Factory door gaps

[corvette8n]

Before WWII how fussy was the factory about door, hood and trunk gaps.? My ‘41 has some uneven gaps but not knowing the history of the car it could have been messed with in the past.

 

[pistonbroke]

Excelent question. I've always wondered about that.

 

[Kube]

Before WWII how fussy was the factory about door, hood and trunk gaps.? My ‘41 has some uneven gaps but not knowing the history of the car it could have been messed with in the past.

1939 / 40... the factory door gaps were decent. The hood gaps in those years were often poor.
I have very little experience with 1941. The only two I had worked on had pretty nice gaps. Both were very unmolested, low mileage cars. Too small of a "test" sampling to derive any useful results.
By 1946, through 1948, door gaps were terrible more often than not.
I have restored those years and have found difference in the door openings from one side to the other at 1/2". Between cars over 1/2".
Those post war cars seemed to have been assembled as fast as possible with little care as to whether or not a fixture(s) may have been worn out.

 

[itslow]

Before WWII how fussy was the factory about door, hood and trunk gaps.?

Not fussy by modern interpretations of a good gap.