Rust in front fenders

[dstuart]

Hello: I’ve been looking for a good late ‘60’s F-series project, and finding many examples of trucks with complete rust-out of the front fenders near the doors— more like large gaping holes. I’m here to learn, so can someone explain why this spot is a weakness with these trucks? (Outside of the fact that they are 50 years old). Also, if I jump into a project with this issue, is it just the tip of the iceberg for what’s inside the fender? I can cut, grind, and weld just fine, but I’m not interested in covering up a problem that’s going to come back in 5 years. Any wisdom you can share will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[cstoyer]

dstuart

The fenders have a structural mount in the area you are talking about that held all kinds road debris and mud making it easy to rust out. The fenders are simple to replace or repair with metal or purchased patch panels. What you really need to look at is the cab mounts, cab corners, front and rear, the drip molding area and even the cowl fresh air boxes. These areas will tell you more about what you are getting into than the fenders.

Good Luck
CStoyer

[dstuart]

Thank you! This was exactly the great advice I was looking for!

[geradr4]

What he said. For panels, try to check out LMC.