When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm hoping to send me car off to paint next month and am having fits of paranoia as to whether the panel shop will be able to get a decent fit on the drivers side door.. (Mindful of the fact that the shop will never have seen a c3 vette before- they are very thin on the ground here!).
Please see below for my concerns... I've ordered some new hinges, but am not convinced that will totally solve the problem? (Notches from door hinge clash at the front, and yawning chasm at the back with loose latch bind?)
Hi Dave, there are a few things you can do like take the latch and hardware off and do you have any shims at the hinge points. Using VPA is a great product for these repairs. In most cases you would apply the VPA to the body and not the door itself. Of course there will be areas of the door that also may need attention. Here look!
RVZIO
So basically, the plan is to replace the stressed hinges, strip out/reinstall the latch, handles etc to make sure they are working right, and then blend in the remaining gap?
Hi Dave,
In addition to the 3 steps you mention I believe it's also a matter of understanding how the hinges and their shims affect the fit of the door and the width and consistency of the gaps. That in itself requires experience and skill.
You really don't want to resort to using body work until the door has been fitted as well as it can be using the adjustment available in the hinges.
Regards,
Alan
I'd be quite nervous about sending a car off to have body work done on it and then painting to a shop that's not VERY familiar with 68-72 cars.
Have they worked on mid-year cars?
Hi Dave,
In addition to the 3 steps you mention I believe it's also a matter of understanding how the hinges and their shims affect the fit of the door and the width and consistency of the gaps. That in itself requires experience and skill.
You really don't want to resort to using body work until the door has been fitted as well as it can be using the adjustment available in the hinges.
Regards,
Alan
I'd be quite nervous about sending a car off to have body work done on it and then painting to a shop that's not VERY familiar with 68-72 cars.
Have they worked on mid-year cars?
This is good advice.......I once spent two whole evenings with my Father back in the 80's getting the doors lined up on his 65'.......
Even the thinnest shims will affect the fit....and a shim on the top will affect the fit on the bottom and vice versa......it is a shell game......
My own 66' a few years back had poor door fit on the drivers side......I spent about 4 solid hours on it......and that car was a 98 point restoration.
Alan is spot on about the shop knowing Vettes.........I would have a boat repair shop work on my Vette before a "Auto Body Repair Facility".
It is imparitive that they know not just the car.....but the right materials to use in this day and age to make for a long lasting job.....
Hi Dave, I would agree with some of the things mentioned above about any auto body shop doing your work and understanding what is going on. Even though I had no experience I was able to follow member Dub's advice on a daily basis to accomplish what I needed to get done. He is a great help for understanding the problem or in my case problems.
Just Saying!
RVZIO
problem I have is that there are 35 million cars registered in this country.... and less than 2000 of them are corvettes - of any era!
Ive actually never seen one on the road.. so the chances are that very few body shops will have seen them either...
does the aim (mine is in the post) have much guidance on panel fit? Or any other resouces you can suggest?
thanks!
Dave
I believe there is some reference in the AIM although the tolerance as to door gap is quiet wide.I last year when I spoke to some people that worked at the factory they told me door gaps were not very good .
It all boils down to how nice you want the gaps to be for yourself.I just worked on mine to get them close using the material made by evercoat NOT Bondi and it took me 4 days
Wes
Hi Dave,
As Wes alluded to there are gap/fit tolerances given in the AIM.
They're given for the hood, headlight door, wiper grill and door, roof panels, doors, deck lid (on convertibles), and front and rear bumpers.
The tolerances given are pretty generous and probably large by today's standards.
Besides the size of the actual gaps people are also often concerned about the consistency of the gaps and the smooth flow from one panel to another. Wes's photo shows a pretty nice even sized gap from top to bottom.
In the 71 AIM they're given and illustrated in UPC 11, Sheets A2 and A3.
Are you in Great Britain (GB)?
Regards,
Alan
If they/you gut the doors, weigh the guts and add weight back into door to achieve proper gap fit. Heavy duty plastic bag with sand will lay nicely in door bottom....remove prior to paint...doors should really be painted off the car after marking alignment and shims for reinstall......fwiw. The body shop should know how to align a door. Specify the gaps you want to achieve and be prepared to pay for the labor to achieve it....or do it yourself. Don't use bondo/polyester filler....recommend fiberglass, resin, & patience. Practice on some scraps after reading fiberglass repair guides ...not hard, just itchy. Wear a mask, long sleeves, & gloves.
Door gaps..
