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My very first post. 1968 Roadster. My body mounts and frame are solid as far as all inspection has proven.
I'm critical of alignment & gaps. My hinges have zero play in them so doubtful they are going to be an issue. The gaps at the front of the door / fender are decent (I may adjust slightly) but not off enough to effect or correct the upper gap on the rear of the door.
I almost feel as if I could shim the most rear body mount on the drivers side to correct this gap.
Passenger side is tighter but not perfect. I'm not looking for "perfect" but looking for very acceptable. A door gap that doesn't stand out.
Am I on the right track?
IF I replace or shim rear mounts do I need to adjust every body mount at the same time?
Does this require lifting the body off the frame enough to remove the bolts/mounts or can I use shims like GM used on doors & fenders back in the day that were slotted to make adjustments ("U" shaped shims)?
I have been on the forum for years but never posted. I had an 82 Corvette that I sourced information for here but never needed to ask. Mostly everything was available easily on a search for that car. Sold it and worked my way up to.the 68.
Any help is very appreciated. Thank you.
Got any pics of both no.4 mounts ? Plus some better side pics showing the whole door gap ?
The shims were not slotted so the bolt comes out . Have you tried to loosen the no.4 ,no.3 mount bolts and rear bumper bolts to see if they are not seized up ?
If everything is/works ok , shimming can bring that top gap back in.
Sounds like your a previous and seasoned C3 owner. certainly you realise that those gaps where far from perfect when the car was new. The automotive magazines back in the day absolutely slayed GM for the fit and finish on these fibreglass cars. And yes, some photos would really help us to assess the cituation.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
how is the door latch operation and the door latching? Is there any rubbing and does it catch when you try to open or close it? If you make the door too tight and you jack it up you may not be able to get the door open as it will sag dramatically and pinch the latch post.
I was able to get my 68 gaps aligned very well just by using the existing gaps in the hinge slots. I bought the rear door shim kit but never installed them because I was afraid I would jam the door.
hinges wear. somebody adjust lower hinge back to adjust for door drop. hinge wears more. somebody else replaces hinge pins and bushings. now hinge is too far back and holding back of door up. that is a possibility. i would spend DAYS adjusting door hinges before i messed with body mounts...
Got any pics of both no.4 mounts ? Plus some better side pics showing the whole door gap ?
The shims were not slotted so the bolt comes out . Have you tried to loosen the no.4 ,no.3 mount bolts and rear bumper bolts to see if they are not seized up ?
If everything is/works ok , shimming can bring that top gap back in.
larger shot of the whole door.
this is mount just behind the rear wheel. I believe #4 but in the drivers side. I need to get some different clothes on to get some more shots (still in Sunday clothes).
Passenger side #4 behind rear wheel.
I have tried nothing yet (except lifting the rear bumper by hand & can see slight movement toward closing the gap. Slight, like microns.
Originally Posted by bazza77
Got any pics of both no.4 mounts ? Plus some better side pics showing the whole door gap ?
The shims were not slotted so the bolt comes out . Have you tried to loosen the no.4 ,no.3 mount bolts and rear bumper bolts to see if they are not seized up ?
If everything is/works ok , shimming can bring that top gap back in.
Sounds like your a previous and seasoned C3 owner. certainly you realise that those gaps where far from perfect when the car was new. The automotive magazines back in the day absolutely slayed GM for the fit and finish on these fibreglass cars. And yes, some photos would really help us to assess the cituation.
yes, gap expectation is pretty low but if I can make it even a 1/4" closer at the top, I'll be happy.
So in the latch, outside handle (button) works very easily. Inside handle is tight when opening (so tight I broke the inside handle). I am obviously going to remove the door panel & see what's going on with the mechanism. Shouldn't be as tight as it is but door closes solid & believe it is tight only because a rod may be bent or something not adjusted properly inside the door mech.
Originally Posted by Rescue Rogers
how is the door latch operation and the door latching? Is there any rubbing and does it catch when you try to open or close it? If you make the door too tight and you jack it up you may not be able to get the door open as it will sag dramatically and pinch the latch post.
I was able to get my 68 gaps aligned very well just by using the existing gaps in the hinge slots. I bought the rear door shim kit but never installed them because I was afraid I would jam the door.
Luckily I have a door hanging jack/jig. I wouldn't mind a week adjusting if I can get it solved. The car will be going through quite a few upgrades, so my goal is to have everything working properly more than cruising. It's a great start to a project that I'll continue to improve. I was born in 68, so naturally I wanted a 68. The car is solid, NOM, but a 4spd, originally Safari Yellow, 327 car. Plans to get back to original paint color as well as add OEM 69 side pipes (just bought), add a big block (just bought) & drive the car 10 times a year. Ha ha. I will detail everything I can. Fit & finish is a big deal for me.
last car, I took 2 years making it right & drove it less than 10 times. My hobby is the car, not the drive.
Originally Posted by derekderek
hinges wear. somebody adjust lower hinge back to adjust for door drop. hinge wears more. somebody else replaces hinge pins and bushings. now hinge is too far back and holding back of door up. that is a possibility. i would spend DAYS adjusting door hinges before i messed with body mounts...
I'd be smiling to my back molars if the door gaps on mine looked so good.
Am i being petty you think? Seriously, I
almost bought a ttop 69 instead because the door gaps. I could have bought this car for $2500 less but ttop/auto just didn't do much for me.
It's really the only thing that bothered me about the 68 Roadster. I still think i can make them better.
You give me hope that this is fairly acceptable then. Thank you.
