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02-11-2021, 12:14 PM | #1 |
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Door fits on 55,56 and 57 T-Birds ??????
What experience have any of you trying to fit the doors on your T-Bird? Well mine are a mess. I am not sure what to do about this. The front of the doors not to bad but the rear by the door handles almost stick my finger in the gap. I though of Hill's but the cost would be more then the car is worth. I might ask Hill's for a estimate for this this summer.I know they are good.
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02-11-2021, 01:12 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Abq, NM
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Re: Door fits on 55,56 and 57 T-Birds ??????
You aren't alone. Most '55 to '57 T-Bird doors don't fit as well as they could.
Especially sticking out at the lower rear corners. It sometimes seems like the factory spec for door gaps may have been + or - 1/2 inch The doors on both of mine are fairly level and flush with the surrounding surface (Surprise! Surprise!) but have virtually no gap at the front edge of the door and as much as 3/8 inch at the rear edge. I need to split the difference, moving the doors slightly to the rear, because it tends to chip the paint at the front edge when they open and close. At first glance the hinge mounting bolts that allow the door to move front-to-rear are inside the front edge of the door under the door panel. There may be some differences in the doors and hinges from '56 to '57. This photo is a '57 drivers side door. . Last edited by dmsfrr; 02-16-2021 at 04:00 PM. Reason: add photo |
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02-11-2021, 02:47 PM | #3 |
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Re: Door fits on 55,56 and 57 T-Birds ??????
At the factory, after the doors were bolted on, the final fit was by bending the door over a knee, or a 2x4 covered in carpet.
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02-11-2021, 03:02 PM | #4 |
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Re: Door fits on 55,56 and 57 T-Birds ??????
At lease I am not alone on this. I bet Ford bitch about this problem. I bet dealers got a lot of complaints about this. When I work at For we had inspectors to write this crap up and in the final garage it became our problem. I am surprise that it was not taken care of.
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02-11-2021, 03:23 PM | #5 |
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Re: Door fits on 55,56 and 57 T-Birds ??????
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02-11-2021, 03:52 PM | #6 |
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Location: NE Iowa
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Re: Door fits on 55,56 and 57 T-Birds ??????
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02-11-2021, 04:05 PM | #7 | |
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Re: Door fits on 55,56 and 57 T-Birds ??????
Quote:
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02-11-2021, 06:53 PM | #8 |
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Location: San Antonio, Texas
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Re: Door fits on 55,56 and 57 T-Birds ??????
I'm not familiar with the baby birds but door hinges take a beating on most cars and may need rebuilding. If a hinge can be shimmed, tweaked, or moved, it may be possible to move the door back. I've know more than a few restorers that weld on the edges to get a better gap. This practice is a lot more common that some may know.
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02-11-2021, 09:18 PM | #9 |
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Re: Door fits on 55,56 and 57 T-Birds ??????
If the door sticks out evenly at the rear, the problem is the latch. Also could be that the weatherstripping is too thick.
Do you have to lift up on the doors to close? If so, the hinges are worn (hinge pins) which might contribute to the problem.
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02-16-2021, 03:02 PM | #10 |
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: West Newton PA
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Re: Door fits on 55,56 and 57 T-Birds ??????
the baby birds didn't have the best fit and finish when new. that being said, many that have a body off restorations tend to be worse if care is not taken when disassembling. the body shimming is critical.
places like Hills and CASCO know what to do to get the fit proper, money well spent. my 57 door fit is not too bad, the body has never been removed. |
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