Technical 40 ford guru help needed

All you 40 guys, quick question, do any of you have these two holes in your front inner fenders? Just back from the front, looks like they held a bracket that mounted to the frame to hold the inner fender maybe? Bracket long gone, but if I need the bracket, I won’t fill the holes..
Thanks

 

Do you have a picture of the whole panel?

 

Here’s a full pic, the holes are at the front, on the right. They appear to line up with this hole at the front of the chassis

 

If you don't get the answer you need here, you might try "The Ford Barn". There is a guy over there who is the consummate authority on '39-'40 Fords. Goes by the handle of "Kube".

 

. I’m no expert, but here’s what’s on my ol 39. Looks like there’s a 90 degree bracket spot welded to the outside of the inner fender and bolted to that hole in your frame you said is in line with the holes in the inner.


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Sorry for the crappy pics, but I couldn’t get a good angle or light with the loose hood resting on my back. I’m sure you figured it out, but I should have added that the first pic is looking from the wheel side.


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I've worked on a few 40's and I've never seen that bracket on any of them. Every panel has the holes though. Must have been an easily breakable bracket. Maybe Olscrounger will be along and confirm it's existence. He is the 40 Ford expert. Could it likely have been discontinued after 39?

 

Hmm. That’s interesting. You may be right. I agree with checking with Kube over on the barn. He’ll most likely know the answer to that question.


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On my '40's the holes are present, with nothing attached.
Maybe someone with an unrestored original car will chime in with an answer for you.

 

Ronz, does a 39 have the big yoke from the front crossmember to the inner panels like a 40 does?

 

This is a Drake piece that's currently in the classifieds on here. Looks like your holes were added later on in the cars life, like maybe when some repair work was done. Getting all of that '40 front grille and hood and sheet-metal to work nicely together may have caused that bracket to be added.

 

The only holes in the front of the Drake piece are the one for the headlight conduit to pass through and the one for the tie brace that runs from one inner fender to the other.

 

I turned it so you don't have to twist your neck.

 

Don't assume that the Drake piece is 100% correct. It's likely not.

Given that @alchemy and @40FORDPU have taken apart multiple 40s with OE panels that have the holes, I really doubt they were added later.

 

All I have seen have those holes. Also there is a small hole near it on top of the frame. I have never taken one apart with a bracket there. May be a carryover from 39? I do make a bracket and install it there after front sheet metal is fitted with a rubber washer between bracket and frame. Some drake panels have those holes as well. Only on the driver side I recall-gotta go look now. 39 woody I'm fooling with has those holes but it has different braces to frame rather than Y brace.

 

The ones on my 40 have the holes. I also have two hanging in the garage one has the holes the other has a L shaped bracket spot welded to it that appears to be original.

 

Could there be a difference in car and truck inner fenders? Maybe an extra bracket on trucks? Gene.

 

My Drake '40 panels don't have those holes, but otherwise are very correct.

 

My 40 has the holes also. I have torn down umpteen 40 Fords ( several original , never tampered with ) and don't ever remember a bracket there or anything attached to the frame. One of Henry's great mysteries. Later Bill

 

I have seen the holes with and without the bracket. All of the cars I have built have been messed with over the years so knowing whether it is a 39 or 40 feature is difficult to determine. I have them on the drivers side of my 40 but they are not being used.

 

I’m at my shop now and the car is at my house. I’ll look tonight when I get home. I did look this morning before I left and did see the same bracket to frame on the passenger side. This car hasn’t been messed with since 1960 so I’m pretty sure it came with those. I should add that it’s a convertible, although I don’t know why that would matter.


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alchemy, are you talking about these brackets when you say yoke?


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Nope. A 40 has a large U shaped yoke that attaches in the center to the crossmember with a springy bolt, and to each inner panel about 6 inches up from the small holes in the original post.

 

OK the holes are only on the driver's side panel that I have seen. The braces above look like 39? The Y brace or yoke on a 40 is different. The 39 woody coming here has that style of brace. I had an all orig 40 std here some time back--had the same holes on dr side panel but no bracket there. 39 carryover?

 

Alchemy--the panels I sent you were orig and had those holes as I recall but it's been a while.

 

This is the fender support yoke.

 

The yoke/ support goes here

 

Note that pic also has holes in the front side of the crossmember for the short little brackets too. Maybe Ford left the holes so a crossmember could be retrofitted to a 39?

 

Duh. I should have known that, since I had to pull the grille and radiator/cond out of a small block equipped 40 a couple months ago just to get at the water pump to change the gaskets. I’ve still got the scars to attest to the tight fit. Lol.


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The Holes Are For A L Shaped Brace On Each Side Of A 39 And Were Carried Over To 40 But Not Used Since The 40 Has The New And Improved Yoke To Keep The Head Lights From Dancing The Rumba...