driver's door fitment issue

[ntstlgl1970]

I tried the seach feature but didn't see anyone else running into this
 so -
I've been working on the bodywork on my car for a while and thought I had the door alignment pretty much sorted out. The door edge matches the quarter pretty well and I thought I was close to being done with this part of the car when I noticed that the forward lower edge on the inside of the door is rubbing against the door opening down by where the kick panel wraps over the pinch weld (see last picture, rust areas are where it was rubbing).

crap

So since the rear of the door lines up with the quarter so well, I thought I would just loosen the door to hinge bolts and move the front edge of the door away from the car an even amount. Problem is that I don't have any adjustment left in the upper hinge to get the door to match the quarter panel. I drilled out the bolt holes in the hinge a tiny bit but there still isn't enough adjustment.

My other thought is maybe I could shim under the upper hinge to body area to space the hinge out farther, but I don't know if I am compensating for a bad door or if this is even a valid repair.

Any ideas?
I'd like to keep this door since it is the original to the car and has the vin sticker. I do have an extra driver's side door but that would be a last resort. I have about 14 hours into fitting this door and I would like to make it work
if possible.

[ntstlgl1970]

After talking to a buddy who helped me sort out some issues with the driver's quarter panel, I went ahead and shimmed the hinge out an 1/8". Seems like that took care of it.

[67Vette427]

cool...thanks for adding the fix !

[fishn4cuda]

Go ahead and shim it. The problem is in the pillar itself. Probably hit at some point. You'll need longer hinge bolts.

[ntstlgl1970]

After shimming and refitting the door, I think I am going to bite the bullet and just change the door since I have a spare. The gaps are good but the shape still doesn't closely match the body. Comparing the other door I have to this one I've been working on, the main body line area is about 1/4 inch low using a straightedge, the other door is nice and straight. Oh well, I'm better at mixing filler and applying it now...

[ntstlgl1970]

Should have swapped this door out weeks ago....fits way better than the original door. Didn't need the shim behind the upper hinge either.

[LAA66]

 Looking good.  :ylsuper:You are really into a project there.

 The top edge at the cowl seems to be a little higher then the fender. (Maybe just the camera angle) Mine is that way. What do you think to fix this? How does your hood line up with the fender on that same side?

[ntstlgl1970]

Looking good.  :ylsuper:You are really into a project there.

 The top edge at the cowl seems to be a little higher then the fender. (Maybe just the camera angle) Mine is that way. What do you think to fix this? How does your hood line up with the fender on that same side?

Talking with a friend of mine, I might try shimming the front of the fender and see what that does. Last resort would be welding some rod to the fender and reshaping it to make it "right". Since the other 3 body lines are very close, I wouldn't be surprised if this is what I had to do.

As far as the hood goes, I have an AAR hood from year one, the trailing edge doesn't line up with anything right.

[LAA66]

 That's what I thought to be the only solution for mine also. Next paint job though.

[ambitions2]

Wow I know I am late to the party, but that door fits really good,

14 hours?  My father and I had around 22 in both so we were a little less, but I was the guinny pig that had to hold the door and god damn my arms were dead. 

[ntstlgl1970]

I tried to be conservative on the time I spent fitting the original (a friend asked me to estimate "billable hours" if I was at a body shop) let's just say I spent the better part of 2 months on it......here is where it's at now....

I also did some hammer/dolly work on the fender after comparing its shape to the passenger fender. I worked on the area just forward of the windshield opening, it is much closer now....