Doing the front fenders

[prg machine]

Yep, right in the midle of all the fun of hanging those babys and I look down to the upper rear quadrant where I see the nice neat tidy holes for my fender badges ( the bowtie with the 20 benaeath it) and I realize that I don't have access to the rear to put the retaining nuts on!!!! So after I get all of my body work done and painted it looks like I need to remove the fender part of the way to get my hand back there.
What is the usual procedure for doing this?

[chevy72blu]

I cant help ya man.. I just wanted to say sorry for your "D'oh!" moment. I had quite a few of those the other day bolting things up backwards and what not =P

[prg machine]

Not realy too concerned since the fenders are in primer on the outside. I only painted the inside. I am doing the entire exterior of the body as an "assembly" to get a good color match. So the badges can't realy be on there as of yet anyhow . I was just a little surprised to find out that the whole dang fender has to come practicaly off the darn truck just to put a side emblem on!!!!
What do most normaly do ahen painting the truck without dissasembling. ???? I don't see masking as an option here.

[1967C20]

Maybe drop the inner fender?

[Green Machine]

Three ways to do it, it is possible if your arm is skinny enough to reach up there and get the nuts on, or loosen the bottom bolt for more room. Easiest way is to get some barrel clips, the same ones that hold the center tailgate trim on, push them in from the outside and push the trim on. I've done it all three ways, and the barrel clips are the easiest.

[prg machine]

Originally Posted by Green Machine

Three ways to do it, it is possible if your arm is skinny enough to reach up there and get the nuts on, or loosen the bottom bolt for more room. Easiest way is to get some barrel clips, the same ones that hold the center tailgate trim on, push them in from the outside and push the trim on. I've done it all three ways, and the barrel clips are the easiest.

Who has the "barrel clips" ................Brothers truck maybe?

Do you have to drill out the holes larger?

So I just buy the barrel clips that hold tailgate trim and that should do it?


Sounds a lot better than taking all of this stuff apart that took all afternoon and a buncha tweakin' to get together.and it ain't even aligned yet.. Gotta do the other side tommorow!

Boy it's fun! ( gotta keep tellin' myself that when doing things like fenders!!)

[prg machine]

I googled and found that Classic Industries sells puh in barrel nuts just like you say...................they come in different sizes for different size studs.
This sure simplifys the whole thing.. I realy didn't want to think about taking those fenders back apart after the final paint job!!!!

[mbgmike]

You buy the clips at most all paint and body shop supply places.

[19673ontree]

I thought about this and here is what I did

#1 I waited till I had my truck painted wet sanded and buffed (DONE)
#2 I screwed the speed nut's up on the peg's of the emblem's a couple time's to make the thread's (NEW EMBLEM'S)
#3 I took a drill and correct size drill bit and drilled away the paint from the emblem hole's on the fender's
#4 I put JB weld on the peg's pushed the emblem's in place put a peice of tape on them to hold them till the JB weld dryed ,
#5 removed tape next day
that was two year's ago and have never had a problem , when I need them of for another paint job I will just heat up the JB weld with a propane torch and remove the emblems , then put them back on the same way again ,

I figured this out on my 67 camaro because rubber man could not get in there to put those nut's on with the fender installed , so this trick work's great dosen't hurt anything and let's you bolt your fender's up align them without having to take them back off to put the emblem's on ,,,,,,,

[68gmsee]

Been there, done that... About 10 years ago I did that on my 69. Sat there an coulldn't believe I was that dumb...
I don't remember if I took the whole fender off again. I'm more inclinded to think I removed the wheel well inner fender.

My .02 is doing it right and take your lumps...

[prg machine]

Originally Posted by 68gmsee

Been there, done that... About 10 years ago I did that on my 69. Sat there an coulldn't believe I was that dumb...
I don't remember if I took the whole fender off again. I'm more inclinded to think I removed the wheel well inner fender.

My .02 is doing it right and take your lumps...

Good philosophy.............doing it right does p[ay off down the road....................those barrel nuts sure seem like worthwhile looking into anyway

[Green Machine]

Pretty sure the ones I used were 1/4 inch size, need to carefully clean the paint from the holes with a drill bit, 1/4 inch again I think, else it will be too tight.

[Frizzle Fry]

Thanks for sharing that PRG. Saves me the headache ...if I remember by that time