I removed the plastic plugs from half of the passenger side fender liner to access the power antenna. The balance of the liner was left connected. It took me a week working on the antenna to fix it. I started to put back the half of the fender liner that was removed. For some reason, it did not fit. There are a about 3 little screws that used to hold the liner in place. I put those screws in the same factory holes.. But the liner isn't wide enough to cover the holes for the plastic plugs on the fender lip. It's like the material shrunk. Everything did fit when I removed half of the liner. I only raised the car with a floor jack. I thought maybe raising the car twisted the inner fender so I tried putting the the jack higher and then lower. Made no difference with the liner. The liner width was still short. I cut the liner from the bottom about a 1 1/2 feet thinking I could get it to work. Still wasn'twide enough. I'm at a loss on this problem. Please help.

 

You didn't accidentally jack up the car from the fender mount pinch welds by chance? That would cause the fender to bow out (happened on my own car). You need to make sure you are jacking up the car from the front sub-frame rails

 

Yes I made that bone head mistake. I took the jack off the pinch welds and put a jack under the control arm. It still doesn't fit. I must have really messed up. I bought some 3"wide inner fender welt that I will use to compensate for the opening left due to the shortness width of the oem inner fender. I'll run that welt completely around the inner fender, use new fasteners. Do the same to the other side. Paint both black.

 

Don't feel bad dude. I'm sure most of us 3rd gen guys that have been into these cars for decades have done it once before. I have.

We also have had 3rd gens where the idiot that owned it before had did it too. It's one of the things I check on all new 3rd gens before we buy one.

My 1992 Firebird had the pinch welds smashed on both sides. With the doors closed both fenders were bowed out and didn't line up with the doors. I took my Firebird to my friend that owns a paint & body shop to have everything checked and straightened on his frame rack before having my subframe connectors welded in. He pulled my pinch welds back into place where they belonged and like magic you could see the fenders move back into alignment with the doors.

 

Fix the smashed pinchweld fender mount area. That will move the fender back where it should be or very close. Don't need to add extra parts and pieces. If it takes 30 mins to fix it semi right id be surprised