Fender Install

 A while back I reported squirting some paint from a rattle can onto a pair of new fenders I purchased for my dodge pickup. Now I'm not a body man but I figured I could easily swap out a couple of fenders and headlights. I mean, how freakin hard could it be?

 Well it turns out that if you're a moron like me then it can be quite difficult. I needed fenders so I ordered fenders. Turns out not all fenders are created equal. The fenders I bought didn't have the inner steel fender section on them. How lame is that? I mean they are welded together so why offer them separate? Cost I suppose. Anyway, by the time I realized this dilemma I was already committed to finishing this project if I wanted to use the truck on Monday. Thank goodness the Packers had a late start that day.
 I chose to leave the inner section on the truck and separate the two halves in place. This involved the use of a cut off wheel, air chisel, pry bar and BFH (big freakin hammer).

 It ain't pretty but I got it off of there. From here the job was pretty simple. I just had to bolt the new outer fender in place and weld the two halves together.

  I remember when this body style first came out in the early '90's. It was such a radical change from what the big three were offering in the 60's, 70's and 80's and a lot of people just had to have one. My work truck at the time was a v10 version. I liked the look then and I still like it now.
 This project turned out just alright. I knew the paint would not be an exact match and I'm ok with that. The old headlight was so yellowed from age that the parking lights were brighter than the headlights. I picked up these low budget lights from Amazon and think they look alright I guess. If they illuminate the road in front of me I'll be happy. Earlier in the week I ordered the special nylon pop rivets needed to secure the plastic fender liner to the steel fender. That should be a two minute job.
 I think when I'm ready to take on the passenger side that I'll remove the inner and outer fenders together and do my separating and rewelding out in the open. That really was a pain in the ass.