Shoebox door gap
 

The bottoms of my doors are pushed out on my car, in the manual they show a big vice that’s supposed to bend them back, has anyone recreated this tool or have a trick for fixing them?

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

For a 70 yr old car.....that doesn’t look bad to me!!...are they closing tight?.....Mark

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

They’re closing nice and tight, gap is good at the latches but the bottoms are pushed out so even when I put the new door seals on I’m pretty sure they’re still going to leak

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

Can you cheat the seal over a little so it makes contact?.....my ‘50 needs seals and I have some but have yet to attempt it.....Mark

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

That looks like a problem that will only get worse if you try to bend the door.
Study it carefully and don't do anything rash out of frustration.

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

Having worked on these vehicles in the mid to late '50's (in an auto body repair facility) I never saw or used such a tool.
Such fixes usually were done using strategically sized and placed wooden blocks plus brute force to achieve the desired result.
Have done a number of doors this way with the last one being my current vehicle.

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...8&d=1604070143

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

51 MERC-CT, If possible please explain the mechanics of how you use the wooden block and the meaning of "SECURE" in your pictorial. Do you locate the wooden block where shown and then literally "push in where the other arrows are pointed? I assume this is done with the window rolled down. Thanks.

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

On my 50 cpe the door bottoms are pretty much like yours I replaced the weather strips that didn’t fit worth sht but was told from dennis carpenter that the molds are worn out and they are the only ones reproducing them used 3 m weather strip adhesive the black stuff and razor blade to do some trimming they work ok now after the doors were closed for a while

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

The ol' wooden block has been used around here a number of times. I would not dare utilize that on a painted panel.

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

I was able to do a little twisting of the upper(glass) portion of my 50 4 door, wooden blocks and a heavy shoulder. If you try and get that little bit at the bottom out you will chase the problem to somewhere else on the door where it shows worse. Your doors look good, get your trim to line up and call it good. Looks factory perfect.

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

An illustration in my 49-52 Truck manual shows adjust of doors done with a rubber mallet used as block at the middle of the door jamb while pushing the door's bottom in.

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

Probably factory "correct". We have a '55 Tbird that I redid frame off. The doors fit terrible, but after going to many car shows and talking with people that are familiar with the Baby Birds, the consensus is that if the doors fit, the car is "over restored". In order to get the doors perfect with the body lines on the car, I would have had to section both of them and do some serious metal work. I opted to do some relatively minor welding and shaping and line up the body lines and trim where your eye would naturally fall. Your case is likely similar--the joy of old cars--most were functional, not works of perfection. Regards. Rod

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

My '41 Fordor had great gaps and flush fitting doors. The P.S. got side swiped yrs before I bought it and both of the doors fit great, even after the post got caved in

Re: Shoebox door gap
 

I was told it was from water freezing and pushing them out but I guess as long as the new seals work then they’re good ?