Here are a few pics after some fudgery. It is only bolter to the core support and using a 1/8 fender shim on the lower bolt to raise it up some. It is more centered in the bezel than it has been since i got the car back a few years ago.

i had to put the headlight bracket behind the fender tabs because they interfered with centering.

 

Here are a few pics after some fudgery. It is only bolter to the core support and using a 1/8 fender shim on the lower bolt to raise it up some. It is more centered in the bezel than it has been since i got the car back a few years ago.

i had to put the headlight bracket behind the fender tabs because they interfered with centering.

View attachment 315286

View attachment 315287

Where did you buy the fenders

 

I should probably keep my .02 to myself but here goes. ( I know nothing about headlights on anything but 69s.)
It's not an RS fender or H/L bracket?
Bracket correct for year of car?

Jeff

 

Is an RS fender different? Both fenders were replaced in ~1987. I believe the brackets are OEM.

I started taking it apart,, one find is the lower valance and upper header panel are 1/2 out of plumb

the grill was drilled and not installed with the factory holes. I am going to fudge things around for now.. Next winter i might pull the car apart again and make sure I have a straight frame to start with before paint. Problem now is the frame connectors are welded to the sub frame and the cage is welded to the connectors. Almost impossible to take apart without carnage.

 

Yes, standard and RS fenders are different. RS headlight buckets are also different from standard buckets. Brackets are available to adapt RS headlight buckets to standard fenders.

 

I will post this in the event it helps anyone years from now.. I am not sure what is not right but this is what i got.

1-The center of the hood aligns with the header valance and has decent gaps at the fender and cowl.
2- The header valance although centered with the hood is 1/2 to the passenger compared to the lower valance.
3- with the grill bolted to the header valance it is pushed to far left and none of the bezel trim/screws will align or even fit.

I took it all apart, elongated the holes in the grill to split the different. the top of the grill had to be widened where the metal folds down some at the most forward part of the upper header. It is certainly a mess and will get addressed before a much needed repaint.

One other thing i noticed,, My driver fender bends downward towards the upper header. The passenger side carries a clean arch. I have to bend the bezel to fit the driver. My
guess is some of the sheet metal replaced way back was still not close to OEM?

I know my post had no possible real solution because of all of the variables with sheet metal but thank you for helping. Everyone here has a lot of knowledge so if i was missing something simple,, I know you guys would be the one to know.


progress so far..

center before grinding.

driver aims down

passenger smooth.

 

It's really hard to speculate what's wrong with any certainty. Seeing that the car was hit, was it pulled and straightened properly before reassembly? All parts were replaced with what seems to be "questionable" parts (meaning not knowing if they are OEM or aftermarket), not knowing if you are working with standard or RS fenders and headlight parts, etc,...etc....

 

As far as what I think is fender droop on the left fender IMO it's caused by incorrect install on the core support of the inner fender. The situation is aggravated with an aftermarket core support. The inner fender needs to be up as high on the angled portion of the core support as you can get it. Not sure how the lower valance can be offset from the upper, doesn't it just "float" between the two fender extensions?

Jeff

 

Given all the issues you are fighting with fender height, have you taken a look at the radiator support bushings? Could it be possible that the wrecked side had new bushing installed and the passenger has original bushing that is not the same height?
Just trying to use the process of elimination.

 

update, After a lot of time and fiddling i got it back together. Something is not right with the upper header and lower valance. Very possible they were bad quality even back then.

 

I didn't read all the replies maybe somebody's already mentioned it.I had a 68 in the early 70's had been in a front end collision.Had the paint and body done put the grill in and it was twisted.Was at another shop where the owner was a friend of mine and former employee where i had the car done and he told me to bring it in the shop.Chained the front end to a steel o ring in the floor took a jack and pulled the frame square didn't even take the grill out came out perfect.The place i had the body done at actually had a frame straightener but either never checked it or they didn't know how to use it.