Aftermarket reproduction sheet metal fit

[s55mercury66]

I am going to start a thread, showing some of the things I have run into when working with reproduction parts. It is not a complaint thread, just some things I have run across that may be helpful to some folks down the road.
First, here are the areas on the front fenders that I had problems with, the yellow tape identifies them. On the reinforcement at the upper rear, where it bolts to the cowl, I had to notch it at the very rear. The forward flange on the reinforcement also needed to be trimmed a bit, and the bolt holes had to be reamed to allow enough adjustment. At the lower rear, the reinforcement needed to be cut loose, the fender realigned and rewelded, to allow the lower part to swing out at the wheel opening. Where the fender mounts to the radiator support, I had to ream those holes also, to get the bolt holes to line up. It is also a good idea to chase all of the threads before installation, as they can be kinda screwy. The truck I am working on was almost completely repro, which would have worked out well, had they checked this stuff before painting it. There will be more to follow.