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Officially started tinkering with my new to me 96. Picked it up last night, fixed the driver side washer fluid nozzle today and drove the car a bit. Loving it. Question though before I get my T30 out and start unbolting. The passenger side lines up perfect. The driver side is ok by the door, but droops a bit lower by the wheel. Can I adjust this? Thanks
Someone replaced the battery and didn't adjust panel properly.
On the bottom of the panel, between panel and rocker panel there is bolt, most people leave that bolt loose, so when the next time to replace the battery after removing torx bolts panel slides out, there also shims that are there to raise the panel up properly. The clearance to get into there with open wrench you need a thin wrench to tighten properly is why they keep it loose, I did for 24 years that I owned a C4.
There is some vertical adjustment allowance in the front bolt holes through the inner wheel housing. Loosen the fasteners up (I think there's 3 of them ) and see if it can be moved up. Loosening the aft upper 10mm bolt will allow the panel to move aft as the front of it moves up.
Ignore this!!!! ^^^^^
Lift hood, remove panel again and 'start over'!! There's combinations that will allow you to be made happy!!!! You can't accomplish it here asking questions.
Thanks everyone. I’ll play with it today. Before I started, I figured I’d ask. I vaguely remember a friend of mine with a 95 saying what you posted 1bdvet, about the lower screw.
Thanks again guys
Thanks everyone. Mission accomplished. Lines up perfectly all around.
1bdvet, you were spot on with the bottom 10 mil. The ******* who installed the battery didn't care about that particular bolt
WVZR-1 is right: ya gotta fuss with it to get it right. A straight edge will help. I bought a loooong (2 meter) strait edge (metal) from Harbor Freight* (back when I painted the car - had all the front panels, i.e., battery, bumper & hood off). Using the belt on the door as a reference, I taped the straight edge to that belt so that it extended forward to provide a reference for the "battery panel". WVZR-1 is right: it takes patience (mostly). But! I found that straight edge was the key "hack" to getting it right quickly.
NOTE: Body panel alignment on these cars is an art. Takes time and patience.
To start, far as the longitudinal (gap) space between the door and the panel goes, there is a slot on the tab at the bottom of the panel that the thin 10mm fastener aligns with that establishes the reference gap between the door and that battery panel. And, too it has to be clamped when the edges between the door and the panel line up laterally (inward/outward) at the bottom of the 'battery panel'. This is what establishes the proper gap reference (about 5mm). Once the gap is "right", verified by the straight edge alignment with the door, the gap will be right and your eyeball will be happy with the alignment. You're good!
I'm a little late to the party but...that panel has a couple bolts on top that you see when the hood is lifted and a hidden bolt between the bottom of the fender and the rocker. you can slip a thin 10mm wrench in there to loosen the bolt enough to manipulate the fender. Don't try to "remove" this lower bolt, it's held in with a special nut...it doesn't require having that bolt in your hands to remove/move the panel. Also, use caution with the drivers side panel...they are almost never to be found on ebay in good condition (like the passenger side is).
Good Luck!
Also, use caution with the drivers side panel...they are almost never to be found on ebay in good condition (like the passenger side is).
Good Luck!
You're not kidding about that. What is it with the driver side everything on the C4s being unavailable? Left rear quarter molding in Arctic White? found 5 passenger, 0 driver. Left inner door handle bezel? 200 passenger side as low as $11 free shipping, 1 driver side, $40+15 shipping. Luckily my fender panel is fine and all adjusted and perfectly aligned now, but yet another LH part that's hard to find. I can understand door handle bezel, driver door used all the time, but WTF is the mystery with all the other driver side parts?
Hell, after several beers I stop noticing the base coat shrinking under the clear and all the spots on the car disappear.
Cut polish the base coat this will require polish, a couple of rags and quite a few more beers. That’s that we call a 50 50 paint job, it looks great from 50’ away or when it’s traveling at 50mph
Can this panel be aligned?
Your Welcome!
