Removing Fender

[ChrisCairns]

I have a new found respect for bodymen.

I've been trying to remove my pass front fender in order to properly mount and line up the glass door. What a pain.

I've been so far into the fender I've found people wandering around in there...lost since 1987. And they don't know how to get it off either. (If they did they wouldn't have been lost in the first place).

K...I've taken off every bolt I can see that holds the outer skin to the inner frame thingy. Not the plastic inner fender, just the frame that appears to hold the fender on. The damn thing still won't come off. It shakes and pretends to be loose but I think it's just playing with me.

All the bolts along the top edge are out. The ones from inside the open door are out. The ones around the well are out along with the trim. The ones at the front are out. And the underside ones...both front and back.

WHAT'S HOLDING THIS THING ON??? Anyone taken one off that shed some light. (I'll loan you my hooker in Vegas to thank you.)

Chris

 

[BuickTom]

Chris I know exactly how you feel Took me forever when I pulled my driver side fender off. It might be a little late for this advice now but I found it was LOTS easier to take the wheel off, and then take that whole sectoin of the clip (fender, metal inner fender thing, and plastic inner fender) off as one piece. I did the pass side this was way...MUCH easier.
Sorry can't really remember any other tricks or hidden bolts though.

Tom

 

[tim87tr]

OK, here is th report I have the bumper and front clip off my 83.

Fender top: 7 holes with the clip inserts and the two bolts on the horizontal ear up front.
Front side: 2 holes with the clip inserts, the top one right underneath that horiz. ear
Wheel Well: 6 holes for bolts, 7 screw holes for plastic inner fender
Door/Back side: 4 bolt holes, maybe one connection at the bottom horiz. short area
My Dad removed this fender and I am getting ready to take the other one off.

 

[ChrisCairns]

Thanks guys.

I just got back in. I couldn't take the fender off so I spent the next hour taking off the turbo. Remember the old saying...."If you can't remove the fender, try the turbo."

I have to send the turbo back to Craig so that's now done. And let me give a tidbit of advice to those of you thinking about buying a turbo with a V-band clamp. Take it off each week and reapply anti-seize. I did use anti-seize but I guess it burned off after 3 months. What a b!tch.

Anyway, thanks for the help. I'll print out your bolt explantion Tim, which is excellent, and take it out with me tomorrow morning when I attack again.

And Tom, I may try your method with the other side. We'll see how the passenger side finishes up using Tim's fine explanation.

Thanks again, Chris

 

[tc86gn]

I've been trying to remove my pass front fender in order to properly mount and line up the glass door. What a pain.

You do not need to remove the fender to line up the door. The fender is actually used to provide a good reference point to line the door up to. (providing it is in its proper place)If you line up the door without the fender on you will probably find yourself trying to line up the fender to the door which is even worse. Also you cannot check one of the most important things when lining up the door, Clearance between the door and fender when the door opens and closes.

K...I've taken off every bolt I can see that holds the outer skin to the inner frame thingy. Not the plastic inner fender, just the frame that appears to hold the fender on. The damn thing still won't come off. It shakes and pretends to be loose but I think it's just playing with me.

Do not remove the outer skin unless you absolutely have to!! It is a real PITA!! And more delicate than you think.
Do this. Put all your bolts back in and pay attention to exactly where they were lined up. Line up the door with the fender on. You are making entirely too much work for yourself. Hope you haven't tweaked the outer skin.

(I'll loan you my hooker in Vegas to thank you.)

Please forward hooker as this will save you considerable work and time. Trust me I have been there a few times.

 

[3point8]

PS fender off and on

Hi Chris,
One thing I discovered on my recent fender games:
there is a guide pin at the front. I believe its on the header and faces back into the fender. I had to remove and loosen all the 10mm fasteners on the header in order to move it far enough forward to clear the pin.
Since you have gone to all this work you may as well check for cracks in the sheetmetal flange with the large bolt holes at the top and braze them or repair as you see fit. May as well check out the antenna mount. Now is the time to check it and see if it needs adjustment or replacement etc.
I went to all that hassle and it still seems a little off angle
HTH
Peter Cruickshank

 

[ChrisCairns]

Originally posted by tc86gn
You do not need to remove the fender to line up the door. The fender is actually used to provide a good reference point to line the door up to.

