I'm sure I've seen a thread on here relating to how the inner fenders and other front panels are assembled, but I can't find it. Anyone know if there was/is one and can point me in the right direction? I am just about to start putting mine back together and anything that shows how it all goes together should help.
Thanks
Limey57:
Right now Santini has my illustrated 57 ford parts catalog, which has the exploded views of all the various 57 Ford models 1949 to 1959. He also has my copy of the Trim Manual. If you don't get a response by Monday, I'll get these books back from Santini and make appropriate copies and post them here. I'm also going to look at my various assembly photos to see if I have anything you might be able to use. I had my fender wells two toned to match the exterior paint scheme for both the Turquoise/White and Blue/Pewter paint jobs, so there might be something I can post.
The first ones I found were from back in 2003 when the car was being put on the road following its first rebuild. You can see inside the engine compartment on the driver side the fender well bolts going first through the fender then the fender well, with the nuts being mounted and tightened inside of the fender. Note also the radiator core support being bolted to the fender well, finally here is another shot of the driver side showing the core support mounting and the 3 empty bolt holes where the front nose piece bolts to the
fender (I can't remember if the fender well has the front nose piece also bolted to it and the fender). I hope these help in the meantime.
Bob
57 AGIN
Limey57:
Oops, I printed two of the same photo, here are a couple of other photos of the engine compartment. Maybe they will help show where the wheel wells in my 57 were derived from and where they wound up before the accident.
Bob
57 AGIN
I'm getting real close to that front end assembly myself, so any assembly diagrams/help would be greatly appreciated by me also. I vaguely recall when I was doing a check fit back a few years ago, I was trying to figure out if the forward lip on the inner fender was inside or outside of the outer fender. I know it doesn't make sense verbally, but if you're trying to assemble, you'd see what I was talking about.
Thanks Bob, that's a great help. I'm at a disadvantage that I didn't strip the Ranchero and although the original owner labelled almost everything, trying to get everything in the right order on re-assembly usually ends up with three or more attempts! Got to say the 2-tone looks good on the inner fenders, I never thought of that and just did mine satin-black.
Gary and Rich
Pay very close attention to the location of the forward lip of the inner fender well on Bob's car. Notice that it is inside the fender lip. He has it right. The edge of the header with the three holes bolt against the fender. This question comes up frequently. Jay
Jay, Thanks for the confirmation....That's the way I'll do it.
Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2015-02-28 22:33
Jay, Thanks for the confirmation....That's the way I'll do it.
Rich
I remembered that you were asking about that at one time. That's also the way I assembled my car. JA
Thanks for the info. Had a slight set-back today as I noticed that the supposed satin-black paint on the inner fenders looks way to shiny so I'm going to have some matting agent added to the paint and give them another coat.
Shiney is good!
While we're on the subject of front end assembly...the "L" shaped weatherstrip/seal the goes on the inner fender well flange that follows the profile of the fender... I'm assuming since it is "L" shaped, the unattached leg is outward towards the fender? I don't know of any other reason why it would be "L" shaped. Is this correct, but I also don't know how much space is between the fender and the inner fender.
this has helped me put the front end together
Limey57:
The two illustrations sent by ragtop are the ones I was going to send when I got my books back from Santini. I now have the books back, so let me know if you still have questions.
Bob
57 AGIN
Thanks, those scans are a great help, they also helped identify some parts that I had no idea where they went.
Thanks for posting those. I was hoping the illustration would show which way the "L" seat between the fender and inner fender sat, but you can't tell. For me it doesn't matter anyway because yesterday I picked up some rubber extrusion made by Vintiques for hot rod doors. It's hollow, 5/8 wide, dome shaped. It comes with a self adhesive strip, but I'll see how strong the adhesive is and add some mechanical fasteners if necessary. Not oem, but my car doesn't matter.
I guess the brackets shown in both diagrams (17886 and 17887) that attach in front of the splash shield are the ones that attach to the bumper?
Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2015-03-05 07:39
Thanks for posting those. I was hoping the illustration would show which way the "L" seat between the fender and inner fender sat, but you can't tell. For me it doesn't matter anyway because yesterday I picked up some rubber extrusion made by Vintiques for hot rod doors. It's hollow, 5/8 wide, dome shaped. It comes with a self adhesive strip, but I'll see how strong the adhesive is and add some mechanical fasteners if necessary. Not oem, but my car doesn't matter.
I guess the brackets shown in both diagrams (17886 and 17887) that attach in front of the splash shield are the ones that attach to the bumper?
yes they attach to the bumper
As per usual I can't find some bits......... The inner fenders are bolted to the bulkhead but there seems to be a rubber type of rubber bush (like a body mounting bush) that I can't find, it's the bit circled in the diagram below. Can anyone advise what size they are and are they just a rubber spacer? If so I can get some turned up, if they're a bit more than that are they available from anywhere (and what are they called)?
(http://imagehosting.rodsnsods.co.uk/24254fa19bdb1201.jpg)
Thanks
The 300 I parted out did not have them and I feel very confident it had never been apart, the 500 I had and sold did not either and my 58 Edsel did not have them and as with the 300 it had not been taken apart until I did....don't know if the Ranchero or Retratable have them. Might be one of those "don't really need this" items that was cut?
my August 57 Ranch Wagon has them ! I think you are looking for this :
http://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_mercury_late/front-fender-to-body-anti-squeak-pads-foam-rubber-pair-1.html (http://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_mercury_late/front-fender-to-body-anti-squeak-pads-foam-rubber-pair-1.html)
I just ordered them a few days ago and they are square not round as shown in the body manual. they are also square on my car.
my wagon has them
Limey...I believe the square pads you ordered are for the front outer fender, not the inner fender. I believe they are the ones that go on the front door post area where the threaded stud in on the fender.....close to the door opening and if I remember a foot or more up from the bottom.
I found some 2" x 1/8 thick round rubber "washers" at Lowes that will work quite nicely I think. I also found there some 2" ss fender washers. I was planning on two rubber washers sandwiching a ss washer between the inner fender and firewall, and then another of each on the wheel side.
Rich, it was me who ordered the pads, Limey is still searching what he needs. you could be right with the center a pillar bolt, but the one shown in the diagram above seems to be for attaching the inner fender to the cowl. And there's the square foam pads in my and Canadian Ranchero's car. I haven't pulled my fenders as of now, so I can't tell about the center a pillar bolt.
the original pads on my wagon are round rubber
Thanks, been away for the weekend so only just managed to reply! Bolting the inner passenger side fender to the bulkhead gives the problem that the inner fender hits the heater blower housing, it's like it needs spacing away from the bulkhead by about half an inch which makes me think the bits I need are a hard rubber rather than foam.
I only checked the drvrs side it has the thin square pad. I will check the pssgr fender tomorrow.
Quote from: djfordmanjack on 2015-03-08 17:20
I only checked the drvrs side it has the thin square pad. I will check the pssgr fender tomorrow.
Thanks for that! There's nothing more frustrating than having nice shiny freshly painted parts to bolt back together and being held up by a small, insignificant part.
just the thin pad, maybe 5mm thick, also on the psgr side, the inner fender clears the heater motor by 10mm = 3/8"
maybe the crown of your inner fender isn't correct or it will be pulled forward when the fenders and frontend are correctly shimmed.
I'll get you a pic in the evening. Guenter
heres the pics,shows heater motor clearance and the square thin foam pad
(http://up.picr.de/21236410dg.jpg)
(http://up.picr.de/21236411ll.jpg)
That's great, thank-you!
I'm hopefully fitting the radiator core support tomorrow which will then dictate the height and position of the inner fenders so I can have a better idea of clearances. I've got some 1/4" rubber sheet so I'll make some spacers up.