Where the fenders meet the side panel?

Frederick

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
358
Reaction score
276
Location
Park City,UT
I was able to source a left and right “front side panel.”My question is: how far should/does the lip on the fender
Insert into the side panel slot/recess? The side panel is filled with a seam sealer material which envelopes the fender lip
but how much affects the precise placement of the side panel?
C646A674-BC19-401D-8880-1935B4448D93.jpeg


E51DA289-CCA4-4190-9644-8BFA0DDC1F85.jpeg
 

bavbob

Well-Known Member
Site Donor
Messages
3,354
Reaction score
1,568
Location
Boston, Ma
I would think all the other constraints on the fitting would sort that out. Line up with the door, the rocker panel, hood, wheel well liner, belt trim if and when, light housing etc.
 
Last edited:

Dick Steinkamp

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $
Messages
2,424
Reaction score
2,849
Location
Bellingham, WA
I would think all the other contraints on the fitting would sort that out. Line up with the door, the rocker panel, hood, wheel well liner, belt trim if and when, light housing etc.
I've never taken mine that far apart, but I agree with Rob. On most cars it is a real 3-D puzzle. One car I had, the hood went on first, then all other panels fit to the hood. Of course the task is made even more complicated if any part has had some damage. Is there anything in the blue books that would help? If you don't have a set I can check mine.
 

autokunst

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
3,605
Reaction score
2,618
Location
Milwaukee, WI
WOW, no takers. Perhaps I am getting too deep into the resto?
I don't think it is a simple "6mm" answer. The outer skin needs to align with the front valence, and the rear of the fender needs to be positioned to provide the proper gap at the door, etc. There are other factors that will determine this interface - the slot just allows for the necessary tolerance. Have you had a chance to mock up the fender on the car and temporarily pin the adjacent panels? That will inform a lot, I think.
 

Frederick

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
358
Reaction score
276
Location
Park City,UT
Thank you all for the input. I have to agree with Dick that everything, that is the two fenders, should line up with the hood and that it probably goes on first as there is some adjustment possible with the fender, backwards and forwards although backwards is constrained by the windshield frame.
I have mocked It up and the fender doesn’t quite slide into the Side panel but there is some room for the panel to be slid forward. All in all, it’s probably not critical so long is the fender can slide someone into the seam sealer which gets laid into the side panel. I suppose it’s more critical that the vendors lineup with the hood and the lower valance, etc.
Dick, I have the German version of the books downloaded from W&N, I will check that. Thanks again for your replies. I would never have ventured this Project without this forum. I hope to be able to buy drinks at some point.
 

Christoph

Well-Known Member
Messages
221
Reaction score
333
Location
Germany
I don't think it is a simple "6mm" answer.
Perfectly put. Next thing: You don't start at the front. You start at the rear. The rear wings, "side walls" in BMW speech, are the beginning. Why? Of all side panels the rear wings are the only ones that are welded. Everything else is bolted and can thus be adjusted in the process. Then come the rear doors, after that the front ones. Both pairs of doors have two mount points each and an unlimited amount of possibilities in all three dimensions. The man at the shop swore a lot. Often he called me over to tell me how much easier it is with the Coupés and to get him some trim. Your car is a 2800 Series 1, as far as I remember, it should have a very long trim piece sitting atop the sill. Its outer edge defines the clearance between the doors' bottom edges and the sill. On Series 2 & 3 cars beltline trim alignment is most important because that is what everyone will notice first later. The Series 1 have only a beltline edge but that also should serve as reference.

Then come the front wings and the bonnet. Maybe you'll have to fine adjust the doors again. After that the wings' positions will come naturally. Says the man at the shop. Anyway, they should fit the ears of the front mask quite nicely, at least within tolerance. Look for even gaps between wings and bonnet. Fortunately, bonnet and bootlid as well are adjustable in more ways than you wish to have.

One last thing: Before you paint and mount the front wings look at their lower rear parts. They should follow the straight line of the sills. Old wings do, later ones have the tendency to slightly bend outwards, beginning at the very rear towards the wheelarches. Nothing dramatic but often it makes fitting the heavy, and unflexible, mouldings on the outside of the sills more difficult.
 

Frederick

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
358
Reaction score
276
Location
Park City,UT
Perfectly put. Next thing: You don't start at the front. You start at the rear. The rear wings, "side walls" in BMW speech, are the beginning. Why? Of all side panels the rear wings are the only ones that are welded. Everything else is bolted and can thus be adjusted in the process. Then come the rear doors, after that the front ones. Both pairs of doors have two mount points each and an unlimited amount of possibilities in all three dimensions. The man at the shop swore a lot. Often he called me over to tell me how much easier it is with the Coupés and to get him some trim. Your car is a 2800 Series 1, as far as I remember, it should have a very long trim piece sitting atop the sill. Its outer edge defines the clearance between the doors' bottom edges and the sill. On Series 2 & 3 cars beltline trim alignment is most important because that is what everyone will notice first later. The Series 1 have only a beltline edge but that also should serve as reference.

Then come the front wings and the bonnet. Maybe you'll have to fine adjust the doors again. After that the wings' positions will come naturally. Says the man at the shop. Anyway, they should fit the ears of the front mask quite nicely, at least within tolerance. Look for even gaps between wings and bonnet. Fortunately, bonnet and bootlid as well are adjustable in more ways than you wish to have.

One last thing: Before you paint and mount the front wings look at their lower rear parts. They should follow the straight line of the sills. Old wings do, later ones have the tendency to slightly bend outwards, beginning at the very rear towards the wheelarches. Nothing dramatic but often it makes fitting the heavy, and unflexible, mouldings on the outside of the sills more difficult.
Thank you, sorry I took so long to respond. Your explanation will help immensely and of course thinking about it it makes complete sense as everything is adjustable except the rear.
And you are correct, infinite adjustments is not necessarily a good thing. I have memories of many expletives when adjusting the hood on the 2002!
 

bavbob

Well-Known Member
Site Donor
Messages
3,354
Reaction score
1,568
Location
Boston, Ma
If ever the phrase "the enemy of good is better" could be applied, it's here. I learned to live without perfection by restoring my E3 and E9. It hurt for a while I will admit.
 

StephenZ

Well-Known Member
Site Donor
Messages
317
Reaction score
125
Location
Cumming, GA
great responses in here. I've had mine off already and the biggest thing I can advise, is to wait on seam sealing the upper inner portion in the engine bay until you're happy with your gaps at the front doors and how the hood fits. I'm removing seam sealer because I don't like how my hood lines up with the fender skirts......duh...eh well...once you've stripped a few cars down to nothing, it's not that big of a deal anymore, right? lol.
 
Top