Why you Can't swap Chevy and GMC Fenders w/Pics

[Sinisterspeed]

I have been a member here a very short time. I was looking through all the posts trying to help where I can, Have some fun, and Most of all learn some more. It seems this is talked about more then anything else on this forum and like myself some people still don't know exactly why you cant use 69-72 fenders on a GMC or why you cant use 69-72 Chevy grills on any GMC fenders. So here goes:

After speaking with Longhorn Man about our trucks I was telling him about what parts I used to build my truck. When the fender subject came up he told me "I don't remember exactly why but I think it's something to do with the leading edge, but they wont work" I told him I thought I still had the old fenders that came on my longhorn I would go get them 40 miles away and find out for sure. Here's some pictures of what I found. It might help some others trying to change around front ends.









Other then the grill they will interchange. They bolt up and align perfectly everywhere else.

Since I got these fenders and doors off of a parts truck with no rust and the body work was already done on them (long story don't ask) I had originally mounted them on another truck that was rusted out in these locations. I kept them when I scrapped the "swiss cheese truck" and mounted them on this truck at the start of assembling the body. Since the truck is 2 weeks from hitting the paint shop this mistake,oversight or lack of knowledge how ever you want to put it cost me: Money spent on the bodywork and jamming of the chev fenders, 175.oo ea for new fenders re jamming the new ones 100.oo and 50.oo in fuel to go get some new ones. all in all this was about a 600.oo mistake that could have been worse if I had not talked to Longhorn Man and took a closer look there by catching it before I got it back from paint.

Thanks Longhorn Man I owe ya!