The Dodge Challenger Message Board

ok guys, let me know what i should do...

That is a common rot out area. You should be able to see the spots welds holding the inner fender to the shock tower. I would dig into it and find out how bad the rotted out area is. And repair as necessary. Looks like someone just mudded over the rust. That method will always split and bubble. The rust must be cut out and replaced with good metal. It all comes down to how you want the finish product to look and how long you want it to last.

Yeah I agree. That is classic body filler over rust.

Learning to weld is the most useful thing you can learn in this hobby.

it is the original fender and stuff, but I know for a fact that there is no rust. would it just give way and break like that? something happened when i wrecked it and when they repaired all that stuff i think they "rigged" it instead of fixing it properly.

so just grind it all off and weld it?

another thing...it is pulled away from the shock tower so how do i butt it back up together?

Ah! I didn't realise you had smashed that bit. It has simply torn then. They must have just body fillered over the crack. If it is not rusty it soon will be if not fixed.

Just clean off all the paint and filler. Then knock it flush with a hammer. Weld it. Then grind it flush. You should only need the thinnest smear of filler to make it perfect again.

ok...thanks

It's a stress crack, not rust or rot though they will come shortly if it's not addressed. My 1974 has it and several other E-Bodies that I have seen, regardless if they have been raced or not. As someone else noted, welding is a BIG help on these cars and in many cases you can slip in a littel reinforcing to address some of the factory shortcomings when making such a repair.