My front wheel wells are starting to rust where the screw holes for the plastic inner fender are.The small holes are now the size of my fist.Is there a way to replace the wheel wells??If so how do I do it.

 

The only replacement you can do is to weld in a new patch of sheetmetal...


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

This isn't the wheel well that's rusting, it's the quarter panel. Just buy a new quarter panel. This is the best and easiest way to do it. Yeah, it's a pain to take everything apart, but it's probably a bigger pain to cut out the rust and try to feather in a new piece of sheet matal. If you're gonna do it, ya might as well do it right the first time!

Good luck,
Mike

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86 Z28
305 TPI
3.73, Flowmaster, TPIS Air Foil, Headman Headers, March Pulleys, K&N, Hypertech

 

Well, he's talking about the front... quarter panels are in the rear, fenders are in the front. But if I read his message right, there's only one spot where screws hold the plastic inner fender to the car- and that's on the strut tower. The plastic inner fenders are held to the "real" steel fenders by plastic clips, not screws.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

yes its only in the front,not the back,and theres like 4 or 5 fist sized holes.a couple near the strut tower and a couple more towards the front,and one towards the back.If you take the plastic inner fender off that keeps water and junk from flying up into the metal and crevices,you will see what i mean.I would think the wheel wells are a very common place for rust but lets say it gets real bad where the strut tower is about to rip apart and cant support the weight of the car.Then what do ya do.Thanx guys for helpin out.

 

Opps, fender...quarter panel I took it as meaning that his front fender is rusting where the plastic inner skirt attatches to the fender with plastic rivits. I don't think there is any plastic where the shock tower mounts to the wheel well so I don't think he meant there.

Oh well, if your front fender is rusting, buy a new one from Classic Industries, Year One, or the dealer and live life happy again!

Mike

 

No just the wheel well is rusting ,not the fender.if the WHEEL well is rusting how do u change it.thanx

 

take my word for this! give that car its last rites.partys over ,stick a fork in it its done.how many more ways can i say it?i do body work for a livin. thats not a fender well its the front STRUCTURE of the car!you shouldnt patch it it needs full replacement if thats got holes fist sized its a good guess theres more considering how thick those towers are.find another body and change out the good stuff.its history.3gens are plentiful and relatively cheap you dont have to match year or packageyou can get a baseline strippie shell and go from there. the only noniterchangeable thing i know of is the seatbalts on 82 cars.i dont know for fact its what i was told by a friend with an 82 so check it out for yourself.sorry to be the bearer of bad news but its the truth.

chevcam1

 

I found some original front fender skirts from classic industries so i think i will try to cut the old ones out and simply weld the new ones in.let me know what you think.

 

ok hold up here!what year car do you have,i assumed 3gen.those skirts and towers are a bear to change.if what you found is even what you need.I wouldnt bother with it and i have almost 15yrs exp $40000.00 in tools & the best of measuring equiptment at my disposal.2 things to think of is if the towers are not installed properly,the car can NEVER be aligned.the other is if the towers are not weled well enuff theyll break off.plan to pull the glass,the dash,and anything else that could be damaged by heat and welding spatter.youll also need to have a mig welder,you cant braze these on.make note of the only thing in caps in my last post is the word STRUCTURE!!!!THIS IS PART OF THE CARS STRUCTURE!this is not for a beginner.like i said I wouldnt bother and i have the exp,training,equiptmentand knowledge to do this ,i HAVE done it.were not talkin about a $75000 classic.your best bet is to pick up a dead 3gen and build a new car.im dead serious here you came here lookin for advice im a professional body tech with the ASE&ICAR certificates to back it up.ITS JUST NOT WORTH IT!!

CHEVCAM1