Inner rear fender

[Howard Long]

I have a 280SL which had considerable rust damage on the floor and side rails.  When I replaced the side rails, I also installed a reproduction frame rail patch panel.  That required removing the lower part of the inner fender.  I am now ready to replace the lower fender well where it meets the frame rail patch panel which has a flange that is about one inch on the reproduction part..

The question is how much should the flange extend below the frame rail patch panel. From the photos that I have seen of good cars it appears that the flange should be about 1 mm or maybe 1/2 inch.   Is there reference sources for this information that I can check.  I have no illusions of creating a perfect car but I am trying to get it close.  here a couple of photos:

Howard
71 280SL 4-speed

[DaveB]

That level of detail may not be formally recorded anywhere. I believe this one to be original and it's 5 or 6 mm.

[Shvegel]

From the "Holy Grail" unmolested original car that Motoring Investments sold a few years ago.

[Sweden_Mike]

I'm not entirely sure which area you mean, but I have some recent pictures of the underside of an unwelded car that just has been dry ice cleaned. I looked through them to see if I managed to capture this area, only to find that I made too few pictures, as usual(!) Is it the fold to the far right in the picture? You should be able to enlarge the image to show more detail. The car is still at the mechanic, so I can ask for the measurement if needed.

[Howard Long]

That is the flange, (to the right and below the suspension arm) that I am interested in.  It appears in both your photo and the "Holy Grail" car that there is a bump on the fender side of the flange to allow moisture to drain out, about 6 to 8 centimeters from the front of the flange..

If you can get a measurement on the width of the flange and also the location of the drain bump, I would appreciate it.

Howard
71 290SL 4-speed

[Sweden_Mike]

Just to be sure we mean the same thing, in the image, could you please try to make "marks", or an arrow to indicate the exact location of the measurement?

[Howard Long]

Dear Mike,

Thanks for the help.  I have marked up your photo to show what dimensions that I need.

"A" is the height of the flange hangs below the body - about 1 cm

"B' is the distance from the front of the flange to the drain bumpe in the flange - about 6 to 8 cm

Howard