Midyear coupe doors help.

claysmoker · 11-14-2009, 01:40 PM

I also posted this in the C1/C2 section.

OK, the paint shop has the car primed and they are doing the little bits of body work that I didn't do. They are fitting the doors and I need some help. The body is on a dolly, not the chassis.

The passenger door fit is great, gap is good all the way around, but there is a 1/4" drop off at the top of the rear quarter where it meets the rear of the door. The quarter is original, un-repaired, as is the door. Do we fill to match, or does anyone have another thought?

Driver door gap is perfect from the bottom of the windows around the top, but the door front edge gap from the windows down is tight and the rear is wide. If we move the whole door to the rear, then the top gap gets fouled up.

Let me know what you all think, since fixing at this point is easy.

Thank You!

zwede · 11-14-2009, 03:44 PM

Sounds like you need to shim the body mounts? First step would be to carefully measure the body to make sure it is square on the dolly, then play with shims and see if you can correct the gaps. It's really best to do this with the body on the frame, though. You can always lift it off again for paint.

0grandmastercorvette · 11-14-2009, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zwede

It's really best to do this with the body on the frame, though. You can always lift it off again for paint.

. Preforming panel alignment when teh body is off...can POSSIBLY cause issues when trying to re-install these parts...after the body has been shimmed. Especially if you are trying to achieve GREAT lines and panel alignments.

Also I have found on many occasions that the aluminum rivets that are used to secure the metal reinforcement/hinge mounting plate to the inside of the door are often times loose and worn. This causes the door itself to have free-play in it eventhough the hinges are securely bolted to this mounting plate/reinforcement. I have to often remove and re-install these rivets....which are located at the front flat vertical area of the door where the hinges go into the door assembly....and would often times be painted body color. Not so much the ones that are located behind the interior door panel

"DUB"