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Randy--are you a member of the "Dorfan tape measure club"?

No, but I am a charter member of the Dorfan Dust Society
Along with Rich Fletcher, Al Clarke, Don Lewis, Alan Grieme and Milton Forcheimer.

Hmm, Brian's request is unusual and my oldest daughter did turn 48 this year?? Nah, too much logic in one family - it'll never work.

I turned 48 last February.............but don't feel that old!



Randy--the Dorfan tape measure club was a Ward Kimball invention I think. Ward was a hoot!

Yes he was. He was also in a band called "The Firehouse Five plus two" and recorded long play albums.
The Dorfan Dust Society is just a group who likes Dorfan and whose members are not allergic to zinc dust. If you have a TCA directory, you can find those names listed - all except for Milton.

Excellent web page, Randy, and the photo of you beside the Four Hundred looks great.

I should know, since I took that shot at Warren back in 2003 - LOL! Seriously, aside from pressing the button on my camera, all I did was crop to recenter. Randy did all the hard work - making the car and himself look "purdy". I'm glad you saw fit to use it for such a fine piece.

Having taken the nickel tour a couple of weekends ago, I can attest that Randy's train collection is magnificent.

While realigning the front fender I came across a very substantial brace from the front fender where it attaches to the radiator cradle down to the frame. The brace is only on the driver's side. It does not exist on my 400. I have taken some pictures. Brian or Owen or Kip56 can you identify this brace and its purpose? The heavy piece of steel next to the air vent is spot welded in place and the bolt is spotwelded to that.

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Randy,

I have that same brace on both my drivers side and passenger side fenders. On the Passenger side the same spot weld is to the left of where the blower motor attaches to the body.

My only thought since it does not appear on your 400 is that it adds extra rigidity to the convertible body since there is not a hardtop to help prevent body twist.

It will be interesting to hear from Brian to know if these braces appear on the inner fenders of his Caribbean hardtop.

Regards,
Robert.

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Thanks Robert, you have confirmed my suspicions that the fender was replaced at some point. I do have the other brace but wanted facts not conjecture.

Perhaps the bracing was added by the factory too increase the ridgity of the front end because of the fiberglass hood?

Just a wild theory.