questions about body work

[Roger Poirier]

I have a problem with the bottom of my doors. The bottom of the passenger door line that sits above the bottom door sill area has too much space towards the front of the door. Lets say its up from 1/8" to 1/4" and in length of 2" compared to the other end of the bottom of the door.

The drivers door is just the opposite. The bottom of the door line is 1/8 to 1/4 short and 2" in length at the back of the door.

The body man states the best way to correct this is to build up the bottom of the sill to square the door. He claims if he adds metal do the door it will create headaches with the door warping. In other words it can be done, just more work. Easier and best fix is to fill bottom of door jam to square up door.

I'm a crazy or is this pure bull****? Your thoughts?
Please help.

R.P.

P.S. Sorry no details pics available at this time.

[astroracer]

Have the doors been replaced? Re-skinned? Has the rocker been replaced? Any of these will cause the problems you have if care wasn't taken to properly align the panels during reassembly. Especially if the door was re-skinned off the car.
The proper way to fix the problem is to re-skin the door and align the panel with the door hung on the car and adjusted before any welding is done.
Mark

[Roger Poirier]

Have the doors been replaced? Re-skinned? Has the rocker been replaced? Any of these will cause the problems you have if care wasn't taken to properly align the panels during reassembly. Especially if the door was re-skinned off the car.
The proper way to fix the problem is to re-skin the door and align the panel with the door hung on the car and adjusted before any welding is done.
Mark

Original doors, NOS skins installed many years ago. Rocker panel is also original and has not been worked on. The sides of each door matchs perfectly to the back of fender and start of quarter panel. The only issue is on the bottom of the doors. So rewelding the door skin is out. It creates too many other problems. Remember these cars never fit that well to begin with.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

R.P.

[68protouring454]

1/8th is acceptable thickness for bodywork, but there are minimal issues welding the edge up, far less than doing a 80% 1/4 panel or anything out in the middle of a panel, the edge is hard to warp withthe wrap around of the skin. now yeah a moron could mess it up, BUT any good bodyman can easily build the edge with just weld or sheetmetal and weld.
goodluck i may look for another body guy, sounds like he is a filler type of guy not a metal worker
jake

[Travis B]

I dont think I would want an 1/8 of filler hangine of the bottom of my door, bump it and it might break off! it needs to be done with metal

[68protouring454]

i agree 110% but an 1/8th is acceptable for use in straightening dents etc, BUT ON A resto there is no need to do that, this guy loves to hide **** under bodywork by the fact he wants to fill top of rocker
jake

[Travis B]

i agree 110% but an 1/8th is acceptable for use in straightening dents etc, BUT ON A resto there is no need to do that, this guy loves to hide **** under bodywork by the fact he wants to fill top of rocker
jake


If it was on a flat panel thats fine to fill a dent or imperfection hell even a 1/4 or 3/16 would be ok! But hanging off the bottom of the door or filling the rocker, I don't think so not on my car!

[Roger Poirier]

Metal it is guys. I went to the body shop this morning. Filling that space up on the doors with adding bondo to the sill is pure B.S. Do it right or not at all.

Their excuse is all in the name of time.

Thanks guys, R.P.

[ProdigyCustoms]

We would bead weld the rocker edge before the door edge as the rocker will not warp. The door edge could be tig welded and ground, just did alomst evey panel on the 55 we are finishing, but damn what a pain in the ass.