wabco40

I'm fitting the front clip and doors back on a 71 and it seems to be an excessive amount of hinge shims required to get the doors flush with the fenders.
The top hinges have 2 shims and the bottom hinges have 4/5 shims. This places the doors flush with the fenders at the front and rear however I'm a bit concerned that with this many shims on the bottom hinge the weather strip (yet to be fitted) will not seal properly.
I would just like to get an idea of how many shims other vettes have. Thanks.

Brad.

thegavel

Hi Brad,
My 74 had 4 on the top and bottom before I
put on the Lambo hinges, now they've got 2
on both & they still need some tweaking.
Good Luck.
Gav

wabco40

Cool, thanks for that Gav.

Alan 71

Hi Brad,
My 71 had none at the top and 1 at the bottom. But since you've had the front clip off, I can understand you needing more. How does the top, rear corner of the fender fit where it curves around the windshield? Is it close to the windshield as it should be?
Generally people find the new weather-strip is too 'puffy' so hopefully yours will be just right.
Regards,
Alan

wattac2

Just mounted the doors on my '69. For the passenger side it was 2 on top and 5 on bottom. I'm pretty sure it came from the factory that way.

wabco40

Hi Alan,
I've left a 3/16" gap between the wiper door and the top part of the fenders. It curves around close to the windshield and ends up touching the outside of the windshield pillar (just below the stainless side windshield moulding).
Seems like it might be no two cars are the same.
Brad.

wabco40

Thats the numbers I'm looking at to get the doors flush.
Seems to be a big difference between cars.

chevy69

Mine was about the same too on the Pass. side

chris75stingray

i'd shim it to get the rear side of the door even with the rear 1/4. you can always move the front clip a little to fit the door

wabco40

Thats how I have done it. The difference between the top and bottom hinge has got the rear of the door even with the rear 1/4. By adding or removing equal number of shims from the two hinges moves the front of the door in or out.
I still have not bonded the front clip in place and only been dry fitting it. All the old bonding adhesive from the fender and bonding areas of the firewall have been removed so that it will be as tight a fit as possible. It still requires 2 top, 5 bottom to even the front of the doors with the fenders.
I'm just abit concerned with that many shims on the bottom the door weather strip will not seal properly.
Seem I'm not alone with that many bottom shim and as Alan said new weather strips will hopefully be ok.
Brad.

Alan 71

Hi Brad,
The door gap on the rear of the door in your second picture looks good.
I'm concerned that you say the rear of the front fender touches the windshield post. I think it should be close, but not touch. Also, have you allowed for the piece of SS trim at the rear of the fender?
Remember to take a good look at the gap between the rear of the right fender and the top/front of the right door. This is a problem on MANY cars, (the gap is too big), I think the front fender was not molded in the right shape at this point.
Regards,
Alan

wabco40

Hello Alan,
The rear top part of the fenders are only just touching the sides of the windshield post. I have also fitted the SS wiper door trim and both SS corner trim pieces and it all lines up good.
I know what you mean about the right top/front door gap, the fender is not quite the same shape as the door. I have added fiberglass to the rear section of both front fenders and will recut the front door gaps when the clip is bonded back in place.
The biggest problem I have here is that I live in a remote area of Australia and what seems like a million miles from any other vettes. However I will be going to Carlisle later this month so I will have a chance to check out other cars.
Regards
Brad.

Alan 71

Hi Brad,
If you haven't be to Carlisle before you're in for a real treat. Do you know that you can also pay to enter on Thursday? All the event info says things start on Friday but MANY people come on Thursday. Only the main gate is open and that is where you can buy your pass to get in. It will most likely be HOT,HOT,HOT. So be prepared.
Many people have done the 'fix' to the door and fender you mention.
Do you know about the NCRS Chapter in Australia ?
Regards,
Alan

MakoShark72

Brad...what with, and how, are you going to cut the gaps. I will be tackling the same problem very soon.

Thanks!

wabco40

Hi Alan,
I went to Carlisle in 2006 and loved it. Wanted to go last year but was to busy with work.
I will be arriving there Thursday afternoon so will possibly go then.
I have heard about the NCRS here but I believe its on the east coast. I live in the north of West Australia so I don't get over that side of Australia much.
Regards
Brad.

wabco40

I laminated fiberglass to the rear edge of the front fenders and then block sanded the inner and outer surfaces to the same thickness as the fender (about 1/8"). This is easy to do with the front clip removed.
Currently the front door gaps are very close, about 1/16". When I bond the clip back on I will use the front of the doors as a guide and scribe a line 3/16" in on the fender. The excess material can be cut with a die grinder and small cutting disc and finished off sanding by hand.
On the rear door gaps I used a piece 3/16" plastic as a measure to make sure the gap was even top to bottom.
Regards
Brad.

Alan 71

Just to add a little more to the gap discussion, here are 3 in-progess photos. I think there were about 4 more steps until the fellow who was teaching me said I was done.
Regards,
Alan

The most difficult area was where the rear of the door meets the rear quarter and the sail panel. You can see it in the last picture.

MakoShark72

Did you laminate it to the EDGE, or to the sides of the fender, inside and out?? If to the rear edge, you used very thin strips on top of each other??

Thanks!

wabco40

I laid a strip on the inside edge overlapping the inside about an inch. I then laid more glass on this until it was the right thickness, I then laid another strip on this overlapping the outside. When this had dried it was sanded flush with the inside and outside of the fender.
Hope this has been of some help.
Brad

wabco40

Hello Alan,
The pictures look good. When I was in Carlisle last time I could'nt believe how bad the panel fit is on these cars. With some extra time and effort they can be made to fit good.
Regards
Brad.