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Wed Nov 26, 2014 12:33 pm

beetlenut wrote: I'm not overthinking, just trying to understand. There is a difference. The passenger door front is hard up against the A-pillar, while the rear has about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch gap with the B-pillar. I'm willing to concede that the body being off the car is a big part of that. I'm just trying to get a feel for how much that procedure will move the door if I still have a sizeable gap once the body is back on, and the car has a chance to settle. Besides on the days I can't work on it, what else VW related do I have to do? :wink:

Ignore all door gaps until the body is bolted on the pan and the car is almost built up with seats,tank, glass and running gear in. Then and only then play with the door gaps as to do anything else is a waste of time. The Beetle body is quite flexible...

Wed Nov 26, 2014 8:19 pm

I have a car with the exact problem. Previously someone backed up with the door open and the door stopped it The damage seems to be limited to the door it's self (you can see where the door is pushed in towards the hinges) and not the pillar but I have not remedied it yet so the issue could also include the pillar. I don't see how abusing the pillar would correct it. The heater channel would have to be bent along with where the pillar mounts at the top.

Thu Nov 27, 2014 12:00 pm

The hotvw article:

http://www.hotvws.com/content.php?contentID=73

Mon Jan 05, 2015 12:11 pm

The shop rag idea follows along with the Bentley manual for hinge adjustments. The door gap at the B pillar should be 4mm evenly top to bottom. They say to install a a hard wood wedge or shim in between the upper hinge and shut the door firmly. Then using a 2x4 lightly hit the lower hinge. This bends the upper hinge back into place.

Mon Jan 05, 2015 2:14 pm

I used some cardboard from an old box. I folded-over several layers until I got the right thickness. While the body was still on the saw horses, with the "B" pillar directly on top of the front saw horse, I could see the bottom hinge was pushed forward, into the door jam. I was able to pull it back out before I painted that section. The door has a uniform gap between the B-pillar now. Once I put it back on the pan, I'll use that Hot VW article to get the final gaps. It really is surprising how much you can move things around to get the right gaps with just a little cardboard and bolting and unbolting different body-to-pan bolts.

Mon Jan 05, 2015 8:20 pm

I'm glad you're getting it, but really, the cardboard is the wrong material for the job. It's going to compress and degrade over time, and it can hold moisture in the joint. Cut some shims out of different thickness steel sheet, and when you know what works, slip it in with a little seam sealer. Paint them too. If you were close, I'd shear off a bunch of pieces for you to try, 16-18-20-22g, some combination of those will do it.

Mon Jan 05, 2015 9:23 pm

I make and use these for body restorations:

https://www.facebook.com/GTBeetles/photos/a.737148...mp;theater

you can also 'jack-up' the front of a beam car with washers on the two upper beam mounts.

This will help tweak door gaps

Only do this with the BODY TORQUED TO CHASSIS AND ON ITS WHEELS

Mon Jan 05, 2015 9:32 pm

He's not using cardboard as shim material. The gap at the B pillar is caused by bent hinges. The door flies open and the check Rod can't stop the hinges from bending forward towards the front of the car. It's simple leverage at work. The cardboard is folded over into several layers (Bentley recommends hard wood wedges). Open the door, insert the cardboard between the hinge halves and then shut the door firmly. This will result in the door hinge bending back in the proper direction. You'll find this procedure in the Bentley manual around door replacement. In the 1200 manual it is on page 8c of section A16

Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:25 am

flyboy161 wrote: He's not using cardboard as shim material...

Exactly, I just used the cardboard to pull the metal that the hinge attached to, back into place. Obviously I wasn't too clear in my description. I do plan on making some metal shims once I get the body bolted back on the car if the gaps are still off.

Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:01 pm

Do let us know how the gap is once you get it bolted back on the pan.

Tue Jan 11, 2022 10:17 pm

I know this is an old post, but I’m trying to get my door to line up. I am not understanding where to put the towel/shim/shop rag. Which metal is it pulling back into shape? Does anyone have a photo of what/where?

That hotvw article is link it no longer valid.

Wed Jan 12, 2022 7:55 am

where does the door hit when you close it?

Wed Jan 12, 2022 8:09 am

The bottom of the door hits the car (heater channel?) near the back of the door (closest to the latch, away from the hinges). It does not hit the B-pillar.

Wed Jan 12, 2022 9:18 am

Texasdoc wrote: The bottom of the door hits the car (heater channel?) near the back of the door (closest to the latch, away from the hinges). It does not hit the B-pillar.

If the door does not hit the B pillar but hits the heater channel, the channel is set too high into the body. What is your measurement from the top of the channel to the inside top of the B pillar roof junction point?

My 54 build thread has some info on manipulating a door opening. The car started to buckle on me after it was lifted off the pan, due to a rusted out heater channel. It is a few pages in, but may be insightful. I had to weld in adjustable braces to push and pull the door openings back into the factory measurements.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=722610

Wed Jan 12, 2022 10:26 am

Sorry about hijacking this thread.... but ive got a similar issue.

My '65 has what i think is an odd kinda gap problem.

At the base(window down), the gaps line up perfectly. However, towards the top, it sits closer towards the shell. As if its pulled super tight.

How do i fix this?

thanks

Wed Jan 12, 2022 10:46 am

Chickensoup wrote: Sorry about hijacking this thread.... but ive got a similar issue.

My '65 has what i think is an odd kinda gap problem.

At the base(window down), the gaps line up perfectly. However, towards the top, it sits closer towards the shell. As if its pulled super tight.

How do i fix this?

Your door might be twisted. It's possible somebody pulled the top right corner at one point and then they just moved the top hinge to align the bottom half of the door.

I'd probably just close the door and see if I could pull out that top corner to create some gap. They're pretty flexible when you get pulling on them.

Wed Jan 12, 2022 11:05 am

VW_Jimbo wrote: Texasdoc wrote: The bottom of the door hits the car (heater channel?) near the back of the door (closest to the latch, away from the hinges). It does not hit the B-pillar.

If the door does not hit the B pillar but hits the heater channel, the channel is set too high into the body. What is your measurement from the top of the channel to the inside top of the B pillar roof junction point?

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=722610

I’ll have to measure when I get home. The door fit fine. I took the door off when it went to paint, now the door doesn’t fit. The body never came off the frame.

Thu Jan 13, 2022 5:26 pm

If you’ve ever dissected a door you’ll realise that hinges do not bend but rather the thin metal reinforcement that the hinges attach to. It’s only thin steel that is rivetted to the doo hinge. Very flimsy.

Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:09 pm

Chickensoup wrote: Sorry about hijacking this thread.... but ive got a similar issue.

My '65 has what i think is an odd kinda gap problem.

At the base(window down), the gaps line up perfectly. However, towards the top, it sits closer towards the shell. As if its pulled super tight.

How do i fix this?

thanks

Someone installed the heater channel too low on one side and too high on the other. Or, what is really happening, someone did not measure.

Get a tape measure and see what the numbers are.? Then post them back up. Betting the A pillar is too low or the B pillar is too high.

Fri Jan 14, 2022 5:34 am

Hi there, I hacvent done my channels yet. They are original. The drivers side is rust free.