The problem is that the glass doors don't have the mounting holes drilled. I can't mount the doors and then drill the holes from the inside of the door out through the hinge because I don't have any idea with the door closed, where the holes in the hinge are. With the fender removed I drill the holes in the perfect position. If you have that infernal secret method that the pro's always have so I don't have to remove the fender I'd sure love to hear it.

Please forward hooker as this will save you considerable work and time. Trust me I have been there a few times.

If you have a secret method consider the hooker yours permanently.

One thing I discovered on my recent fender games:
there is a guide pin at the front. I believe its on the header and faces back into the fender. I had to remove and loosen all the 10mm fasteners on the header in order to move it far enough forward to clear the pin.

Aha!! I'll betcha that's what's holding it on. I only removed what bolts I could see at the header to fender point. I was wondering if I shoulda removed the whole header so unless tc86gn can hopefully tell me how to drill the mounting points without removing any more crap, I'll remove the complete header also.

Thanks again guys.

Chris

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Fender R&R

Take the ENTIRE fender assy off in 1 piece. DO NOT attempt to remove the skin from the inner well w/ the fender on the car. The skin is fitted OVER the inner, [as in slides INSIDE the fender flanges] and as such, has to be pre assembled B4 hanging on the car. BETTER YET! Take the ft end off as an entire "dog house" assy.. You ARE going to do both doors in glas, right??

Be sure to look at the area behind the original battery box and also under the batt. box on the core support.
As already stated, the header has to be loose to do this.
Additionally, when replacing the ft fenders, doors, etc. It is necessary to work from the "B" pillar forward w/ the fit and alignment process. This is necessary, as the "B" pillar is fixed and only the door can be adjusted for clearance/fit. Once the door is properly aligned w/ the B pillar and lower sill plate area, the fenders are aligned w/ the ft edge of the doors and the process continues forward to the header panel.

There are several points for adjustment on the fenders:
* tabs are shimmed at the ft edge of the door. Also slotted for ft/rearward movement.
* lower tab is shimmed to bulge or flatten the fender at the bottom behind the tires.
* Header panel has loose fitting holes for edge adjustment to fender. Again, the fender can be moved, header panel is fixed width. These adjustments MUST also take into account the hood seams!
* tab at top rear of fender next to hood hinge.. in/out movement and shimmed for hgt the match door.
* core support has a body mount that has to be shimmed to raise/lower ft clip to align the width of the door edge to fender seam.I'm sure I've missed some adjustments, but these are the best an old man can remember!!

I recommend that you measure the distances from the ft edge of the original doors after you remove the fenders. This will help when positioning the new doors to prevent getting them too close in toward the "A" post, and then the fenders would not have enuf in/out adjustment to match the new door edge.
Don't forget the weather strips!!

ABOVE ALL, HAVE FUN!! This IS fun, RIGHT???

 

[ChrisCairns]

Hey Chuck,

We gotta talk. Please email me your phone number.

Thanks, Chris

BTW...to all you who said NOT to JUST remove the outer skin....well let me tell you I've been out in the shop this morning .....AND YOU'RE RIGHT....LOL.

I can't get the sunnnnab!tch lined up properly as I tried to re-attach it. I no longer have any paint on the upper front door corner. AArrrrrgggggghhhhhh.

It's lucky I'm extremely good looking cause I sure am stupid when it comes to cars.

Chris

 

[tc86gn]

Didn't realize it was fiberglass doors. My stupid!!
Chuck has you lined out.

 

[ChrisCairns]

After my whining and bitchin' yesterday, I went back out to the shop and studied the fender for awhile and got it back on correctly.

This morning I removed the passenger door but left the hinges on the car. So all I had to do was drill holes IN THE CORRECT PLACES. I measured the old door for the initial single bolt hole in the glass one, keeping in mind that the marks on the glass door weren't correct when I put the door opening hardware in some months back. My measuring was crude yet once the first hole was drilled it turned out to be perfect. I then drilled the next 2 for the top hinge and mounted the door again. It was still perfect...lol.

The bottom hinge work was done in the same manner and I'm VERY IMPRESSED with how it turned out. The glass one sags a bit when open but overall it ain't bad. Not like a good steel door but adequate. I will be putting an adjustable something or other from the lower rear corner to the upper front corner inside the door so it won't sag as much....that'll be later though.

I hope I learned enough to do the driver's side equally as well, without the arrogance of "Hey, I'm an eggspert now" and screwing it up.

Chris