😉 still think I can make them better
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
be mindful that bringing in the top ill bring in the bottom and you dont have any room to work with on the bottom it appears. If you move the door forward you run the rusk of it interfering with the front fender an chipping the paint or cracking the door or the fender. Most people get it as close as possible then make it perfect with fiberglass
yeah, the front gaps look good. anfd the rear mounts look squished. try a jack and piece of wood on beside each #4 mount. see if door gap gets better and gap opens at mount bushing. not much jacking. 100-200 lbs tops. that mount is not fun to get to behind the seats. and the sheet metal cage will spin. you will end up cutting heads off and driving the bolts upwards into the trunk to break the cages free.
Yes, yes. Thank you for the heads up. I cannot do much woth the front. If anything, I MIGHT bring the front to the door up a tinge but that will throw the back down just a touch, not decreasing my gap much.
thank you for the advice.
Originally Posted by Rescue Rogers
be mindful that bringing in the top ill bring in the bottom and you dont have any room to work with on the bottom it appears. If you move the door forward you run the rusk of it interfering with the front fender an chipping the paint or cracking the door or the fender. Most people get it as close as possible then make it perfect with fiberglass
Thank you. This is a good test to see if there will be movement. I believe it will close the gap. I do know from experience that a little effort pays off well.
The mounts behind the seats, is that body mount #3?
From everything I've researched, you don't want to mess with any body mount without at minimum loosening bumper attachments and other body mounts. Is this true?
Originally Posted by derekderek
yeah, the front gaps look good. anfd the rear mounts look squished. try a jack and piece of wood on beside each #4 mount. see if door gap gets better and gap opens at mount bushing. not much jacking. 100-200 lbs tops. that mount is not fun to get to behind the seats. and the sheet metal cage will spin. you will end up cutting heads off and driving the bolts upwards into the trunk to break the cages free.
interesting , there's a 70 vert here that has the exact same thing going on with it . no shims on the no.4,s
looks like there's no shims as well at both your no.4,s .
If it were mine i would try what Derek says , take it slow and see how it goes . Also i would start putting some penetrating spray on all the mounting bolts and nuts first , while your seeing what's what.
Great idea on the penetrating spray. I have an impact but think that maybe a little aggressive. I will start soaking the bolts tomorrow & keep soaking daily for at least a week.
I'm hopeful that I can make the gaps a little tighter with shims. I don't expect perfection, just closer. There doesn't appear to be any shims whatsoever.
the convertible top is pretty tight & when up, the windows don't line up great. So whatever I do, all these pieces need to be better for me.
Thank you for your input.
Then I am going to work on vacuum lines but very close to working properly. That cowl opens when the car starts. I believe that's a pretty simple fix. I'm not someone that gives up.
Originally Posted by bazza77
interesting , there's a 70 vert here that has the exact same thing going on with it . no shims on the no.4,s
looks like there's no shims as well at both your no.4,s .
If it were mine i would try what Derek says , take it slow and see how it goes . Also i would start putting some penetrating spray on all the mounting bolts and nuts first , while your seeing what's what.
IMHO....95% of the front and rear door gaps look great!
Can you measure the gap about 1" from the bottom of the door with dial/digital calipers....
and then measure the gap about 3" below the pushbutton.......if there is very little variation you may cause more problems by trying to readjust the door hinges,
The previous body shop may have gotten aggressive while sanding/contouring the top 3"-4" of the door edge.
IS THAT a rubber spacer or an aluminum spacer on the #4 body mount...it appears to need replacing...you could install a thicker spacer, if so, to see if the upper door gap closes a little.
It would be good to loosen the bumper bolts if you decide to add shims/replace the spacer on the #4 body mount on the driver's side.
You only need to raise the body off the #4 mount JUST enough to replace the spacer/add shims.
You probably know to make only one change at a time.
Your reply helps quite a bit, thank you. So my pictures probably aren't as detailed as they should have been. I've looked at a LOT of cars in my life & some sellers should be photographers instead of selling cars. I like accurate shots. Please disregard the paint, car will be stripped soon enough & corrected but mechanicals & fitment are top priority. Car drives beautifully but is still a project to me.
so I always butn an inch on my tape measure to get an accurate measurement. At the bottom of the door (1" up from the bottom) is 1/4". At the top of the door 3/4 inches down, it's 5/16". I'd be content at 3/8" but closer to 1/4" would be ideal.
here's the shots, bottom, top & overall (much more accurate).
you can also see in the last picture, the door is sitting slightly higher, I can solve that with hinge adjustment after the body mounts are replaced. I believe they might be rubber, which is also not correct for a 68. Solid + shims is the route I'll take UNLESS all the rest of the mounts are rubber.
Thank you for you input.
Originally Posted by doorgunner
IMHO....95% of the front and rear door gaps look great!
Can you measure the gap about 1" from the bottom of the door with dial/digital calipers....
and then measure the gap about 3" below the pushbutton.......if there is very little variation you may cause more problems by trying to readjust the door hinges,
The previous body shop may have gotten aggressive while sanding/contouring the top 3"-4" of the door edge.
IS THAT a rubber spacer or an aluminum spacer on the #4 body mount...it appears to need replacing...you could install a thicker spacer, if so, to see if the upper door gap closes a little.
It would be good to loosen the bumper bolts if you decide to add shims/replace the spacer on the #4 body mount on the driver's side.
You only need to raise the body off the #4 mount JUST enough to replace the spacer/add shims.
You probably know to make only one change at a time.
1968 Roadster door gaps
