installing inner fenders

[steve fritz]

Can somebody with w 55/56 Ford shoot me a couple pictures on the area where the inner fenders mount to the fire wall cowl flanges please ?
I have the body and fenders and doors back from a paint shop and am now assembling everything. The painter took all the clips nuts off the parts before he painted , which is good. Now I am not sure if these clip nuts go onto the inner fenders or do they go onto the flange off the firewall.????
A picture or two of that area would tell me which and which direction the bolts go in.
Top side of the inner fender would have the clips on the inner fender with the bolt heads showing from the inside of the engine compartment. No question there , just not sure of the lower part where the inner fender bolts to the flanges off the firewall.
Thanks for checking,
Steve

 

[56sedandelivery]

Not really sure what you are asking. Is this about the inner fender that hold the ventilation intake? If so that only bolts to the fender itself not the firewall. Also not sure what you mean by flange off the firewall. My fenders bolt directly to the firewall. One on top, one on the bottom and the fender should have bold about halfway down the fender that is secured from the inside of car. pic of what you are asking about would help.

 

[Daves55Sedan]

Place the inner fender aprons on so that you can see the SIDE vertical firewall mounting flange from the engine compartment. I have mine so that the TOP of the fender apron is sitting on top of that short piece of horizontal firewall flange. All the bolts are installed from underneath so that the bolt threads are sticking inside the engine compartment.
That's the way mine came off, but can't guarantee that is the way the factory did it.
Either way, I suggest stripping off a row of 3M permagum and applying it to the mating surfaces to keep water from getting in between the two pieces. Could substitute the permagum for caulk I guess, as long as you assembly quickly before caulk dries, and it might be messier.

 

[Hot Rod Reverend]

https://www.hotrodreverend.com/post/2017/09/22/55-ford-fairhane-restoration-blog-part-13

the clips go on the flanges that are welded to the firewall area

 

[steve fritz]

Dave/ Hot Rod.....So the top flange is covered by the apron , yet the vertical part of the flange on the firewall is not covered and is visible from the inside of engine compartment?
All these clip nuts go onto the firewall flanges , not the apron ? And all the bolts go in from underneath. ( Dave....I would think that the top one must go in from the top ? )'
Picture would still really help.....thanks so much for your input.
I'll get this right eventually.
Steve

 

[scicala]

Steve, the way I remember it when I took apart the car your talking about, the clip nuts went on with the threaded nut part on the outside, and the bolts screwed in from the engine compartment side. Wish I had a picture of it for you.


Sal

 

[Hot Rod Reverend]

try some of these, zoom in as needed...

 

[scicala]

After looking at the pictures from the Hot Rod Reverend, I guess my memory isn't that good. I took it apart about 18 years ago.


Sal

 

[Daves55Sedan]

The clips (speednuts) go on the SIDE firewall flanges with the threaded square nut on the backside, but for the TOP flange, my clips are installed on the fender apron with the threaded square nut facing upward. All the bolts are installed from underneath, so when it is all done, you see all the bolt-heads under the wheel-well.
It is done this way so that the bolt and nut threads do not get wet and ultimately rust to oblivion.

 

[Daves55Sedan]

It could be done so that the TOP of the fender apron slips in BELOW the firewall flange, and that would not hurt a thing. The difference is the thickness of one sheet of 18 gage metal. If you do it that way, you would install the speednuts onto the top firewall flange, same as you did for the side flange, with nut facing upward. And you still install all the bolts from underneath so that the bolt-heads are showing under the fender-well.

 

[Hot Rod Reverend]

+1 on Dave's suggestion concerning the bolt threads sitting on the "inside" of the engine compartment to keep things from rusting out.

Sal, I get you my friend - it was only a few years ago I took mine apart and I still needed photos!

 

[56sedandelivery]

Not sure if it helps but here are a couple of my 56

 

[Daves55Sedan]

See how they have the two clips and bolts at the top holding that splash shield at the rear of the fender apron ? That's exactly how you do the top clip and bolt that mates with the top firewall flange.
But the clips for the side of the fender apron should be mounted on the firewall flange with the threaded nut facing in toward the engine compartment.