NineElevenForevr

I have a minor gap variance on my passenger side where the front fender meets the door.

Are there instructions anywhere on how to loosen the fender, so I can make a minor adjustment?

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank You,
JTM
99 Zenith Blue C2.

Hurdigurdiman

This video will help or at least you should be able to see the bolts which hold the fender in place.

NineElevenForevr

Thank you!

NineElevenForevr

Um...that was for the bumper. It did not mention anything regarding the fender.

5CHN3LL

Yeah, Hurdi does stuff like that, but he means well. He posts the link to that video at least once a week.

The 996 to 997 conversion threads tend to have a lot of photos of disassembled 996's; that might be your best bet if you can't find a dedicated "how-to" thread for removing the fender.

fpb111

What does the gap at the front, other end of the fender, look like?

Macster

Did the gap change or has it always been like that?

What are the dimensions? There is some allowable variance. IIRC the gap between the fender and the lid is 4mm +/- 0.5mm.

Between the door and the fender is 4mm +2.5mm. Sag is limited to 1mm if I read the notes right. (Notes translated from German to English with the usual misinterpretations scattered about.)

To adjust the gap between the fender and the door you'll have to loosen the row of fasteners that run along side the front trunk tub. There are IIRC some bolts at the back of the fender.

You have to remove the front bumper cover and the wheel/tire and the wheel liner. I believe there are fastens that are hidden by these items.

I have the factory manual pages that detail this process a bit -- not quite two pages worth of details -- but no means to get you a copy of the applicable pages. My MacBook Pro is in the shop and it has the manuals in digital form and the tools to extract sections, including drawings, and convert to PDF which can be posted or even sent as an email attachment.

5CHN3LL

I believe I read that to reach all of the bolts on the 997, you have to loosen or remove some of the a/c hard lines. I don't know if this applies to the 996; I'm trying to visualize what things look like in the battery tray area and failing.

NineElevenForevr

Ok, thank you for the responses.

Specifically, the gap variance I'm speaking of is where the door and fender meet the rocker panel (down by the ground). The gap in question is noticeable wider (the total gap is a good 3/8"). SO, my thinking is to only loosen the fender toe where it meets the rocker panel and slide the fender toe toward the door (to narrow the gap) and then re-fasten. However, that will then slightly narrow the gap (too much) at the top of the fender where it meets the door. To fix this, I would go in and FILE away the metal on the fender edge so that it matches the adjusted gap at the bottom (remember, where it meets the rocker panel). Lastly, I would then touch up the paint to seal the edge of the fender where the paint and metal were filed away. This is the ONLY way I can see to adjust the gap correctly without doing MAJOR body work with fillers etc. Any perspective on an easy fix would be much appreciated. This car is new to me although it's apparent it was in some sort of accident causing the gap variance. BTW, the car is arrow straight! It simply has the one issue with the PS door gap. Thank you.

NineElevenForevr

BTW, are the 1999 996 fenders plastic or metal? I know, dumb question but my car is in storage 40 miles away and I haven't taken a very close look at the fender material. Thank you.

5CHN3LL

The fenders are definitely metal. The rear fenders are integral - this screenshot from Megafactories shows just how un-adjustable the rear fenders are.

Macster

Not sure I buy your "the car is arrow straight". Straightness is relative and more than just the wheels/tires have to be straight for the car to be straight.

You sure the door is hung properly?

To adjust the fender to address the uneven gap at the door means the fender at one or the other end has to be raised or lowered. This is going to change the gap between the fender and the trunk lid or at the front where the headlight and the bumper cover come together. There can be other gap/fit changes as well.

It is like having too small a blanket. Cover you feet and your head is cold. Cover your head and your feet are cold.

I'd never file metal off a door or fender edge, but of course it is your car and you can do what you want.

Could be just me, but as long at the fender has a good fit and the door fits well everywhere else I'd just try to avoid looking at the fender/door gap and leave well enough alone.

Or consult with a good body shop and see what it recommends. Sure, it might advise filing or metal removal to address the uneven gap. At least you would know that's an option though you have to ensure the damage from the filing is dealt with and the area repainted. Depending upon the color the area away from the fender edge and the door edge might need paint to avoid a sharp contrast between the small area that gets paint to deal with the filing and the surrounding area that has maybe original paint.

5CHN3LL

Macster, I was under the impression that the door hinges are both bolted and welded. Is that not the case?

NineElevenForevr

Door gap at rear fender is perfect. Door gap (bottom 25%) at fender is not, unfortunately. Doors also shut as they should. No hanging up, no sagging and windows clear frames etc. Lastly, the panels are "fair" (boat restorer's jargon). Meaning, you could place a level across the gap with the level parallel to the ground and there would be no high or low spots underneath. So, it's straight that way but I just have the one gap that is off...

NineElevenForevr

Thanks 5CH for the info on the fender material.