From the top view, I am wondering if the fender is sitting right with this subtle gap, or if the door and fender should meet flush. In other words, is the door recessed a little bit inward in relation to the fender?

On the side of the car Im repairing, the used fender lines up perfectly flush with the door, and even though the difference bewteen the sides is not noticeable, I want to do it right.

 

Is/are the fender(s) shimmed? That my be your problem.

 

shimmed?
What do you mean?

 

there are body shims they are a spacer to move fenders out. They are used alot in collision repair i don't know if they came out of the factory with them or not my car didnt have them when i tore it down. sorry for the limited help

 

Is the space the same on the tops and bottoms as well?

You may just try pushing in on the fenders a bit.

 

i just replaced my fender and there seems to be a smaller gap between the fender and the door, as opposed to the original fender on the other side.

 

its weird....the stock side has the gap, the side i fixed is flush...i like the stock side better. Ill have to mess with it more.

 

I also just replaced a fender, mine was recessed about .5" inside of door. Most aftermarket fenders are not an exact match, but with some gentle persuasion, they can be made to fit very nearly as well as stock....just don't get frustrated and try to do too much at one time...take your time and make subtle adjustments!

 

Most vehicles have the front fenders out a bit farther than the doors, there are a few reasons for it:

It reduces wind noise
and
it stops your door from getting rock chips along the edge and starting the paint to peel.