pensylvania bondo bucket

[terribleted]

Some careful grinding and it will be ready to prime!!

[mart]

Progress halted yet again, going into hospital for eye surgery today, no dirty / dusty conditions allowed for a while. Both eyes need doing, but not at the same time,

[UGLYTRUK]

Good luck in the operating room... Don't tell Dr too many Corvair storys, he'll think you're a wack job

[mart]

having spent the last couple of months sorting the doors and door posts out, I am now trying to get the door gaps even etc. I am very concerned, that despite my efforts to put the strength back into the body, I have a variation in the top edge of the door gap of about 1mm...maybe 2mm depending on where the car is jacked up from. supported On the stands , just in front of the rear suspension mounts , the gap is larger at the top. When I placed a jack, temporarily, under the rear motor mount, the gap closed slightly....is this normal. As my work here is well documented, I cant see how I have missed anything, although I have not cut open the rockers to see if there is a problem inside. Have you come across this Ted?

[UGLYTRUK]

yikes!!!!

[azdave]

I don't find that so alarming on many vehicles, not just old Corvairs. 1-2 mm is not much movement IMHO.

When I have any of my LM coupes up on the lift or on jack stands the doors sometimes open and close slightly different than when down on the ground on all four tires. I can feel the door strike and latch are lining up slightly off. I know the cause is slight body flex from being supported by the stands or lift and that doesn't worry me at all unless it stays that way or is so bad that the door won't open or close.

[UGLYTRUK]

Can you make a video? Or clear pix?

[mart]

I don't find that so alarming on many vehicles, not just old Corvairs. 1-2 mm is not much movement IMHO.

When I have any of my LM coupes up on the lift or on jack stands the doors sometimes open and close slightly different than when down on the ground on all four tires. I can feel the door strike and latch are lining up slightly off. I know the cause is slight body flex from being supported by the stands or lift and that doesn't worry me at all unless it stays that way or is so bad that the door won't open or close.

I was hoping this is the case, with the car supported on the stands just in front of the suspension mounts, the stands are not far from the rear edge of the door, which means, with the engine and trans in place there is a lot of weight beyond the pivot point, with no interior weight etc to compensate. I will check it again when the suspension etc is in and the car sits in a more natural position. The doors open and shut fine in both situations, but I dont want to close the rear door gap up to neaten the look of it, if it means it will be different when the car is back on its wheels. I must point out that the gap at the top does not close up tight when I jack it at the very rear of the car, it merely closes to a more or less even gap. Ill try to get some pics at the weekend

[terribleted]

having spent the last couple of months sorting the doors and door posts out, I am now trying to get the door gaps even etc. I am very concerned, that despite my efforts to put the strength back into the body, I have a variation in the top edge of the door gap of about 1mm...maybe 2mm depending on where the car is jacked up from. supported On the stands , just in front of the rear suspension mounts , the gap is larger at the top. When I placed a jack, temporarily, under the rear motor mount, the gap closed slightly....is this normal. As my work here is well documented, I cant see how I have missed anything, although I have not cut open the rockers to see if there is a problem inside. Have you come across this Ted?

This is normal. Just for giggles I went down under the house and jacked a 65 coupe just now (structurally solid not rusty car). The door gap widened 3MM at the top when jacked from the jack point forward of the rear wheel.

I am sure some sag would result from rear jacking (which is not a good idea I think). Better to center jack from under the differential to spread the force across all 3 powertrain mount rather than on only the motor mount. This procedure is not recommended either as the mounts are designed to hold the hanging weight of the powerpack not the lifting forces from jacking the car under the powertrain. I have jacked them many times under the diff and have never broken a mount that I know of but specified jack points are forward of the rear wheels, aft of the front wheels and the center of the front crossmember.

Convertibles will often shift as much as around 5mm or more when jacked. I would not want to jack a convertible at the rear crossmember at all as it might cause door to hit quarter panel.

[terribleted]

I was hoping this is the case, with the car supported on the stands just in front of the suspension mounts, the stands are not far from the rear edge of the door, which means, with the engine and trans in place there is a lot of weight beyond the pivot point, with no interior weight etc to compensate. I will check it again when the suspension etc is in and the car sits in a more natural position. The doors open and shut fine in both situations, but I dont want to close the rear door gap up to neaten the look of it, if it means it will be different when the car is back on its wheels. I must point out that the gap at the top does not close up tight when I jack it at the very rear of the car, it merely closes to a more or less even gap. Ill try to get some pics at the weekend

You will not be able to final adjust the doors until they are fully assembled (glass, regulator, internal parts installed). I initially install them empty so they hang about 3-4MM high at the rear. Powertrain in place and sitting on it wheels and tires is a good idea as well. Whether the interior seats etc. are in makes not difference. Once the doors are loaded I usually have to drop them just slightly to be as close as is possible (lines vary quite a bit...they were never very even like todays cars). The front fenders usually stick out a bit past the door near the side body line (this is an area of tight clearance when operating the door and should be checked very closely before painting and while adjusting the doors. It is very easy for the leading edge of the door to hit the back of the fender while swinging and take the paint off the edge of the door. On many cars if the door is set flush with the fender at the side body line the door will not clear the fender.

[mart]

Thanks Ted, good news I think, Just to let you know, I only jacked at the rear to check for any movement. Ive been trying to re work the rear of the front fender to give a more flush appearance, and even door gap,yet still offer clearance, this is what is taking me so long.A lot of work that no one will notice probably The doors are empty at the moment, so I will use your install tip at final assembly, but I will look into assembling rear end and putting car on the floor again before finishing my door gaps

[mart]

briefly back on its wheels after 4 long backbreaking years.....I need to tidy the garage

[cad-kid]

[terribleted]

Starting to look like a car Mart!!

[Hellbilly]

Hi Mart,

Sorry to read what a huge task your Vair turned into!

Im in the UK too and just taken delivery of a 65 Coupe.

Sent you a PM; hope to hear from you

Stu

[TikiRalf]

Looks again great mart, and cleaning out the workshop is sometimes the best way to get futher on the project, keep on going, following it