ford, Chevy etc. etc. etc. you ALWAYS have to custom fit the parts

Thanks for the feedback.

I'll go ahead and build it 3/16" wider than it was, and stop worrying about it, at least for now. Wider is better anyway.