1966 replacement fenders

Will the original Ford tooling fenders fit better than the repro or is the one on my car that has a bit of a outward flare at the bottom by the rocker just a bad one. I will spend the extra if the original style fits better because the one on my car, no matter how much I try to straighten it won't allow me to have the chrome on the rocker bolt up properly. The passenger side is original and fits perfect.

Thanks
Greg

I put replacement fenders on my 65. They fit terribly. The headlight area had to be drilled off, repositioned and rewelded to allow the headlight assembly and trim ring to sit properly.
Then the side coves did not fit the door. The cove was narrower then the door. This was back in '98 but I swore that if I did another early Mustang I would wait until I found actual Ford fenders and spend the time repairing them. They say the newer fenders are better fitting but once burnt twice shy in my case. Good luck. Ron

I have heard from others as well that all fenders need a little tlc when putting them on but the one that I have has a terrible flare outward that and I may have to take a chance on the Original Ford fender as a replacement.

Thanks
Greg

Lets start with I'm not a paint and body guy...I have friends and family that have been in the business many years. What I have always heard is that an OE tooling or OEM panel will generaly always fit better, but all body panels will need some work. Just how much they need is anyones guess.

Originally Posted by 72GTS

I put replacement fenders on my 65. They fit terribly. The headlight area had to be drilled off, repositioned and rewelded to allow the headlight assembly and trim ring to sit properly. Ron

I bought some Taiwan fenders back in '99 and am now having the very problem you mention above and had come to the conclusion that I would need to do exactly what you did. The headlight bucket sits too low on the drivers side by a 1/4"

Drivers side? I bet we have the same tooling fenders.

Can you offer any additional information\advice on the process mentioned. Any help would be great.

The fender flare problem is repaired with the "tweeking process". The metal has a twist to it from being punched on worn dies. You need to loosen the lower bolt and tweek the fender into place and have another person tighten the bolt. You may have to remove the bolt and egg shape the hole for more movement and then tweek and tighten until you get it where you want. It's a pain in the ---.
The headlight area is even more fun to do. It's not for the faint of heart and does require a lot of time cutting, fitting and welding. The inner bucket thats welded to the fender seems to be cut too large and when fitted at the factory to the fender would bottom out so they figured it was fine and they were welded.
If it were me and I had the option of buying new aftermarket or original Ford I'd opt for the Ford pieces and spend the time derusting and cleaning, knowing in the back of my mind that they were going to fit properly (where it really counted) when I was done. Around the headlight trims and in the coves at the fender/door edge. Every early Mustang my wife and I look at, we check those areas first.
It just seems like an awful lot of time and work on new pieces that "should" fit properly out of the box. Know what I mean? Ron

That tweeking your talking about is what I was doing and the fender just bounces back the way it started. What's that old saying '' You get what you pay for ''

Thanks
Greg

Johns Mustang in Houston, Texas has original ford fenders (new old stock) for a thousand bucks. The original Ford tooling ones run $350. Just depends on how much money you want to spend versus how much you want to work on the repro ones to make them fit. I would probably go with the OFTs.
RK

The Ford Tooling Fenders seem to be a better price range.

Thanks
Greg

Like I said before, I rebuilt the last 65 back in 97-98 and the market then was flooded with the $100 a piece fenders. The fenders came with the car I bought and were just terrible. Ten years have past now and like everything else the quality got better and so did the prices.
If you can afford the OFT fenders than thats probably the best bet. I think a grand for the originals is just for purist or 100 point show car owner but thats just me. Ron