The Stovebolt Site Forums Project Journals Completed Journals 1966 Chevy C-10 Short Stepside -- Step by Step

My C10 didn't have front fenders when I got it . I'd picked up a used pair off CL, but they were so rough I decided against using them. I did stumble upon a new set on sale & snapped them up. They were packaged well & fit perfectly. One side was 100 % damage free & the other was maybe 99%.

I found there was some rust thru on the original grille support that needed patch panels. I cut out the rust with my 4 1/2" grinder w/ HF cutting disc and made up some patches from spare sheet metal. Brazed the patches in, ground them down as well as possible then filled any pin holes with seam sealer. Worked out well.

I also found that grille support had been damaged & repaired on the right side . The grille had been pretty beat up over the years as well. I reworked the old damage repair on the grille support , not perfect but suitable for my needs. The grille needed a little hammer & dolly work, I also removed the brackets that hold the headlight buckets in place by drilling out the rivets that hold them in place. New head light brackets were then installed using 1/8th inch dia screws with flat washers. The new brackets sort of forced the area around the headlight back into the correct shape. Hopefully the accompanying photos will help explain.

After doing a mock up of the new fenders & grille assembly, I removed everything. Then primed & painted my new fenders. Then finished repairing grille assembly & grille. Once all painting was complete ,I assembled fenders, grille support , grille & grille support to core support braces.

Also cleaned up & painted used but straight front bumper I'd found on CL.