Thread: Door gaps on the 55 wagon

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Tying up some loose ends, time to finish the door gaps. Pulled the door off again to fold the leading edge of the door skin. I had neglected it earlier as the fender was not installed. I prefer to compare between the two for better gaps.





As the gaps looked close, I used the existing fold and wrapped tight up to where the radius up top starts. The flange there is almost left straight, so it's hard to judge while on the car, as it hits the fender. I folded that one partially so it could be adjusted again, if need be.











Once installed again, with the upper flange not sticking straight forward and hitting the fender you can better judge the gap. Here I'll use a compass the add a parallel line on the front edge of the door. Keep in mind as you get higher on the door, keep the compass paralled with the side of the car, and not perpendicular to the fender edge, or the mark will get wider for an incorrect gap..








The compass mark will help to realign the fold for a more precise gap.. There was a widening at about the center of the radius, so some vice grips were used to "tweak" the flange around, until the compass mark is parallel to the new flange crease...











For the finished door gaps...








Now the typical tight area on these cars, the door to windshield post. These are too close at the top and will risk paint chips.





Time to use the compass again...








And a 4-1/2 sander trims it down to the line, also opening up the flange seam....





The seam is pinched together as it's welded...














The front and rear is sanded first to get rid of the bulk of the weld, then the edge is dressed up a bit..








Dressed, it will need one more weld bead down the edge and clean up again. Getting late this evening, so we'll save that for another day..

detail, detail, detail...................very nice!

if this helps someone? i done this many times over the years on many cars and trucks. i have fit the door frame with out the skin on till air gap is good then pull skin over the door frame .you can work the skin gap with a big flat spoon if not nail all the way down.you have to most of the time if to wide of a gap can be pick up by working abit more roll out of the door skin as it wraps the frame over the years i found this to be the case were a crisper pinch cleans up gap and fit . or like you did add or thin the gap by welding . before i cut the gap on the A piller i may cross pump the door jam with a port a power or make a pull on the cowl or both at the same time. were the top fender bolts are .many of the older cars the cowl bushing and in time on the road fold or a hit to the front and many times will not take much for them to ..Taco.. them in. so they come back many times .i just lift up the door s when on the car and open . to check cowl flex with front fenders off thats at times can be a shocker. a jack 2by4 under the door will flex it and pull door up to drop it down on upper hing for better gap long as your gap at the rocker is nice most of the time it.s a trade off to were to adjust your gap for the least work abit here and there deal at this time a check on front wind shield fit may not be a bad deal.as for using weld on door gaps. i found on some after market skins to just be to short like a 31 ford truck and 30 sedan were weld is the only way and make gaps you want or make a new skin. it s is a time eater were i work the skin till i get i to metal finsh. upper window frames/door window frames can be spung some times with a 2by4 some wood and very big C clamps used as a lever roll or un roll it some . i done it work s good. i did alot of skins over the years . i liked putting them on . last set i did was for a ford 31 truck were stock line s were way off from day one when all said and done there were over 30 hours a door in door air gaps .. it fun stuff

Yup,,getting door gaps correct is a lot of fun,,specially on a car thats been biffed around a bit over the last five decades or so..