henrikse

I have a 1973 and am trying to lineup door gaps prior to paint. At top of both doors I have 1/4-5/16 and at bottom 1/8 or so. Back of doors is 3/16 all the way so suspect front clip sagging?
I read an article on lifting front of clip and tried with no success. I took off bumper bracket from frame and loosened 2 bolts on each side that hold steel reservoir and brackets to front bumper. Loosened 2 bolts underneath rad bracket. Then put floor jack with wood under reservoir and lifted. seemed to raise bumper a bit but not front of clip? Didn't want to jack too mush because this is fiberglass and I didn't want to break anything. I probably didn't loosen the right bolts. What exactly holds the front clip up front? and will I be able to lift as I know it is glued up front.
I have tried adjusting doors and measurements above is as close as I could get. I have sanded the car and front clip same paint under as rest of car so I believe it has never been off.
Any help much appreciated. Perhaps I will have to use fiberglass or body adhesive added to clip to get nice gaps?

Gary

SB64

I would also check your door hinges for play by grabbing the back of the door and lifting. As you mentioned you may also back tape that upper section and apply some VPA. Once it set you can adjust your gap accordingly. There are times when you have to split the difference and apply some VPA to the door but in your case the clip would be the thing to do.
You would need to prep that area sanding off the old paint, not knowing your skills. Just a reminder!
RVZIO






An assortment of pictures the last showing what I started with. The others with VPA applied to door and clip.

henrikse

Thanks. I changed all door pins as worn a bit. Everything I read says you can't raise the clip so was thinking VPA was the only way to get good gaps.
Nice work on yours

DUB

You are CORRECT.

Thinking that raising the front clip is going to close this gap is a joke. It is just not going to happen due to the gusset attached to the cowl area where the top hood surrounds bonds to has been stressed at one time or another.....which can be attributed to placing the jack stands when raising and supporting the front clip in the incorrect spot.

NOW....knowing you did not ask...and you can do it as you see fit... but for what this is worth:

All I can add is that you have a lot of paint and primer on this car and I can say from a bodyman/painter's stand point....you are just asking for trouble. I counted 14 layers on the door and 11 on the front clip. And when you break through all of these layers as you have to feather out areas. These exposed 'rings' are what will come back and haunt you due to they will all react differently to ANY solvent based product you apply on it. It may take a while...but I would almost guarantee...that each and every one of these areas will telegraph back though the paint and primer you plan on applying on it. Any seasoned painter would tell you that that is too much paint to be applying more paint on top of and YET expect it all to hold up and not show any distortions in the future.. The reason I am saying this is because I have seen this and experienced this before and know what can happen.

All of the high tech new-age products that are out there may seem to do what they proclaim...but TIME will let you know fi what they say is true or not. And even if you went with good polyester primer to lock this all down...you are now adding so many mils of primer to what you already have on it now...you are further adding to possible problems due to the paint is so thick as it sits right now on the car.

DUB

Rodnok1

Leaving that much paint under new is just asking for trouble. If i see more than a couple of layers i consider stripping the whole thing. Never fails edge chips that normally would be nick with chip out easily. It'll look wavy since you've sanded down some areas also I bet.

henrikse

Was wondering about it as paint was chipped all over the place in these areas and tough to feather smooth. My brother in law owns a shop and has been doing bodywork and paint for 40 years so was going to trailer it the 1500 miles and have him do it. It is wavy in these areas. I was going to get him to fix. He also told me he has experience with rear quarters on the vettes and they are hard to sand at bond joint.
Sounds like I am going to have to strip down to fiberglass but wonder if chemical strippers will weaken the 45 yr old body? Then when you get down to glass it has to be resealed. All the stress fractures need to be done.
I only want a driver that looks good and the odd show.
How do you count the paint? I see the gray at bottom which I took to be the fiberglass , then the black I thought was a sealer? This car was originally white so I see the white paint with a sealer under? Then I see the black, grey,yellow and green which must be some sealer, primer and paint. The rust color on top is metallic red faded bad which I bought it with?

Rodnok1

There's at least 10 different layers of paint on it, if it's chipping it'll need to come off anyways. Most attempt a razor blade paint removal first.

SB64

Looks like to me that you have enough layers there to use a heat gun and peel that sucker down to the glass or close to it. the coarse scuff pads and lacquer thinner will get you to the fiberglass. Oh yeah. don't be surprised at all you can find underneath while doing what ever method you choose.

RVZIO

DUB

I am glad that you have someone who can do this for you that 'has your back' and will do it correctly. AS for blocking the seams....I feel that they are not that big of a deal...but that is what I do so I am used to it...even when I grind them out and re-fill them with the VPA and make it so the seams do not come back up. No need in applying fiberglass mat and resin for this process. But if your brother-in-law has a method he prefers...then let him do it as he sees fit to do it due to he is the one doing the work and will take care of any problems that may arise.



Chemical stripper WILL NOT weaken the body If the person uses it know how to use it. I have been using chemical stripper for over 30+ years and not one problem has risen form using it. IF you plan on needing to use it.. PM me and I will give you my shop phone number and you can call me adn I can talk you through the process...which is not hard to do.

I counted every layer that was a color change and in doing so....I was counting all of the different colored layers of product that have been applied on the car. Many of these may be sealers or primers but they count as a layer.

Using the razor blade method will aid in getting a lot off but you must be careful so you do not slice into the body all over the place and make the job for your brother in law a nightmare. Do not try to get all the way down to bare body when using the razor blade or you will more than likely mess up.

When I have paint on a Corvette like this I will use the razor blade and get off what will come off easily then I switch to the chemical so I do not have a lot if nicks in the body. Sometimes I will use a heat gun and sometimes I don't. I always test an area to see how 'things' are going to work and then adjust my procedure from that point. I will start with the headlight bezels and see what happens due to they are small parts and if I screw one of them up it is no big deal to repair or replace it. And I assume that the headlight bezels were painted the same as the body which I can confirm with my sander to make sure it has as many layers on it as the rest of the body.

You have so much material on this car that some of it should come off with the razor blade due to the chemical stripper will not be able to be applied on the top surface that you have now and be able to soften and lift the paint all the way down to the bare body. There are way too many coats for it to pass through. This is why trying to get off as much as you can will make it so IF you go with chemical stripper..you have less layers to get off.

I am glad that some people commented and agree that you have too much material on this car and it is a problem just waiting to happen.

And for what it is worth: If you get his body stripped down to a bare body. I HOPE you plan on taking it in an enclosed trailer so it is not exposed to the environment. Hauling it on an open trailer for 1500 miles is also asking for potential problems due to anything that may spray or splatter on the raw body can cause for another issue for your brother in law to have to deal with. A raw bare body can soak up stuff that can cause for the amount of time it takes to fix it to be quite extensive. If you only have access to a trailer that will make the car be exposed...then I would possible look into the blue plastic bags that new boats have put on them when you see them going down the interstate and get one and get it to seal up the car really good for highway speeds. Because if rain, oil, diesel exhaust , coolant or whatever gets sprayed on the body when going down the road..I would bet you would see your brother in law darn near cry on the task at hand he has in front of him to fix that problem. THEN you would wish you could turn back time and buy a shrink wrap plastic cover for it that would seal it up or get an enclosed trailer. Do not use a car cover...they are useless on the highway....or give it a try and I hope it works for you.

DUB

henrikse

Thanks Dub.