Re Door Adj.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 192
From: nj
door adj 63
Top rear portion of the drivers door on the 63 was bent by line workers to make up for a manufacturing error. Usually see a kinked portion in the metal below the rear window pillar.
Metal inner re enforcement sometimes breaks loose, so be sure to re rivet at the front face of the door where the hinges go thru to attach to the door.
Final fittting the door before placing weather strip will typicall bulge out the top. Sometimes the fitting may look poor until the w/s is installed.
Otherwise just play with the shims and overall fitting within the door opening as described in the shop manual. Commercial door hanger jigs are available to help hold the door in position. Best to do initial fitting with bare door to reduce weight. Once all fitted you can drill a couple of holes into the hinges and back brace to fit a couple of 3/8 or 1/4" drill bits in place as guides to rehang the door. Oh yeah, you might have the door off many times to make fine adjustments to match surrounding body lines and surfaces.
Beyond that you might build up or reduce surrounding panels with fiberglass to make the fit 'perfect'. Be aware someone before you may have played with leveling the doors by grinding and building up the body so make sure your not trying to match an artificial reference point.
Get used to the comment at cruise nights where some stud says to his girlfried, " yeah, see how the door fits on that 63, yeah that car was wrecked". That might be a 63 or 64 because early 64s had that split window too".
Metal inner re enforcement sometimes breaks loose, so be sure to re rivet at the front face of the door where the hinges go thru to attach to the door.
Final fittting the door before placing weather strip will typicall bulge out the top. Sometimes the fitting may look poor until the w/s is installed.
Otherwise just play with the shims and overall fitting within the door opening as described in the shop manual. Commercial door hanger jigs are available to help hold the door in position. Best to do initial fitting with bare door to reduce weight. Once all fitted you can drill a couple of holes into the hinges and back brace to fit a couple of 3/8 or 1/4" drill bits in place as guides to rehang the door. Oh yeah, you might have the door off many times to make fine adjustments to match surrounding body lines and surfaces.
Beyond that you might build up or reduce surrounding panels with fiberglass to make the fit 'perfect'. Be aware someone before you may have played with leveling the doors by grinding and building up the body so make sure your not trying to match an artificial reference point.
Get used to the comment at cruise nights where some stud says to his girlfried, " yeah, see how the door fits on that 63, yeah that car was wrecked". That might be a 63 or 64 because early 64s had that split window too".
