TR2/3/3A Theoretical door gap question

[bnw]

If I remove .0625 (1/16 inch) from the door side of both hinges, will I increase the door gap at the B pillar by 1/16" and decrease the door gap at the front wing by 1/16"? Also, what will happen at the gap to the scuttle?

 

[Brinkerhoff]

Yes, but be carefull you have enough gap at the front edge so the door won't hit the fender when it pivots in.

 

[TFB]

Yes, but be carefull you have enough gap at the front edge so the door won't hit the fender when it pivots in.

I bent my hinges.If you hold a hinge so the plates are parallel ,door closed,you can take a measurement.Close the distance by putting the hinge plate with ears in a vice and adjust with a hammer while checking the distance.I have late style steel hinges,not sure if earlier are brass and this method may not work.If your doors don't look right while positioning without the hinges no adjustments will improve fit.
Tom

 

[CJD]

If I remove .0625 (1/16 inch) from the door side of both hinges, will I increase the door gap at the B pillar by 1/16" and decrease the door gap at the front wing by 1/16"? Also, what will happen at the gap to the scuttle?

Yes to the rear gap. Gap at the front wing will increase by the same 1/16". The scuttle gap will increase variably less than 1/16"...more at the front than at the rear, where the angle is more horizontal. The scuttle gap can then be evened by lowering the door a bit.

X2 on bending the hinges rather than grinding them.

 

[TR3driver]

Good grief. 1/16" ?? These cars were never built to those standards originally!

You can easily get more adjustment than that, just by sticking a 2x4 in the jamb and prying on the almost-closed door. With the early hinges, I'd guess it's the surface of the A-post and the leading edge of the door that deforms, but it doesn't really matter. Just don't go too far.

 

[bnw]

X2 on bending the hinges rather than grinding them.[/QUOT

I would have a local machine shop remove the 1/16 with a milling machine. My thought is that if I screw this up, I can always add shims to build it back up. Randalls 2x4 might be worth a shot first.

 

[bnw]

Yes, but be carefull you have enough gap at the front edge so the door won't hit the fender when it pivots in.

I'm thinking I can do some grinding on the leading door edge and the trailing wing edge. I'm way to tight at the B pillar with no other way to open it up. I ground the trailing edge of the door more than I should have and had to braise it back together again.

 

[sp53]

I would grind the hinges. The cars I have taken apart did not have paint behind the hinge, only primmer. The paint kinda builds up and the door opening can get even tighter. Plus depending on the cars history you do not know how much the door hole has been moved inward.

 

[CJD]

Grinding the hinge is really the hard way to open up that gap. With a large hammer and a 2 X 4 you can smack the A post forward more than 1/16" without even putting any muscle into it. I went to the Flint Michigan assembly plant to watch them assemble Mustangs in the '70's. The final stage before paint was this big UAW dude with a 10 lb hammer who went around smacking every panel that was off. So, don't think the hammer technique is not how they did it originally at the factory.


If you already went through the skin at the rear door crimp, you already have to weld that edge back anyway...so you might as well keep grinding! Take off 1/16" more than you need, and that will give you room for your MIG bead to reattach the skin to the door frame. I am assuming you have the earlier brass hinges when you talk of milling. They are not the strongest items to begin with. I just think you are setting yourself up for "unforseen consequences" if you start milling on them...

But, I could be wrong...again!?!

 

[bnw]

If you already went through the skin at the rear door crimp, you already have to weld that edge back anyway...so you might as well keep grinding! Take off 1/16" more than you need, and that will give you room for your MIG bead to reattach the skin to the door frame. I am assuming you have the earlier brass hinges when you talk of milling. They are not the strongest items to begin with. I just think you are setting yourself up for "unforseen consequences" if you start milling on them...

Good call John. I just returned from my garage and read your post. I did exactly what you suggested. I ground deeper into the door edge and went for the MIG. My biggest problem with the MIG is getting it set right, but this time, I hit it right on the mark. Feed at 20, power at 30 (Hobart 140). It was just right. I ground it back down again, put a straight edge on it and used various methods of squaring it and now I have my 1/8 gap at the "B". This after Randall's 2X4 to close up the "A". I'm a very close 1/8 all the way around. It's not perfect, but neither am I. Something to work with. Tomorrow it's the new Chinese Latch and Striker. Any tips here?

 

[CJD]

Excellent...solving all the little issues is the fun part of restoring these old cars. There are so many ways to accomplish the same thing.

 

[sp53]

Thanks for the Mustang story John; it really puts things in perspective. I worked 30 years as a carpenter and that is what I would have done with the hammer. On this new project, I want to try the body work myself and your posts are always helpful. When I envisioned bnw’s door problem I saw the car painted and back from the shop with the door opening too small. The door opening being too small happened to me when I restored my 61. I would go back to the body shop and tell my buddy the doors do not fit, and he would say I needed to add shims and lower the back mounting with less shims, but the door still would not fit. I was going to shave the hinges, but he said no. I finally took the car out and he fixed it and said yea I had to play with the hinges. Not sure what he did, but now I see he probably smacked the door jam.

 

[HealeyRick]

Good grief. 1/16" ?? These cars were never built to those standards originally!

You can easily get more adjustment than that, just by sticking a 2x4 in the jamb and prying on the almost-closed door. With the early hinges, I'd guess it's the surface of the A-post and the leading edge of the door that deforms, but it doesn't really matter. Just don't go too far.

If it was good enough for Trabant .... (btw, I just love this video):

 

[bnw]

Why does it take me 4 days to do what they've done in 4 minutes?