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Front fender differences


Stu

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I'm a newbie here, but have owned my 1970 Monte since 1983. Back around 1984 I replaced the right front fender (I think its a 1971 fender) and have never been able to line it up correctly and it's always bothered me. I was reading the latest Muscle Machines magazine that has the first gen MC SS featured and it mentioned a difference in the fenders between years, although gave no details but mentioned this organization. I did some searches and came up empty handed. Could someone clue me in on the differences?

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Welcome Stu! This is the best place for 70-72 Monte info.

 

For 71, Chevy decided to move the headlights outward on the Monte Carlo. With the headlight location changed, it was now directly below where the front fender bolts to the rad support and the bolt was too close to the light. In order to correct this, they made a raised area (about 1/2 inch) on the rad support to allow for clearance for the bolt to thread into the support. They made a corresponding raised area in the fender where it bolts to the rad support. In addition, they relocated the alignment pin for the fender extension (part that surrounds the headlight).

 

Simply moving the location of the headlight changed the rad support, fenders and fender extensions leaving 1970 with some one-year-only parts.

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In other words. '70 fenders are flat where the upper 2 bolts mount the fender to the radiator support, and '71-'72 has what is called a Z-bend where the 2 bolts fasten to the radiator support.

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Thanks for all the great help! I'm glad I joined. I thought I knew everything about Monte's, but I guess I was wrong!

I just went out and looked at my car and from what you all have said, I apparently do have a correct 1970 fender. My alignment issues are where it meets the front of the drivers door. You wouldn't think it would be that hard to line up. Maybe I should visit a body shop once I get the motor back in.

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large gap at where the fender meets the door?

 

to get a decent alignment on both of my monte's I had to raise/shim my core support....a bunch!!!!

 

I've always had the best luck with the hood removed,the hood is sooo heavy it's hard to do adjustments with it on

 

also...measure the fenders/core support for squareness (cross measure the front end), otherwise trying to get the hood aligned is nearly impossible

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Fender/hoood/door/etc Alignment issues are common on these cars after its been taken apart and put back together. There is so much adjustment room built in that it takes some skill to get aligned correctly. My 72 also has some fender alignment issues.

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Fender/hoood/door/etc Alignment issues are common on these cars after its been taken apart and put back together. There is so much adjustment room built in that it takes some skill to get aligned correctly. My 72 also has some fender alignment issues.

 

OH crap!! I'll never get it back together eek

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  • 5 years later...

Bringing up an old thread. I'm still learning the difference between the 70 and 71/72.

is this a picture of a 71 72?

I have read that a 71 72 will not fit a 70 without modification.

Is there a post that explains that modification?

post-20334-0-56066000-1527027772_thumb.jpg

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You have pictured the area where the front fender extension attaches to the fender.  I could better tell if you showed a picture of the front inner portion that attaches to the Core Support.  That is where the difference is most noticeable.  I will attach a picture of the area I am talking about.  This will be a picture of a 70 fender.  In this picture you will notice two holes in the horizontal portion.  On a 70, like this one that horizontal portion is flat but on the 71/72 fenders where one of those holes is, rather than being flat that area would bend down and then back up after the hole.

rob

 

1970 Monte Fender.jpg

 

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The fender you have pictured is indeed a '70 fender.  And to answer your previous question, the differences are shown in both the pictures you posted.  In the first picture you show where the extension mounts.  The difference here is that the '70 fender has the posts (as you picture shows) and the extensions have holes for those pins.  The 71/72 fenders are opposite, the fender has holes and the extension has the posts.  The other difference is shown in your second picture.  The area you have shown in that second picture would have a step in it between the two bolt holes.

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sredmyer, I'm sorry, I beg to differ. Both the 70 and 71-72 front fenders have the locating dowels/pins on them. I have never seen a 71-72 bezel/ end cap have them. The dowels are in different locations from 70 to the 71/2.

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sredmyer, I'm sorry, I beg to differ. Both the 70 and 71-72 front fenders have the locating dowels/pins on them. I have never seen a 71-72 bezel/ end cap have them. The dowels are in different locations from 70 to the 71/2.

Yes that is what I meant the dowels are different in that they are in different locations...funny thing is I was physically looking at a set of 71/72 fenders when I wrote that

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