Rick, You are right. Hinges first. Crack the door open and try to lift the back of the door up and down to check for worn hinges. Fix as needed. As fas as door adjustments it is easier with the fenders off, but there is a tool made to access the hinge bolts. Older body shops usually have one. You might be better off the find a shop that can do this for you. Two or three shims at the fender brace are normal but may not be needed in your case. Get the door right before moving forward to the fender. Mike ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Schaefer To: The Chevelle Mailing List Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:16 PM Subject: Re: [Chevelle-list] Fender-Door Gap Adjustment
Took a good look at all that you have mentioned. Problems everywhere! The door to rocker gaps are incorrect. Both sides are tilted slightly back towards the rear. The drivers side core support bushing looks like it has an extra washer or 2 under it - compared to passenger side. The drivers fender bolt at the hood hinge has 2 shims and the passenger side looks like it has 2 plus a thinner shim. From Mikes answer I'd guess that the first order of business is to square the doors. Is there a way to be certain that the problem is not sloppy hinges? The painter rebuilt one side & replaced the other when it was painted but its been a while. Also it looks like it would be a bunch easier to remove the fenders to make the hinge adjustments. True? Thats enough questions for tonite, anymore & I'll get confused/more confused. Thanx. On 8/14/07, Dave Benjamin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I have had to Space up the rad support before. Not sure if it was a body, rad mount problem or if the car got bent? Dave Ingersoll,Ontario My Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/benj30/ ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Schaefer To: chevelle-list@chevelles.net Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 2:37 PM Subject: [Chevelle-list] Fender-Door Gap Adjustment I'm finally getting round to try to even out the door to fender gap on my 72 elky. Both sides are equally bad, a good gap at the bottom & then widen out significantly at the top. I believe that the doors are hung straight because the door to rear quarter panels have an even gap. Pictures are at link below. http://www.flickr.com/photos/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/sets/72157601417827062/ It appears to me that the same adjustment is out of whack on both sides, but which one? I've never messed with the panels so want to get some advice before I loosen the fenders. Is it possible that frame sag is pulling the front of both fenders in? The body & core support bushings were replaced with poly about 10 years ago. Honestly I don't remember if I had the problem before it was painted (years ago also). Painter did take the fenders & doors offback then. thank you. -- Rick Schaefer 72 TPI El Camino -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.17/951 - Release Date: 8/13/2007 10:15 AM -- Rick Schaefer 72 TPI El Camino ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.19/953 - Release Date: 8/14/2007 5:19 PM