HELP!!! Hanging First Gen Camaro Doors and Fenders

[Appling Prostreet]

I bought my 67 Camaro already disassembled with many parts missing(Body shims brackets etc.....) Are there any tips or tricks known to help a rookie hang the doors and fenders. I've youtube'd it and came up with one guy that utilized paint sticks for gaps before tightening the door hinge bolts. Any other tips or tricks besides that to make the process easier? I have to assemble car for painter then disassemble again for him to paint to make sure all parts line up. I plan to use clecos once I get it perfectly assembled.

Thanks in advance

[joeko23]

I hung adjusted all the stuff myself alone. Start with the doors. Us the paint sticks to set the gaps. Get the doors on the stricker latched. Put paint sticks along the rocker and rear quarter to set all gaps. Once you have the doors set to rear quarters and rockers then put your core support and hang fenders. Make sure you attach inner wheel well to the fender. Then hang as one assembly. Again use the paint sticks to set gaps between door and fender. Once you get fenders on then you can put hood on and adjust those gaps.

[badazz81z28]

I don't see paint sticks will help much unless its just to keep the metal from hitting each other. These cars from the factory did not have perfect 3/16" gaps and it will be tight and bigger than 3/16" along the whole edge. I agree get the door on first and align the rear of the door fore and aft to the 1/4 panel. Make sure the smallest gap is no smaller than 3/16". Then align the angle of the door then you can move on to the fenders. Same thing....push it back until the tightest gap is no smaller than 3/16". Don't be surprised to see gaps as much as 3/8" wide...

[dhutton]

Some specs here

Don

[79 Camaro]

I haven't used paint sticks for alignment. Start with the doors. The front lower edge of the door should be about even with the front edge of the lower rocker panel. Then check the door quarter panel gap. Adjust as needed. You may need to move the door back to make the quarter panel back better. If the doors are empty they will sag a bit when you add glass and door panels.
Keep in mind all gaps will be reduced once filler, primer and then paint is applied.
When you do the front fenders the fender to door gap is important and matching the door to fender body lines. You may need to "massage" the fire wall fender mount to get the body lines to line up.
You are doing the right thing. Pre-assembly and then paint.

[Appling Prostreet]

Some specs here

Don

Thanks very much Don.

I have this info from my assembly manual I was just curious if there was any new tricks to help make the job easier.

[Appling Prostreet]

Thanks for all the info and tips.

Is there any markings or part numbers stamped to verify weather or not my front fenders are factory GM or not.

Also have any of you tried the method of assembling the complete front end on the ground then lifting it on to the car. I ran across an old article that showed this being done in one of the factories.

Thanks again for all the help and responses

Appling

[Perry M]

Do you guys feel that the inner fender wells need to be installed onto the fenders prior to test fitting the fitment and gaps? I will be hanging the fenders, cowls, lower valance and hood on my 67 Camaro this weekend. The doors are already installed. I was not intending to do so but then a previous post by joeko23 suggested I do.

[dhutton]

Do you guys feel that the inner fender wells need to be installed onto the fenders prior to test fitting the fitment and gaps? I will be hanging the fenders, cowls, lower valance and hood on my 67 Camaro this weekend. The doors are already installed. I was not intending to do so but then a previous post by joeko23 suggested I do.

Yes imho.

Don

[Sinnister69]

Yes you will find that the gaps drastically change between having inners installed or not

As for tricks aligning panels?

Tony from musclecar metal gave me a spare set of door hangers that lay on the rocker.
You basically lay the door on them and it automatically sets the door to rocker gap.
From there you slide the door front to back to get the door to quarter gap.
Then all you do is bolt the hinges to the body then open the door slightly and take the metal hangers out.

I will take a pic of them later

[Appling Prostreet]

Yes you will find that the gaps drastically change between having inners installed or not

As for tricks aligning panels?

Tony from musclecar metal gave me a spare set of door hangers that lay on the rocker.
You basically lay the door on them and it automatically sets the door to rocker gap.
From there you slide the door front to back to get the door to quarter gap.
Then all you do is bolt the hinges to the body then open the door slightly and take the metal hangers out.

I will take a pic of them later

I would love to have a pic of those or a number where I could buy them. They sound pretty simple the more I think about it. All I would need was the thickness and I could make my own. If you could share that in and a pic it would be much appreciated. These would definitely take out any guess work and you could go ahead and tighten your hinge bolts. Correct?

[Sinnister69]

Yes just tighten the hinges

You cant buy them. They were made

Sorry i have been busy didnt take a pic but they are made from 1/8”x1” flat stock bent in a way that it cradles the door and clamps to the inner pinch weld

[Appling Prostreet]

Yes just tighten the hinges

You cant buy them. They were made

Sorry i have been busy didnt take a pic but they are made from 1/8”x1” flat stock bent in a way that it cradles the door and clamps to the inner pinch weld

so if I just get 1/8 flat bar and tape to rocker would it get me close or is it a must that it cradles the door? A pic would be much appreciated. I’m trying to wrap my head around this

thanks Appling

[Sinnister69]

so if I just get 1/8 flat bar and tape to rocker would it get me close or is it a must that it cradles the door? A pic would be much appreciated. I’m trying to wrap my head around this

thanks Appling

Well no lol you have to form it to the contour of the rocker. I will get a pic tonite after work sorry for the delay

[Appling Prostreet]

After a little closer inspection, I now see why just flat bar wouldn't help much. the actual lower part of the rocker is on an angle then goes up vertical where it radiuses over back to the horizontal plane. Pic or a drawing of those you used would still be of big help. There is no rush on this as I have plenty of other work I can be doing. I just have to make sure these body pieces will line up perfect before I go to paint and I don't want to give the painter an excuse to put me off.

Thanks Again
Appling

[Sinnister69]

The hangers are buried in some boxes havnt found them but i did search and found a few pics

[Appling Prostreet]

OK.... Gotcha now.

Looks like they would be pretty easy to make but I'd be willing to buy those off ya if you can find them. Or does the guy you got them from offer them for sale. Also do you have to have the rubber trim/seal around the doors for these to work. I've bought brand new door seals and don't want to put them on and then have to remove for paint.

Thanks and lemme know.

Appling

[Sinnister69]

No sorry i still use them lol

Dont need the seals

They are easy to make just bend the bar to the contour of the rocker the part before it hooks up to cradle the door is doubled 1/8” steel

You can either bend to contour or cut and weld each piece.

[joeko23]

Or, use paint sticks. They are 1/8” thick (if you want bigger gap add 1/16” shim) long but not wide. Tape 2 of them on the rocker (like in pic) hand the door on the striker and latch it shut so it doesn’t fall, then screw in the hinges and adjust door to rear quarter gap. Your rocker gap is already set, just may need to to push the door in or out to align with rocker. Then put your fender on and set those gaps.

[Sinnister69]

Or, use paint sticks. They are 1/8” thick (if you want bigger gap add 1/16” shim) long but not wide. Tape 2 of them on the rocker (like in pic) hand the door on the striker and latch it shut so it doesn’t fall, then screw in the hinges and adjust door to rear quarter gap. Your rocker gap is already set, just may need to to push the door in or out to align with rocker. Then put your fender on and set those gaps.

Paint sticks there wont work. Ive tried lol. And i dont need striker. I can lay door on my hangers and walk away without bolting anything up. If you put door on latch then u gotta take time to put latch in correct spot befor putting door up. To me thats wasted time