Having troubles installing stock (but new) fender on a 72. It lines up in the front correctly but is not flush with the door and I cant seem to get either side correct. Is there a certain order the bolts should be installed? How many shims should be used? There is about a cm of the fender from the door, tried pushing on it, moving it, ect. No use. Thanks in advance.

 

Just allot of playin around, you put the shims on the top to where it bolts to the cowl section as well as the bottom. But if its propper it should go on good with a little messin around.

 

When you say "stock" do you mean an original GM, or stock reproduction? If it wont line up with the door, then you need to check the whole frontend for trueness. It sounds like your core support is out of whack if it matches up with the lower valance, header panel, but wont fit back to the door.
I start with just loosely installing all the bolts, then it's a case of tightening those bolts first that will move the fender in the direction needed. Of course you can't force anything, so if it wont easily move towards the cowl to close the door gap you need to loosen the core support and allow that to also shift. Be sure to tighten the bolts that hold the fender to the lower valance and header panel first, as these need to be secure and surfaces matched up before you shift anything else.
Once you get everything very close you can snug the bolts and check the fit. After that it's just hours of loosening bolts and adding shims in the right places to make it all line up well. I probably had both my front fenders off 4-5 times before I got them to sit exactly where I wanted. It's frustrating for me, as I'm not a body/fender guy, so it takes me so much longer to get it right.

 

I agree and disagree slightly. It all depends on how much you have off your car. Mine was stripped to the shell. I started by squaring the rad support to the firewall. I think I use the hood bumpers as a locator, but don't remember. Its a good idea if I didn't. Then I got the doors right and worked forward. the fender/door seam. Working from the top down. then on to the front and getting the header panel lined up and the hood would be last.

P.S. there is no set number of shims. The shims were used to cure anomalies in the production of the car. The panels were welded to a car that was moving by humans. There no all gonna be the same. Add to that the fenders were stamped and shipped in from god knows where. Cars don't fit together like their machined pieces. Good Luck...put beer on your shopping list.

 

I'd agree with Damon, IF the car is getting a whole new frontend clip, and IF the doors are already hanging perfectly with the body.

 

I found the door were way easier than the fenders. Even though they weigh a ton.

 

Yeah, I had little difficulty with my doors. I simply strapped them to a padded floor jack and then loosened the bolts to adjust them.

 

Hey!, great site, I'm into 4th gen Novas, but I just got an 80 Z 350 4 speed t-top, been in storage since '89. I just had my fenders off cleaning & painting. The easy & correct way to install a fender on any GM subframe car is to jack up the body NEXT to the front subframe mount. As you go up the gap between the bottom of the fender & door will close up. Stop where you like it, adjust, & shim the fender, & install the wheel well & tighten the bolts without a bind on the fender. The fender & wheel well are part of the structural integrity of the subframe & the bushings let it sag without the fender being there to hold it in place. Hope this helps.

 

You mean jacking it on the floor pan/ rocker area? I have solid bushings and have SFCs but am waiting until all the weight is on the car before installing those. I realize there part of the structure of the car I just don't want to cave my shiny black floor pans in.

It sounds logical what your saying though. I'm sure all of us have seen the front of our cars sag as their sat down on jack stands. Enlighten me on this step by step.

 

I loosley bolted up the front of the fender. Right behind the fender & rocker about 10-12" back from the front mount there's a flat spot where the firewall overlaps the floor. I used a chunk of 2x4 on the jack. Jack slowly until the gap closes evenly at the bottom of the fender. Mine never caved in, but I only lifted enough to take a little pressure off the subframe bushings. Check the top fender bolt, it probably needs a shim or two to raise it level with the door, then get a straight edge & use it to make sure the bottom portion just below the body line of the fender is paralell with the door, shim & tighten the bottom bolts, then the rest of the fender bolts then install the wheel well & battery box, then let it down... with solid bushings if the fenders don't just fall back into place, you'll have to shim the front body mounts & maybe the radiator support mount to adjust the gap at the bottom of the fender & door.