49 ford door adjustment

B

beerslob

Member
is there any adjustment on a 49 ford 4 door ? i have a wide gap between the doors and the front doors stick out at the bottom and it looks like the strikers need to be moved in but they dont seem to have any adjustment . the car hasent been wrecked and doesent look to ever been apart
 
The adjustment technique for the trucks involves a 2x4 in various positions and pushing against the door. I would expect that the same approach would work for you.
 
Not sure if it's the same, but on my 51 tudor the strikers can be loosened and moved around a bit. Any other adjustments need to be done before paint and are pretty brutal, e.g., prying with a 2x4, reshaping the hinges with a large hammer of by slamming the doors with a shim between the two halves. I had to weld a rod on to the rear edge of the front fender to close up that gap, and slice/re-weld one of the quarter panels to open that one. I still get water into the cabin various places when I wash it. Good luck! Ken


50212091747_6517af460c_b.jpg0A123251-307B-42A6-BCB7-1AFA70AF1D46 by kenhenry_06268, on Flickr
 
These cars were notorious for poor panel fitment. The 49 latch is a one year only item that does not really have a straight forward adjustment procedure. As stated above you may need to use some 2x4s and pressure. I was once told to use 3/16 welding rod and a cutoff wheel to get the lines correct.
 
Ken,

So is there hope for the '50 I inherited? Restoration was done but the doors were not done correctly...btw your '51 is a great color!
 
Thanks, it's supposed to be Mexicali maroon, not the original color for this car but one of my favorite 51 colors. I'm not sure how much can be accomplished without marring the paint but it sounds like at least the strikers on the 50 should be adjustable. Ken
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top