Here in NYC it's been raining everyday for about a week now and more rain coming for next 3 days. Today I got lucky and was able to get some work done before the rain. The fenders are back on the car and the passenger door too! Some observations. The back two bolts on the fender, closest to firewall are a PIA. Especially the one behind the hood spring. This would not be a problem if you REMOVE the hood and hinges but I was was working alone. Also helps to have a very flat 10 mm wrench. I was able to wedge the spring away from the fender with a piece of wood, this helped. I'm using a plastic socket insert call NOMAR to reinstall the bolts. Basically a plastic socket that fits over the painted bolt and then you use a larger socket over it to tighten the bolts. Helps protect the painted bolts, maybe. You can only snug the bolt so much before the plastic insert gives up. Directions say good to 99ft lbs. I don't think so. I got them as tight as I could then had to cover the nuts with tape and go at them with 10mm ratchet wrench from Gearwrench. Needless to say there will be some touch ups.
Next was installing the door without any help. I had to build a small platform using scraps of the 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 to get a height of 14 inches to get the bolt holes to line up. I must have picked up that door a dozen times. Did I mention it is heavy? I was able to get the alignment and gap correctly the first time,
. The door will be "in" just a little too much if you don't have the weather seal installed.
Speaking of the weather seal. If you remove it from the door like I did, make sure you put it back BEFORE you install the door. I didn't do that. So I had to crawl under the door pushing the rubber into the channel with a small scraper. I started the install at the upper corner, there are 2 clips that hold it in that area, then worked my way down under the door. Then I went from the top working towards the front of the car. Don't stretch the rubber otherwise it will be too long when they meet. If that happens don't cut it. Go back and slide the rubber in the opposite directions, making it shorter so you don't have to cut it.
Also put some of your yellow tape on the fender edge and door edge where they meet. Just in case you get some rub on install.
Back to fenders. Before I installed them I put a small piece of cardboard from a shipping box on the edge of the fenders where they meet the cowl. It creates the perfect size gap for that panel area.
The drivers door didn't go back on because there is some bodywork being done to the door sill. I may just reinstall it anyway tomorrow just to get the door off of a work bench that I had made to hold it.
I didn't take any pics but will tomorrow, if it doesn't rain, and post them here. Thanks for following along.