Remove Front Fender

Bruce of MN

Bruce of MN

Well-known member
What steps are needed to remove a front fender? The light bar and the fender bracket are obvious to start, but what tips are there for the bolts to the frame and what else needs to be removed?
 
You have to lift the body about 4 inches and remove the splash aprons and welting. While you are in there you can replace the rubber pads that are usually compressed and hard as Linoleum, brittle too. You can replace the bolts too which are usually rusty beyond use. Because you are not taking the body completely off you can leave the wires hooked up, just make sure that they are not stressed. The welting will need to be replaced. Take a photo and rubbing of the serial number on the frame.
 
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Bruce of MN said:
What steps are needed to remove a front fender? The light bar and the fender bracket are obvious to start, but what tips are there for the bolts to the frame and what else needs to be removed?
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Knowing what year of Fender are we inquiring about helps with specifics but this is an overview?

If it is a 1930, the Body will need to be lifted, -otherwise not really. If you are working on a 1928/29, the Hood Shelves are removed by removing Hood Clips (Latches) and the screws over the Frame horns. The 30/31 do not use Hood Shelves however there is a Hood panel Brace that will need to be removed. The 28/29, & 31 Fenders can be unbolted from the Running Boards, and from the forward areas of the Body Aprons. Removing the Headlight Bar is usually easiest by loosening the Fender Brace fasteners at the Frame, and removing the bolt at the end by the Fender bead. Often times the Headlight Bar bolts were forced into position due to bent Braces, so you may need to work at removing those 4 bolts. Hopefully that helps.
 
Before lifting the body, the steering column needs to be disconnected from the gas tank, and the choke rod needs to be removed. You might also need to disconnect the speedo cable from the speedo and feed it down to get some slack. Watch the wires from the frame to the body (at the cowl and the taillights) to be sure they don’t get stretched.

Take it slow!
 
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JayJay said:
Before lifting the body, the steering column needs to be disconnected from the gas tank, and the choke rod needs to be removed. You might also need to disconnect the speedo cable from the speedo and feed it down to get some slack. Watch the wires from the frame to the body (at the cowl and the taillights) to be sure they don’t get stretched.
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Did I miss something here? I thought we were discussing removing a front Fender.
 
If it's a 28 or 29,or a 31,there is no need to touch the body bolts.If it's an original 30 with the splash apron spot welded to the fender,you just need to take out one cowl bolt,and possibly another on that outside stand under the pillar.Then lift that corner of the cowl 1/8th,if that much.My 30's have had the fenders replaced and the nose of the splash apron has been bolted on,not welded.I'm not getting the,raise the body thing either.
 
The year is in doubt. The title is 31, the radiator shell is 30, but the splash aprons are one piece like a 31. Firewall is not indented. FWIW, the engine that it came with was a 30. I've never had the body off before.
 
Hello, I believe Ford did make the change to one piece running board splash aprons very late in 1931 , saw an original coupe , that had the 1930 shell but 1931 shields. Check the 2 nd body mount the 1930 will use 2 bolts on the angled mount, 31 it was moved forward to accommodate the 31 slant windshield sedans. If it does have the one piece aprons, it will unbolt from there and no need to raise the body .Good advice on loosing the front fender bracket, those headlight bars can be trouble some . Good luck.
 
The front fenders on my '31 roadster were a piece of cake to remove during my current repaint project. One piece splash pans and the running boards were bolted on. Did not have to raise the body.

The car was restored in the early 90's with the body off. So, maybe some changes were made at that time to be able to remove the fenders easily.

Glen
 
I have inspected the car and it looks like the fender will be pretty straightforward to remove. The light bar is easy enough, I had it off recently for engine hoist access.

My fender got a tweak and the wire in the bead needs repair, possibly also from prior damage. Snyders sells a patch Part # A-16006-ABP

https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/product.htm?pid=976845&cat=0

I am thinking of showing that to the body shop to use instead of trying to rebuild the wire bead. Any cautions there?

I guess it could easily be a late '30 with the long Splash shields. I'm getting the title amended to match my new engine number, I might be able to revise it to 1930 then. Maybe not worth the effort, though.
 
Hello again, Master Cylinder, thank you for the correction, I had meant to say late 1930, on the change being late in that year. Years ago the was a man who had an all original late 1930 and it did have the one piece aprons he claimed it was built that way, had owned the car since before WW2 . Ford was known to make running changes so could be possible.
 
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