Topic: inner wheel well dent in trunk

[fmr187]

65 mustang has a dent in the inner wheel well for the spare tire. the repo inner wheel wells do not come with a dent. Any suggestions on how to create the  dent? Do I just go at it with a big hammer? Did Ford have the wheel wells made with the dent or was it added sometime during production?

[jwc66k]

65 mustang has a dent in the inner wheel well for the spare tire. the repo inner wheel wells do not come with a dent. Any suggestions on how to create the  dent? Do I just go at it with a big hammer? Did Ford have the wheel wells made with the dent or was it added sometime during production?

Good question. I remember that being asked many years back but don't remember the answer. I found at least 3 Ford assembly line part numbers for that right hand side part, C4ZB-6527882 (and 27883 for the LH side) - for 64 Hardtops and (early) 65 Fastbacks, C4ZB-7627882 - for 64 and 65 Convertibles, C5ZB-6527882 - for (later) 65 Hardtops and Fastbacks. All are found in the 64-65 Mustang Weld And Sealant Assembly Manual. AM0009 pg53, 55 and a whole bunch more.
(There were no references in the evil, mistrusted Ford Car Parts books - aka MPC - , 60-68 and 75 editions, except for T-birds. It may be that whole trunk assemblies were serviced.)
If memory serves me, that indentation in the inner wheel well housing may have been a Fastback only feature.
The next time you ask a question, please include body style, plant and approximate build date as well as year.
Jim

[J_Speegle]

Since your signature shows that you are likely asking about a Dearborn approx April 1965 built convertible (some ask questions about other cars rather than the one listed)

Your car would not have a "dent" or relief in the passenger inner wheel house panel visible from the trunk as Jim recalled above. This was not just a Dearborn only details

[fmr187]

Thanks Jeff. Yes it is a Dearborn built car. I assumed that the dent should be there because without it the spare doesnt fit flat on the floor and line up with the hold down  clamp.

[J_Speegle]

Thanks Jeff. Yes it is a Dearborn built car. I assumed that the dent should be there because without it the spare doesnt fit flat on the floor and line up with the hold down  clamp.

Guess your describing just the raised trunk floor on the passenger side since it is higher than the gas tank portion

That is odd that a standard/original sized spare would not fit in your convertible trunk. If the sheet metal had all been replaced then maybe someone put the tie down bracket in the wrong location. Have seen thousands of examples where they was not problem. Sure there are a number of examples in the Unrestored Picture section of this site with the spare in place in the picture

[CharlesTurner]

+1 to Jeff's comments, there should be no issue with a coupe/convertible getting a stock size wheel/tire to fit.  It's the fastbacks that are a really tight fit and probably the reason for the design change.

[carlite65]

fwiw my 65 2+2 october 64 dearborn build has no dent and the tire is really tight.

[midlife]

A long time ago, I requested information on model, year, factory and whether the passenger wheel well was smashed or not.  No conclusion was reached, as the data were very contradictory.  I still wonder why some got it and others did not.

[J_Speegle]

A long time ago, I requested information on model, year, factory and whether the passenger wheel well was smashed or not.  No conclusion was reached, as the data were very contradictory.  I still wonder why some got it and others did not.

Hmm could not find it with my search  and not going through all your posts (1975 as of this moment) but mixed results are often the results of a wide open request for all plants and multiple years. Maybe if we have different threads for 65 and for each of the factories that would be a good place to start. We can often narrow details down as we have shown in other running change threads if this is indeed that. Believe the difference will be found only in fastback models for Mustangs for that year

[midlife]

It may have been in VMF, and the request was for 64.5 though 66 only.  It was a loooong time ago, in a galaxy (Galaxie?) far far away...
Nevertheless, I would love to see another attempt at this issue.

[PraireBronze]

Just a thought...  If dent or no dent was so sporadic, I'm wondering if there was maybe a TSB to put a dent in the wheel well to address some customer complaints?

I'd have to go look to make sure, but I'm pretty sure my Oct '64 SJ fastback does not have the dent.

[jwc66k]

Oops. I thought one of my Fastbacks had the indentation. I had two other San Jose Fastbacks (both built in mid 66), but they were sold BDC (Before Digital Cameras).
Pic 1 - 1965 (May 11) San Jose GT Fastback - 5R09A219xxx
Pic 2 - 1966 (Oct 18) San Jose GT Fastback - 6R09K121xxx
Pic 3 - 1966 (Oct 15) San Jose Hardtop - 6R07A120xxx
Note the distance differences between the spare wheel mounting bracket and the forward body clearance in pictures 2 and 3. There is more distance for Hardtops and (I assume convertibles) than for a Fastback, but the distance from the spare mounting bracket to the wheel housing is the same for all 65-66 body styles.

I assumed that the dent should be there because without it the spare doesnt fit flat on the floor and line up with the hold down  clamp.

Keep in mind that the standard jack and jack handle were placed under the spare for storage which would "level out" the wheel.
The spare in my 65 Fastback is a P195/75R14 and it fits "tight" on its front edge against the inside surface of the wheel housing. It could have used the indentation.
Jim

[hertz350]

Would a San Jose March 66 built fastback be expected to have the indentation for the spare tire and wheel?

[J_Speegle]

Would a San Jose March 66 built fastback be expected to have the indentation for the spare tire and wheel?

So somewhere around the 17xxxxx's or so I found a dozen of unrestored 66 Shelby examples with no dent in my pictures

[hertz350]

Thanks for the data!