Why do these fenders have these holes?

[Joe Cool]

I finally found a local FFPW. It is a '71 and although the cab appears to be in good shape the fenders have these huge holes in them. I would just like to understand if this is common and if people think the fenders should be replaced or just repaired.





The other thing that I am wondering if it is "normal" is how the rocker is lower than the bottom of the rear of the cab.


Thanks,
Joe

[gmharris]

The rust out in that section of the fender is very common. Moisture collects behind the reinforcing plate causing rust. There's a couple places that sell patch kits, but it looks like someone cut out more metal than can be patched with the kits.

I don't think it would be too hard to make a serviceable patch if you have any skill and a mig welder. Maybe, you could use the patch kits to fill most of the hole then patch in the rest. If the rest of the fender is not in pretty good shape, I would try to find replacements. You will be way ahead.

The body misalignment is also common. These panels tend to separate and people just weld them back as they find them. But, I think sloppy work at the factory caused a lot of the misalignment in the first place.

By the way, I doubt you have a '71. There's links on dodgepowerwagon.com to sites which have information on identifying the year of manufacture.

[Joe Cool]

By the way, I doubt you have a '71. There's links on dodgepowerwagon.com to sites which have information on identifying the year of manufacture.

It's a '71 alright. X31BD1S3XXXXX. I decoded the VIN to make sure. One benefit to living in Canada is that we were able to buy FFPW a little longer than in the US. :)






The fact that it is a '71 is tempting me to buy this truck... Although initially I think that I would have liked to start with a running truck as my first PW project. But only 14,000 original miles is tempting too.
The driver side fender is pretty rough so I guess I'd be better off trying to replace them rather than repair

This truck is missing the bench seat. Is that an easy part to replace (I don't see it listed on any site)?

[W_A_Watson_II]

Hey, a 71, that's an export model here in the US, nice find.

The fenders can be easily patched, and replacement reinforcement plates added back. I did it to one of my 46's fenders.

The lower rocker to back of cab alignment, well I've seen it on several trucks. build tolerances were not like they are today, and these trucks were put together as work trucks, not show room vehicles.

Keep us posted on more finds.

[Jerry Henry]

These trucks are, to some, irresistible. It is a rare truck, and low miles helps. Personally I would rather do mechanical work than body work, but, as others have said, all the body repairs can be done. If the price is right, buy it. You can't go wrong.

[gmharris]

Yep, it's a '71. I knew PW's were made only for export after '68 because they would not meet U.S. safety regulations. I thought Canadian safety standards were at least as stringent as in the U.S. Guess not. And, Canada is (almost) a foreign country.

Any part can be obtained, for a price, for the FFPW's. Seat frames come up occasionally on ebay. If you buy this truck, you will spend a lot of time on ebay. You will spend more on getting a seat into usable condition than you spend on the bare frame in the first place.

More of a problem are the rear fenders and running board. Either used or reproduction, they can be expensive. Also, not having a winch definitely reduces the desirability of the truck.

More of a problem is the rust on this truck. Look along the bottom edge of the cab under the rear window. I bet you will find more rust through. Also, carefully check for rust where the cross members meet on the frame and under the cab where the frame is doubled. Rust is killer expensive to get done right unless you can do it yourself. Then, it's a lot of work. It's more than just welding in a patch.

Trucks in this condition are tempting because of the price. But, you will spend far more time and money fixing it and finding parts than you would have if you bought a sound, running truck in the first place. And, if you buy a decent truck, you can enjoy it from the get-go.

The brakes probably need work. Plan on spending a lot of time and the better part of $1,000 if you address all the problems you will find. What about tires, another $1,000 or more. You can find decent trucks for $10,000 to $15,000.

You will basically be buying a, "Pig in a Poke". If the truck has fatal engine damage you will be buying a parts truck. Don't let enthusiasm cause you to pay more. You don't want to know what some people charge to put a rebuilt engine in one of these.

These trucks are interesting, but not all that rare or valuable. Some people might consider a '71 truck less desirable than an early truck.

A truck with 15,000 miles often needs just as much work as a truck with 40,000 miles. In this mileage range, it's lack of use and maintenance and sitting outside that kills them.