Recently purchased a 69. Both fenders, where they meet the doors, have about a 1/2 gap between them.

Do I need to loosen every bolt holding the fender and then move the entire fender back towards the door?
Do I also need to loosen the radiator support?

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.

yes and maybe.

The top of the fender to the door gap is set by a fender bolt that goes straight back into the firewall, just inboard of the hood hinges. Do you have a half inch of shims there to take out?
If not, you're gonna have to get real creative.

Well it's only gonna go so far back because it bolts to the firewall. See if there are any shims behind those bolts. We had to cut and move the firewall mount slightly forward on the passenger side to get the correct gap. This was on aftermarket fenders.

Must have been typeing the same time Jim.

You sure your subframe isn't pulled a little forward? One more thing to check since both side fenders are short.

You sure your subframe isn't pulled a little forward? One more thing to check since both side fenders are short.

It don't matter... fender seats fore and aft against the firewall. He's got shims there to take out, or a world of hurt. Guessin it to be the latter... why in the world would the PO shim it out that far if he had a choice?
Maybe he was a DA and shimmed the fender to make it hit the rad support?
Fingers crossed.

If all else fails, this is where we had to cut and move the firewall mount slightly toward front of car. Rest of holes had enough slop in them where they still fit.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g136/Caman355/316.jpg

I'm no body man, but if you can't remove enough shims to move the fender back far enough, how do the gaps look at door-to-quarter? Maybe you can move the door forward a little.

I'm with Denvervet. Check to see if your subframe is aligned. These cars were all over the place from the factory but if both fenders are giving you the same issue, sounds like the frame may be too far forward. Check your alignment dowel holes on the center frame bushing perches. Make sure they line up wit the body. Just my thoughts. My aftermarket parts lined up ok after I beat them with a sledge :)
good luck

Looking at the car earlier today, I see two shims on each side, between the firewall and the fender.
Based on your comments, this is good news.
Do I now loosen the fender bolts only, or all front end bolts?

Thanks.

Thats great news! I would pretty much loosen all what you can. Are you going to try to do both sides at the same time? If not you may have to loosen the header panel or it may fight against you trying to move it back, The inner fender mounting supports behind the wheel well may also fight you if not loosened.
If your paint is in good shape, I would run a strip of tape down the edges of the door and fenders just in case things move more than you wanted to prevent chipping.

The subframe location will have no effect on the bolt that attaches the fender to the firewall, but if it is too far forward, you may not be able to align the forward holes to attach the inner fender to the subframe.

However, it sounds like removing the shims will allow you to move the fender back.

However, it sounds like removing the shims will allow you to move the fender back.

Only 2, assuming they are thick ones, 3/16", 1/4" tops.
Same shims on both sides?

Moving the whole front end will be tough, even tougher leeping it straight when you try to do it.

You'll need to probably remove the bottom rear bolt on each side, these go straight up into the bottom of the firewall. I would tape / cardboard the gap between the fender and the door.
Loosen on each side:
Top fender bolt, goes straight down into cowl
side fender bolt, in the doorjamb.

All the above will have shims, keep track of em.

Brace from front of firewall to inner fender. If you're lucky, the ones inside the inner fenderwell will do it, the firewall end of that thing is tough to get to.

Fender to top of rad support, them's the easy ones.
inner fender to side of rad support, get em from under the car.

Corners of the bumpers... not sure what to do with these. take the bumper bolts off I guess, and worry about lining the brackets up again after / if anything moves?

With those bolts loose, the entire front sheetmetal unit is loose.
Getting it to move is another story. In a pefect world, you could just crank the front fender to firewall bolts and pull it in. In the real world, the entire upper fender mounting bracket is gonna bend, and she ain't gonne budge.

Alternatively, one pulls the hood and the "front end", everything between the fenders, and adjusts 1 fender at a time.