front fender gap

[Doppleganger]

Had this same question a few years ago.....thought I had chicom repro parts.....then was told it was all original and fit better than most. lol

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[Inman789]

sorry, I misunderstood which picture you were talking about for reference. A lot got lost in translation here. The upside down junk picture is 81 and up, you are correct. I thought you were referring to my first picture in post 1 where I was showing the front gap and A pillar mess. I was only zoomed in on the upside down junk (81 and up) fender to see if there was an easy way to massage those points to bring the front of the fender closer to the center of the truck. I just pulled my fenders off and the front nuts are an integral part of the inner skin, and any tweaking or massaging that is way beyond my skill level.
Went to my local supplier (who restores Camaros, Chevelles and trucks) who I got my doors and bedsides from and ordered a new passenger front fender.
Thanks for everyone's input, I really do appreciate it

 

[Randy and Easton]

We played some after the new hood went on… still not right.. frustrating but way down in the list to do….

 

[Randy and Easton]

@Doppleganger yours looks great

 

[Inman789]

@Doppleganger and @Randy De Oreo both of your seams and fitment look great to me, thanks

 

[Octane]

I thought most all these trucks had crappy fit, and finish from the factory. My 77 certainly does. And it has never been wrecked. So I just go with it.

 

[Copymutt]

Late to the party here.
Getting no where trying to align the PS original front fender. Pulled both off for paint. DS back on no issue. PS a choice of 1&3/4” too low at the radiator support or 1&3/4 gap at the bottom of the door. Triangulating from cab hood stops to top of radiator,support shows the 1&3/4 difference side to side.
I’m about to remove the radiator support body mount on PS and open up that cam-o-worms.
Both came off clean w/ no binding. Kept track of how many shims by bolt. All cab and radiator body bushings ok by measurement. Did metal replacement by welding in rust replacement ,but nothing that would warp a panel. Any help would save my sanity.

 

[Doppleganger]

@Keith Seymore posted the way they did it originally on the assembly line - IIRC involved leaving the radiator support loose whole assembling the front clip. Maybe he'll repeat it here?

 

[Scott91370]

Mine, which is all original parts, look similar to posts 1 and 16. The gaps weren't great from the factory.

 

[TotalyHucked]

Assembling and lining up a front clip can be a maddening experience for sure. The few I've helped with, we always left ALL the bolts very loose (including the rad support bushing/bolts). Start working everything around till you get close and start snugging up hardware a little at a time. Just like bolting down a cylinder head or a wheel, work around all the bolts slowly till you get very close to everything being tight. The last ones you want to tighten are the rad support bushings. But we all know these trucks were never great to start with, you'll never have perfect gaps without adding metal in certain areas and taking away in others.

For reference, here's a few pictures of our shop truck ('76) and my personal '85 and their gaps. The got vastly better with the '81-up trucks. You can see how different the 2 sides are at the A-pillar.

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[TotalyHucked]

You can see the fender to door fitment, the driver's side as never been apart and the doors shut perfect. You can see how the gaps still suck

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You are right about where they meet the core support, there's no adjustment there unfortunately.

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[TotalyHucked]

My hood has been off but nothing else on the front clip/cab have ever been taken apart. My hood does need a little adjustment

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[TotalyHucked]

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[Copymutt]

For better or worse I removed the radiator support bushing on the PS. Very close to being true gaps now! Until you attach the bumper. I’ll continue to fuss w/ it including loosening the DS rad support bushing. Bugs me that everything was good B4 I pulled the fenders.
Being a plow truck I smacked a few ice piles, but I don’t find any sign of bent frame.

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[Copymutt]

Making progress, both fenders have decent gaps. Hood is drying, but will require more work. Didn't see the hail damage. Fitment of turn lenses couldn't be much worse. I’ll section out the supporting valance stand offs to bring into alignment.