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oldmanmark Samba Member
Joined: July 08, 2006 Posts: 842 Location: n.w. indiana,chicagoland
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 12:09 am Post subject: door alignment not quite right,whats the deal? |
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new channels,hinge posts,oversize pins,braced from the beginning with turnbuckles. only tack welded. i got it lined up ok,gaps are same alround but, at the top of the door where it starts to curve down the gap is noticably wider. what gives with just this area's gap being bigger and rest is ok? body sag? what to do to fix? |
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marklee Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2009 Posts: 821 Location: Flintshire, North Wales
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:16 am Post subject: |
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that area of a pillar and screen frame normally opens up when the car has been hit in the front........ _________________ CGLI qualified body repair and refinish tech
CGLI qualified motor repair tech
Qualified automotive Glass installer
Motor Insurance Repair and Research Centre,Thatcham, Advanced Vehicle Damage Estimator.
Police qualified vehicle examiner
Police Class 1 High performance, pursuit trained Advanced driver |
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beetlenut Samba Member
Joined: May 27, 2009 Posts: 2983 Location: RI
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 8:12 am Post subject: |
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Is the car off the jacks or supports? Drop it down on its wheels, and let the car settle back down. Installing new channels often has that effect. Also, you could jack an area of the car, to get that area you're talking about, to return to a better fit, and leave it there a few days to warp the body back into shape. The bodies are old and need massaging! |
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Teeroy Samba Member
Joined: April 20, 2003 Posts: 3685 Location: Eastern WA
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:00 am Post subject: door alignment not quite right,whats the deal? |
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And they were not perfect even when new. _________________ Pres. Rivercity VW Club www.rcvwclub.org
Founder Derr Wheat Panzers (DWP)
ARR #3
www.autosportsnorthwest.org |
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oldmanmark Samba Member
Joined: July 08, 2006 Posts: 842 Location: n.w. indiana,chicagoland
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:50 am Post subject: |
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so,this area is a 'pain n butt ' to get aligned ! to reduce the size of the gap i think ill take couple 2x4 on a jack placed under pan with the door curve over the boards sorta. couple pums on jack,see what happens. |
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marklee Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2009 Posts: 821 Location: Flintshire, North Wales
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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take a couple of lumps of 4x2 and place one against top hinge, the other on B pillar at same height.Using portapower or similar body jack push top hinge forward slightly, over jack gently, you may hear a crack as the body moves, dont worry, then release pressure on jack and try door for fit. Be gentle, dont go too far. This will pull the roof pillar down slightly and should pull the body back into line, but only do it with the body on the pan, as much trim and glass in as possible and with the car on its wheels, engine in etc as it would be on the road.Only adjust the doors to "clunk" shut with the seals on and the glass in with the windows closed. It makes the fine tuning of the final fit so much easier... _________________ CGLI qualified body repair and refinish tech
CGLI qualified motor repair tech
Qualified automotive Glass installer
Motor Insurance Repair and Research Centre,Thatcham, Advanced Vehicle Damage Estimator.
Police qualified vehicle examiner
Police Class 1 High performance, pursuit trained Advanced driver |
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oldmanmark Samba Member
Joined: July 08, 2006 Posts: 842 Location: n.w. indiana,chicagoland
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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if i got this right mpl2438 your basically spreading the door opening by blocking with a piece of 2x4 on top hinge of A pillar,straight across to B pillar and use a jack to spread? yes,that should lower the top a bit to get the gap smaller. is this what you mean? one door at a time?
or do you mean long 2x4's across both A pillars top hinge to top hinge,2x4 across B pillars same height with a jack or something that will push against the said 2x4's thus spreading both door openings same time and reduceing gap? one door at time sounds alot simpler. maybe i overthinks. |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32625 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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marklee Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2009 Posts: 821 Location: Flintshire, North Wales
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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Oldmanmark, you are right, push the top hinge first then the bottom if any further adjustment is needed, that will indeed bring the a post into line, use the timber as packing to prevent damage to the metal work etc
best regards, good luck,Mark _________________ CGLI qualified body repair and refinish tech
CGLI qualified motor repair tech
Qualified automotive Glass installer
Motor Insurance Repair and Research Centre,Thatcham, Advanced Vehicle Damage Estimator.
Police qualified vehicle examiner
Police Class 1 High performance, pursuit trained Advanced driver |
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oldmanmark Samba Member
Joined: July 08, 2006 Posts: 842 Location: n.w. indiana,chicagoland
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 1:08 am Post subject: |
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ok,thanks much. i being giveing it a shot this weekend mpl2438. |
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marklee Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2009 Posts: 821 Location: Flintshire, North Wales
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 7:00 am Post subject: |
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Go Gently...... _________________ CGLI qualified body repair and refinish tech
CGLI qualified motor repair tech
Qualified automotive Glass installer
Motor Insurance Repair and Research Centre,Thatcham, Advanced Vehicle Damage Estimator.
Police qualified vehicle examiner
Police Class 1 High performance, pursuit trained Advanced driver |
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oldmanmark Samba Member
Joined: July 08, 2006 Posts: 842 Location: n.w. indiana,chicagoland
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Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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djkeev frustrating? is there another way? i had to many family chores come at me this weekend,springtime stuff. couldnt find time. back at it next weekend. |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32625 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Mike Fisher Samba Member
Joined: January 30, 2006 Posts: 17970 Location: Eugene, OR
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Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 3:01 pm Post subject: Re: door alignment not quite right,whats the deal? |
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Teeroy wrote: |
And they were not perfect even when new. |
My squareback doors close Good, but the gaps Aren't that Good. _________________ https://imgur.com/user/FisherSquareback/posts
69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,70,71,71,71AT,72,72AT,73 Parts
two 57 oval ragtops sold
'68 Karmann Ghia sold
Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you end up with a lot of scum on the top! - Russ_Wolfe/Edward Abbey |
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oldmanmark Samba Member
Joined: July 08, 2006 Posts: 842 Location: n.w. indiana,chicagoland
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:01 am Post subject: |
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its just a matter of time until it will come together. paranoid obsessive compulsives do not know what frustration is,it doesnt exist. just a matter of time untill its fitting is completed. thats the way it is. its this way,not that way. there is no other way. |
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marklee Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2009 Posts: 821 Location: Flintshire, North Wales
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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oldmanmark, just remember these are are old cars and were never built to the same tolerance as new vehicles, in comparison to todays processes the air cooled volksies are almost hand finished...therefore to get better than factory without serious metalwork would be almost impossible.....
I remember working at a LandRover dealer in 1992 and seeing the first model Discoverys come in. The bonnet gaps were horrendous, less than 1/32 inch one side and almost 3/8 inch the other....... _________________ CGLI qualified body repair and refinish tech
CGLI qualified motor repair tech
Qualified automotive Glass installer
Motor Insurance Repair and Research Centre,Thatcham, Advanced Vehicle Damage Estimator.
Police qualified vehicle examiner
Police Class 1 High performance, pursuit trained Advanced driver |
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oldmanmark Samba Member
Joined: July 08, 2006 Posts: 842 Location: n.w. indiana,chicagoland
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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i fully understand what yur saying. lots of tryng this and that and reaching the point that this is all i can do.... get the gaps as even as can be and good weather seal. its a warped old car. ill let you know when it comes together. |
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