Hotchkis Front Control Arms

[esenior]

Frank, thanks for trying to understand my ramblings here and help out.

When the car was sent to them, the subframe wasn't aligned properly. They re-aligned the subframe (with the guide pins).



The suspension hasn't been dialed in yet (just bolted on) and there aren't any shims installed. I looked through old pictures and could only find one, but it looks like there were more shims on the front of the upper arm, which I'm guessing would cause positive camber. Also, the car does sit pretty high and doesn't currently have any weight in it. I've been using a plastic engine to test fit everything. (See pictures below)

Could the problem be that I just don't have my shims installed yet?

I would like to swap out the stamped arms for tubular, but am I just going to amplify the problem?

Biggest question is, since the car is in for paint, can I go ahead and paint and resolve this issue after the fact? or should I modify the corner of the fender for additional clearance?

Driver's side control arm before disassembly:


Current ride height with OUT an engine installed: