https://youtu.be/XYAYqwQriIc&rel=0
Now that we have all of the silicone removed from the Mustang, we’ll start taking some of the parts off. When we bough the car it had been in a front end wreck. The front bumper, grille, and headlight parts were already removed from the car. Most of these parts are damaged, so we’ll have to find some new parts and replace them when we get to that point.
Remove Front Fender
We removed from front fenders to clean-up and repaired anything that may be damaged or rusted underneath the fenders. As mentioned, our front end parts were already removed. With those parts removed, the fender has eleven 1/2 inch bolts that will need to be removed. Once these bolts are removed, the fender can be taken off of the car.
The Hidden Location
There is one bolt location I want to mention that confused us. I guess someone removed this bolt at some point and never screwed it back in. Therefore, the video for fender removal we made does not mention this, as it wasn’t there. However, when we got the the other side, we found another bolt that you have to remove from the inside of the car. To get to the bolt you will need to remove the kicker panel from inside the car. There is a rubber plug. Remove the plug and you will have an access hole, which makes it easy to use a ratchet with an extension and a 1/2 inch socket to go through the access hole to remove the nut.
Tip – When removing or replacing nuts or blots in tight spots or access holes, place a piece of masking tape on the top of your socket opening. When the bolt is pushed into the socket, it will form a tight fit to eliminate the bolt from falling out and getting lost.
Hood
This would also be a good time to remove the hood if we were doing this in a garage. However, since it’s an outside project, we decided to leave the hood on for now. There is quite a bit of damage on the hood, so we’re going to replace it. These parts add up fast, so this job is going to have to sit at times throughout this build while we save money.
Bag and Label Your Nuts, Bolt, and Hardware
One of the most important steps is keeping your hardware and parts organized. Whether you are going to have a small job tore apart for several weeks or for several years as in our case. In fact, most restoration jobs are going to be tore apart for a long term basis.
This will make it much easier for you when you go to put it all back together. It’s also a good idea to store all parts, even if you are going to replace them. You never know when you may need the part for a reference or a clip or bolt that you for got to take off.
One way to do this is to get some zip lock bags and label one for each panel that you remove. Put all the hardware and small parts into the bag and label the bag accordingly. Another way is to screw the bolts back into the bolt hole after the part has been removed.
Removing Adjacent Parts
There may be time you will have to remove adjacent part to gain full access to the part you’re removing. On the 66 Mustang, we had to remove the rocker panel molding, to give us full access to the fender. Once the molding was removed, we removed the right front fender by using a 1/2 socket, 1/2 wrench, phillips screw driver, and the bags and marker to properly store the hardware.
Right Side or Left Side
Depending on which way your facing will determine which side is your right side and your left side. A easy way to remember the correct sides is to sit down in the car. While facing forward in the car, you’re right hand is towards the right side of the cr and your left hand is towards the left side. Another way to remember is the drivers side is the left side and the passenger side is the right side of the car.
Photos
We all have cell phones with photo capability these days. It is always a good idea to take a few pics along the way to use as a memory jogger when you go to put the parts back together.
First remove and adjacent parts, antenna, etc.
Step 1: Open hood and remove the six 1/2 inch bolts along the top of fender.
Step 2: With the front end and headlight parts removed, remove the two 1/2 inch blots in the front of the fender.
Step 3: Open door to access at the top.
Step 4: Remove kicker panel from inside the car. Remove rubber plug to access the 1/2 inch bolt.
Step 5: Remove the 1/2 inch bolt at bottom of fender.
Step 6: Place all bolts and hardware in plastic back and label the bag.
Step 7: Carefully remove the fender without scratching the door.
If you are replacing the fender, I recommend keeping the fender until the build is complete. You may need it for a reference, parts, etc.
Hooray….the fender is off! Now if you taking the other side off, just follow the same steps.