Modern Rodding Tech
InTheGarageMedia.com
1969 Camaro engine bay billet accessory drive setup alternator mount
1. With its classic styling and impressive performance options, the 1969 Camaro was a sensation upon its introduction; however, by today’s standards, the fit and finish of the metalwork underhood allows for significant improvement.
Wheelwell Modifications
Custom Front Wheelwells for a 1969 Camaro
By Ron Covell Photography by Jay Doerfler
A

uto Body Specialists in Manchester, New Hampshire, has a long history of beautifully crafted Pro Touring builds. The owner, Jay Doerfler, aims to make each project a bit nicer than the last. We will follow the build of Pat Floyd’s 1969 Camaro, which showcases remarkable detail work at every glance.

This time, we’ll focus on the exceptional work done on the core support and front wheelwells. While these may seem like simple components, the effort devoted to perfecting the shape, fit, and finish is truly unmatched—as you’ll see in the photos.

The core support had serious issues, so the first step was to repair all the damaged sections. Next, several reinforcements were added and all incomplete areas were capped or boxed in. Finally, every surface was perfectly polished to perfection for reinstalling this crucial structural component.

The purpose of modifying the wheelwells was to provide adequate clearance for the large wheels and tires chosen for the car. To establish the required shape, Doerfler created a mockup using a 1/4-inch-diameter round steel bar, which was contoured to closely fit the inside shape of the fender. This mockup served as a guide for shaping the metal as he worked on the wheelwells. Doerfler prefers to use 16-gauge steel for projects like this. While it’s more challenging to shape than thinner metal, you can rely on the contours lasting over the long term once the shaping is done.

Doerfler fitted the car with a Detroit Speed & Engineering hydroformed subframe, utilizing their custom-fabricated control arms, and the stock openings in the wheelwells for the front suspension left a large, unfinished-looking gap around this area. Doerfler added a lot of intricately fabricated pieces to get everything snugged up more closely and looking right.

OEM manufacturers go to extraordinary lengths to form exterior autobody sheetmetal to perfection. For some interior panels, they often don’t take the time (and have the customer bear the expense) of finessing out all waves and wrinkles, and these imperfections can sometimes be quite large. None of this will pass muster with Doerfler, and he worked the wheelwells until every square inch was as smooth as a billiard ball.

In future articles, we’ll explore several other aspects of this build more deeply. We’re pretty sure you’ll like what you see!

1969 Camaro firewall fabrication bare metal smoothing weld prep
2. There is plenty of work to be done in the underhood area, and Auto Body Specialists has started with the core support. Here, some unnecessary holes are being filled.
1969 Camaro custom metal fab inner structure spot weld detail
3. The wrinkled metal along the upper edge was replaced with new, thicker material.
1969 Camaro core support bare metal test fit mock-up
4. After much straightening, smoothing, and refining of details, the core support appears significantly improved compared to its initial state.
1969 Camaro mini tub install rear wheelwell mock-up with tape
5. When lowering a car and adding large wheels and tires, you can expect to encounter issues with tire clearance. One-quarter-inch round bars have been shaped to create a template that illustrates how much the wheelwell needs to be enlarged.
1969 Camaro wheelwell skeleton layout custom tub wire frame
6. The template is checked inside the fender to ensure there’s no interference.
1969 Camaro custom tub fabrication layout green tape metal shaping
7. New metal is shaped to fit the template and then trial-fitted against the wheelwell before being welded into place.
1969 Camaro wheelwell welding Cleco clamps sheetmetal tack welded
8. The rear section of the enlarged wheelwell is secured in place and tack welded.
1969 Camaro tub install welded seams smoothing metal finish
9. Once the fit is checked and verified, the template is taken off the backside and all joints are fully TIG welded together.
1969 Camaro mini tub completed install bare metal inner fender
10. After welding, the joints are ground smooth and metal finished.
1969 Camaro inner fender well smoothed and prepped in bare metal
11. The fit of the modified wheelwell is checked against the fender and the inside of the panel is smoothed.
1969 Camaro apron edge piece fabricated with crisp radius and flanged return
12. The cutouts for the upper control arms in the original wheelwells do not fit well with the Detroit Speed front suspension, so new stepped panels are fabricated from 16-gauge steel.
1969 Camaro firewall corner boxed with Clecos, welding underway
13. The front of the wheelwell had many wrinkles from the factory stamping process, so the wavy metal was cut away, and filler pieces are being fabricated here to connect the wheelwell with the new opening for the control arm.
1969 Camaro apron and cowl corner fully seam welded and metal finished
14. The filler panels are carefully welded into place.
1969 Camaro apron corner smoothed and panel gaps test-fitted with Clecos
15. Some of the smaller filler pieces are shaped and fitted.
1969 Camaro inner cowl panel mocked up with taped seam for trimming
16. The rear of the wheelwell also needs significant attention. Some radical shaping is necessary to accommodate all the changes in the contours.
1969 Camaro modified wheelwell showing boxed corner and plug weld prep
17. The rear panels are tack-welded into position, leaving an open area for the remaining filler panel.
1969 Camaro full front wheel tub assembly smoothed and metal finished
18. With all the pieces fitted, welded, and metal finished, the wheelwell looks like a factory-made part.
1969 Camaro apron assembled on stand, technician spot welding edge flange
19. The wheelwell connects to the fender, and Auto Body Specialists employee Nicole Boisvert uses a belt sander to smooth out all the rough edges. (It’s always wise to wear protective eyewear.)
1969 Camaro firewall transition panel blended into frame with clean contours
20. Look at how perfectly the reworked wheelwell fits against the frame and the fender and how much better the fit is around the pivots for the upper control arm.
1969 Camaro engine bay fully mocked up with smoothed aprons and firewall
21. The goal for this project was to retain the OEM look of the wheelwells and make them blend in more smoothly with everything else.
1969 Camaro fitted with polished supercharged LS engine and custom serpentine drive
22. With the mechanical components installed, you can see how beautifully the wheelwells serve as a backdrop for all the updated underhood details.
SOURCES
Auto Body Specialists
(603) 647-4000
autobspec.com
Detroit Speed & Engineering
(704) 662-3272
detroitspeed.com
Modern Rodding
VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 57 • 2025
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