Re: Stewart's 1955 Packard 400

Posted by Stewart Ballard On 2021/9/27 18:55:23

I put the fenders back in place over the weekend.

The left / drivers side is good to go. All the bolt holes align as they should, it is only the right side that is giving me problems.

If I insert only the front bolt everything aligns except the firewall bolt. If I insert the firewall bolt only then nothing else aligns.

I know it is not an exact measurement but I used a tape measure and measured from the firewall to the center of the shock absorber bolt on each side. By that measurement the right side is 1/4“ further back than the left side.

Here is the odd part: I pulled the body forward Friday as far as it is going to go. The body mount holes are pushing against the bolts now. If I remove the bolts I may not get them back into place.

It appears that the whole body is cock-eyed on the frame by ¼” and I’m just not sure it is worth the headache. Worst case, I would have to drill new holes in the inner fender. As long as the fender is not rubbing the brake line or front suspension it should not affect anything else.

I am not permanently mounting the fenders right now. I’m just trying to get them off my body panel stand and the floor for the winter ahead. I want to drag the trunk and fenders out of storage and get those mounted on the stand to work on.