Marco's door alignment guide

foxfire42

foxfire42

Well-known member
I've searched and read until my eyes are crossed and blurry and my brain scrambled. There is an abundance of info on body and door alignment but can Marco's roadster door alignment instructions be applicable to a non roadster body? It looks logical. My door problem is on a Deluxe Delivery. I only need 1/4 of an inch rise in the latch end of the drivers door but concerned that the small amount of rise on the A pillar might torque the top and I'll end up with a nightmare. It's like tossing a pebble into the lake and as it travels the waves widens.

Sadly we recently lost our "go to" guy unexpectedly so until another in the club steps up to help the membership I'll be relying on the Barn for help.
 
When you shim one place it effect’s every other places. If your hood gaps are even and your low at the latch, I would rise the B pillar and back. A 1/4 low in the aa pillar makes me wonder if your frame has sagged.

Have patients and have fun!
 
foxfire42 said:
I've searched and read until my eyes are crossed and blurry and my brain scrambled. There is an abundance of info on body and door alignment but can Marco's roadster door alignment instructions be applicable to a non roadster body? It looks logical. My door problem is on a Deluxe Delivery. I only need 1/4 of an inch rise in the latch end of the drivers door but concerned that the small amount of rise on the A pillar might torque the top and I'll end up with a nightmare. It's like tossing a pebble into the lake and as it travels the waves widens.

Sadly we recently lost our "go to" guy unexpectedly so until another in the club steps up to help the membership I'll be relying on the Barn for help.
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Hey Barb, ...are you certain you need to be shimming the cowl? My vote is you have a bent hinge on the Coupe Pillar (a/k/a Windshield or 'A' Pillar) Bend that to gain your movement. (-then repaint the hinge after the heat scorched the paint! :D)
 
First, check the alignment of the door to the cowl. If that gap is uneven bending the hinges is the usual fix.
Second, shim the body. As BigHammer noted everything relates to everything. You want to maintain or achieve hood to cowl and radiator fit. If shimming body bolts I would loosen ALL body to frame bolts so I do not cause un-necessary stress on any part of the body structure.
Third, if it looks like a frame sag consider if it is stable or if it is a body structure sag. If not stable then fix the root problem, otherwise you could consider shimming out of the problem.
 
Hey Barb !
Maybe check with Neil Wilson at www.aafords.com
I have gotten information from him on aligning the cab, doors, etc., on our '31 AA dump truck, that we're giving a complete once over. My father had the truck restored in 1969, and after 52 years, the paint on the sheet metal was finally showing it's age, so it's time to freshen up the whole truck.

Good Luck !!
 
The Les Andrews Greed book, p. 4-108 to 4-113 goes through the hood alignment process. Probably a good place to start.

Regards
Bill
 
I hope I am not interfering with the title of this thread but would like to ask a couple of questions concerning body alignment.

Subject of my post is a '30 DeLuxe Blindback that has a misaligned hood (too big of gap at the top) and misaligned front drivers door (drooped down at the door handle). Is it possible to align this car seeing it is one piece of wood front to back that holds body together unlike other styles with mount blocks that gives some flex?

AND if so, do I start with the hood, or the cowl?
 
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