We're back again for Part 2 of all the action in Illinois at The Roadster Shop as they continue to work and mold this '53 F-100 like it was putty in their hands. From the rendering it is obvious the Ford isn't just another F-100-it's meant to flip some lids! This doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't come easily, either; it takes tons of old-fashioned hard and skilled work and a rock-solid plan. The group at The Roadster Shop knows this firsthand and has built a reputation on their results. Mike Crimaldi's Effie isn't going to be the exception, either!
Last month we showed you what they went through to turn the aged and rotted cab back into a solid foundation for the soon-to-be- stellar Ford. With all the rust out of the way and the sheetmetal on its new chassis, it was time to start in on the creative side of the tinwork! A big part of proportion and flow on any car, truck, or hot rod is wheel placement in relation to the body and/or fenders. The Roadster Shop built the truck's chassis with the wheelbase pushed forward 4 inches to give it a more modern stance, which is a great idea, but it meant many hours of cutting and welding to move the wheel openings forward to suit the new wheelbase. Like most metalwork, this isn't rocket science; it just takes the right tools, planning, and most of all, patience. A move like this can make or break a truck if done poorly or not at all. I've seen more than a few front clips welded in pretty far off from where they needed to be, and a procedure like this would make it OK next to redoing the clip if the wheelbase change wasn't intentional. Regardless, let's walk alongside The Roadster Shop as they work their magic!
Even with the wheel off, it's noticeable. Remember that the wheelbase was pushed forward 4 inches in the chassis to give the truck a more modern and aggressive stance, which is obviously the reason for this unpleasant proportion, so there's only one thing to do: start cutting! | 
Chad Glasshagel gets out the equivalent of a set of machinist calipers to mark an even scribe around the stock wheelwell just off the fender lip's roll, since he doesn't want to weld too far out on the fender's flat area. | 
The whole opening is cut from the fender with a thin cutoff wheel so it can be spliced in 4 inches forward. If you keep a steady hand while cutting this out, you'll wind up with a tighter gap to weld up later, which always helps. Notice Chad's safety precautions. |
Before he started cutting, Chad welded in a brace in the bottom of the opening to keep it from folding in or opening up. A small arsenal of vise grips will come in handy throughout this job to mock everything up and hold it in place. With the wheel back on, notice its location in the wheelwell-the center. Chad took his time with the tape measure making sure it was right before tacking it in place. | 
Satisfied with its position, Chad holds template paper behind the new gap in the fender while Jeremy traces the opening's shape to the paper. | 
This template will be used to cut out the new piece of 20-gauge cold-rolled sheetmetal that'll be TIG welded into the gap, so cutting it out carefully pays off. |