how to adjust door gaps

[barryv]

hi my 72 cuda needed new door hinges.the door gap near the quarter panel seems to wide. what is the best way to close up the gap between door and quarter panel when i replace hinges thanks

[Topcat]

Get your door set first.

This was sent to me 3 or 4 years ago by a member here.
so you want to open the door so you can move the fender forward?IT would help a lot if you told me which panel was sticking out further or are they butted up together,anyway the way to do it is first of all... see if you can force a cloth down into the gap and put a cloth in the gap to the bumper!,,,,slacken all the bolts off except the top rear fender bolt and one of the fender sill-bolts,[remove the bolts to the front panel except the top ones nearest the hood]get someone to hold the fender near the headlight [any sideways outward movement here will cause the fender to hit the door!] and get someone else to hold onto the lower rear part of the wheel arch and pull the fender forwards slightly [not too hard!] then slowly undo the last sill bolt.As soon as the bottom of the fender moves stop pulling.you dont want the bottom to move too much without the top being loose! if you get a bit of a gap try to get a cloth into it then nip the bolt up very slowly while watching the gap...undo the top bolt while someone else pulls the top forward. again put lots of cloth into the gap and nip up the bolt...GET A BIG GAP!.Then you should be able to open the door.Get someone to open the door REALLY SLOWLY while YOU watch the gap all the way down but especially at the top. get rid of the cloth and run masking tape all down the gap both on the fender and door.you will have to loosen all the bolts off quite a lot to get the fender to move. when your ready to get your gap to the door make sure all the fender bolts are loose and then with someone holding the front,someone else holding the rear and watching the gap close the door.Stand side on to the car and slap the top part of the fender with the palms of your hands forward a few times away from the door this gives you a good idea on how far the fender will move each time you hit it.The panel should only move a small amount each time when you do it this way.When you think youve got your gap.open the door even slower than before ,IMPORTANT: when you think your there OPEN the door and do up the rear fender bolts first! Make sure the hood lines up nice then close the door SLOWLY again because the fender may have moved when you done the bolts up.thats pretty much it. please im not trying to sound off like i know better,but i would strongly advise on not moving the door,any hinge undone on the door will cause the bottom of the door to move forwards and hit the fender and e-body doors are very heavy! and if your new to bodywork lining up doors is one of the hardest things to do..
good luck!

[barryv]

i am trying to get the door gap closer were it meets the rear quarter panel,then i will tackle the fender fit,thanks

[dutch]

I wouldn`t get closer than a 1/4"   

[mopar12372]

to get this 1/4 gap use a paint stir stick . (wood)

[barryv]

are the adjustments made were the door hinge bolts to the door ,tanks

[femtnmax]

are the adjustments made were the door hinge bolts to the door ,tanks

The way I was told is to fit the door to rear quarter (as you mentioned) AND to the kick panel below the door, then fit fenders with hood in place.
I had to adjust the hinge to door and hinge to body, in small increments, one adjustment at a time.  Then when fitting the front fender I had to readjust the hinge to door to move fwd end of door in/out slightly for best overall fit.  Some of the final gaps may have some compromise here and there, where parts of gaps are perfect, and other parts a compromise.

[72rtchallenger]

The way I was told is to fit the door to rear quarter (as you mentioned) AND to the kick panel below the door, then fit fenders with hood in place.
I had to adjust the hinge to door and hinge to body, in small increments, one adjustment at a time.  Then when fitting the front fender I had to readjust the hinge to door to move fwd end of door in/out slightly for best overall fit.  Some of the final gaps may have some compromise here and there, where parts of gaps are perfect, and other parts a compromise.

and it is done as explained in small steps to get the final fit

[Topcat]

The way I was told is to fit the door to rear quarter (as you mentioned) AND to the kick panel below the door, then fit fenders with hood in place.
I had to adjust the hinge to door and hinge to body, in small increments, one adjustment at a time.  Then when fitting the front fender I had to readjust the hinge to door to move fwd end of door in/out slightly for best overall fit.  Some of the final gaps may have some compromise here and there, where parts of gaps are perfect, and other parts a compromise.

Thats true.

My P/S gaps look great whereas my D/S still needs more massaging to get the gaps closer. Modern cars I bet are alot easier then these E bodies are. Helps if you have somebody too.