Body / Glass: Front Fender removal 1951 Starlight

[Bill-W]

Hi All, When I removed the left front fender from my 1951 Starlight Coupe I found a metal cable going from one fender to the other. I tried to remove it in one piece but could not find a way to disconnect it. The fender would not come loose without remove it. I ended up cutting it with a pair of dikes. Small cable 1/16 inch. It had been rubbing on the raderator and some one some time used a piece of tape measure to stop it from rubbing the radiator. It looked factory, had brackets. Anyone know what is it? What is it for? Do I need it? Thank You In advance! Bill-W

[unclemiltie]

I have never seen one on a 51. Do you have a picture??

[52-fan]

That's a new one on me too. I don't recall anything like that in the parts book.

[Bill-W]

Hi, I will take a photo tommarrto. Bill-W

[kurtruk]

Hope it wasn't the hood release cable!

[52-fan]

Hope it wasn't the hood release cable!

Me too.

[rockne10]

Not in my experience, and I bought an unmolested '51 Commander Starlight several decades ago.

[TWChamp]

The only cable I know of is the hood cable, but that's more like 1/4", not 1/16".

[Bill-W]

Hi Its me Bill-W I made the original post. I talked to a person that builds hot rods. He often uses a flexible cable strong enough to support the funders when he is spacing them on the car without help. The cable holds the front in place but allows him to space things correctly and get some of the bolts in. Makes sense. Bill-W

[gordr]

Hi Its me Bill-W I made the original post. I talked to a person that builds hot rods. He often uses a flexible cable strong enough to support the funders when he is spacing them on the car without help. The cable holds the front in place but allows him to space things correctly and get some of the bolts in. Makes sense. Bill-W

So in effect it's an alignment jig used by a previous worker. Good to know.

[jclary]

Almost all of my body work has been done alone. On Studebaker vehicles, it is amazing how few fasteners are used (at least to me) in front clip assemblies. I always remove the clutter first, like those pesky (usually dirty) clamshell vent tubes, heater ducts, fender braces, headlight wires, etc. I usually take one of the three A-pillar to fender flange bolts and replace it with a length of threaded rod. That way, once you have the inner fender apron unbolted, and the radiator support bolts removed up front, the fender don't just fall away damaging it and/or you. For models where the fender and inner fender apron are one piece, it can get pretty heavy and awkward to handle. Every Studebaker I have dismantled has had an assortment of washers/shims at the radiator support area. Pretty much the focal point of fit/finish for the alignment of the front clip assembly. It is important to keep notes and the order of those washers in the exact location and order you find them for reassembly. Even then, sometimes additional tweaking is required to get things to come back together properly aligned. It gives you great respect for those who worked so hard at assembly line speeds to get them correct on the move.

The piece of threaded rod at the A-Pillar serves as a "locator" pin while you find another point to place a bolt either on the inner fender or front radiator support area. Once you have one front bolt in place, you can go back to the A-pillar and put those bolts in place and replace the threaded rod with the proper bolt. Then, the fun really begins as you try to get everything back like it was originally, or better.

[52-fan]

Good tip, John. I have often used long bolts to support/align transmissions, but I don't know if I would have thought of doing it for the front fenders. Eventually, I will be pulling the front sheet metal off my Commander for body work and paint.

[Mike Sal]

John, try dismantling a '55 sedan nose sometime....lots of annoying screws / bolts......