The Ford Barn

Russ B · 09-07-2013, 10:57 PM

I spent all of the last week lifting the body, inserting rubber shims, bolting the body down tight, looking at results, figuring a correction, remove all nuts, and then repeating, starting again at the first step. ...also taking notes of each trial fit, reviewing results and proposing next correction.

The right side went quickly, done with two fittings, and only required a single extra shim under Bolts 2 and 3 (A pillar).

The left side was a lot harder, requiring multiple trial fittings; but in the end a single extra shim under Bolt 5 (B pillar) did the job.

Key to getting the job done were two additional steps: 1., replacing door hinge pins with proper fitting, oversized pins; 2., press bending two hinges on the left door to correct an uneven A pillar door gap. The job would likely have gone faster if I had started with these two steps.

I may do some fine tuning using builders felt for very thin shims, as recommend by Marco T on his site; but for now it is good to within 1/32" height at the back tops of doors, or better.

Upper back edges of doors had excess wear from years of driving with poor fitting doors and bad wood. I TIG welded 1/8" square stock to the back upper door edges and then cut/ground back the edges for improved fit as body alignment progressed.

I am happy to be almost done with body alignment, after approaching this job with procrastination and dread of the potential difficulty. Once started, it really was not so hard.

09-07-2013, 10:57 PM	#1
Russ B Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Millbrae, CA Posts: 504	Shimming Cabriolet body, done! I spent all of the last week lifting the body, inserting rubber shims, bolting the body down tight, looking at results, figuring a correction, remove all nuts, and then repeating, starting again at the first step. ...also taking notes of each trial fit, reviewing results and proposing next correction. The right side went quickly, done with two fittings, and only required a single extra shim under Bolts 2 and 3 (A pillar). The left side was a lot harder, requiring multiple trial fittings; but in the end a single extra shim under Bolt 5 (B pillar) did the job. Key to getting the job done were two additional steps: 1., replacing door hinge pins with proper fitting, oversized pins; 2., press bending two hinges on the left door to correct an uneven A pillar door gap. The job would likely have gone faster if I had started with these two steps. I may do some fine tuning using builders felt for very thin shims, as recommend by Marco T on his site; but for now it is good to within 1/32" height at the back tops of doors, or better. Upper back edges of doors had excess wear from years of driving with poor fitting doors and bad wood. I TIG welded 1/8" square stock to the back upper door edges and then cut/ground back the edges for improved fit as body alignment progressed. I am happy to be almost done with body alignment, after approaching this job with procrastination and dread of the potential difficulty. Once started, it really was not so hard.