the holes out yourself?
Need help finding a part
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 272
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From: Texas
Need help finding a part
OK so here I am asking another question. Does anybody know if there's anybody that sells fenders with the moulding holes already in the fender for these bullnose trucks?
Posting Guru
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From: Northeast Ohio USA
I have never seen new aftermarket replacement sheetmetal with trim holes. The way they stamp them out (overseas) in large quantities, it's not economically smart to produce different versions given the different trim styles.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
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From: Simi Valley, CA
Ford never sold replacement sheet metal with holes for mouldings, because some trucks didn't come with them.
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2015
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From: Texas
I figured that was the case. Back to trying to find a doner truck
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2015
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From: Texas
I suspected as much but I thought I might get lucky and somebody might have known of somewhere I could get one.
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2015
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From: Texas
Any idea how hard it is to punch the holes out yourself?
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Ford Parts Specialist
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From: Simi Valley, CA
Replacement sheet metal require the holes for mouldings to be drilled out.
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2015
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From: Texas
How difficult would it be to drill the holes out?
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2015
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From: Northeast Ohio USA
I've seen a lot of body guys use the old fender as a template. It's easiest if the fender is still on the truck (door moldings as a guide). They take masking, or heavier tape and apply it over the holes. Cleanly punch through the holes so there is no fraying on the tape at the inside of the holes. Leaving the tape on, they took measurements from the outer and inner edges of the tape to reference points on the old fender. Probably would be to the upper body line on our trucks. Transfer those measurements to the new fender. "Carefully" remove the tape without stretching it and apply it to new fender within the marked measurements. You have to be really good with a center punch though so the drill guide is dead center of the tape holes. On horizontal trim, horizontal drill mistakes are not so worrisome, it's the vertical mistakes that cause alignment problems. And the opposite for vertical trim.
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2015
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From: Texas
I've tried a couple sites but one of them showed nothing and the closest one the other site found was over 400 miles away
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2013
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https://www.amazon.com/Hougen-11075-.../dp/B003LY4E0Y
Don't risk using a conventional twist drill on sheet metal. It's very likely to grab and distort the metal, plus the holes often end up out of round. Meanwhile, the Hougen RotaCut will make clean holes all day long. I can't recommend them highly enough.
If you need square holes for the molding clips, your most practical option would be to start round with a RotaCut and file the corners square.
pedant
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 23,576
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From: EXTREME southwest CT
Those drills *start* at 5/16...
The fender emblems on my truck have locating pins 3/16" max.
I used blue tape and a pen to mark out my emblems -measuring from the body line and rear edge- when I drilled my repop Chinese fender last year.
Now I'll be doing it again
The fender emblems on my truck have locating pins 3/16" max.
I used blue tape and a pen to mark out my emblems -measuring from the body line and rear edge- when I drilled my repop Chinese fender last year.
Now I'll be doing it again
FTE Legend
Joined: Nov 2015
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From: Angier, NC
For long fender/door/bed moldings as said best to have the panel mounted to use the other molding(s) as guide.
Use tape to hold the molding on the panel where it should be then use a grease pencil to mark on both sides of the molding, this will show where the molding will be when the molding is removed.
Going off the old panel note how many holes/clips there are and ruffly where on the panel they are. Mark the new panel between the grease lines where the clips will go.
Use a center punch on the marks were you will use a hand drill (everyone has one) and right size bit for the clips and drill the holes.
Once the holes are drilled but before clips are installed you can use a little nail polish on the drill hole to seal the bare metal from rusting. Once the "sealer" is set up you can install the clips. Also heard of using RTV on the clips then installed wet to seal metal from rust.
If you need to paint the panels do it after the holes are drilled but before the clips go on. I would try and drill first then paint if I could.
Dave ----
Use tape to hold the molding on the panel where it should be then use a grease pencil to mark on both sides of the molding, this will show where the molding will be when the molding is removed.
Going off the old panel note how many holes/clips there are and ruffly where on the panel they are. Mark the new panel between the grease lines where the clips will go.
Use a center punch on the marks were you will use a hand drill (everyone has one) and right size bit for the clips and drill the holes.
Once the holes are drilled but before clips are installed you can use a little nail polish on the drill hole to seal the bare metal from rusting. Once the "sealer" is set up you can install the clips. Also heard of using RTV on the clips then installed wet to seal metal from rust.
If you need to paint the panels do it after the holes are drilled but before the clips go on. I would try and drill first then paint if I could.
Dave ----