How do you do your gaps and alignment?

[68protouring454]

Originally Posted by DOOM

So adding rod to the edge is butchering... But if you have to, go head and do it Stefan... Not tring to bust chops here just tring to learn,I know you know what your talking about. But if I tried all that you said and still can't get a proper gap go head and weld the rod to the edge. So go head and butcher it Is'int this a contradiction. Help me understand. I have the same concerns and see alot of the top builders using this method. I also see them splitting the edge and filling the gap to tighten up the gap.Is this better? Have you done this? Butchering my car is the last thing I want to do..

yes i use that method on trunk gaps, and hood gaps, alot easier to work.


shearing thin pieces of 18ga to fill split to weld, we spot(sparingly) ,with mig, then tig weld with silicon bronze alot of time, makes metal finishing so easy.

we sheared an even 1/4 piece till it tapered we then sheared the angled piece. all was butt welded, under neath was cleaned up as well. makes for the best gap repair possible.

[DOOM]

Originally Posted by 68protouring454

yes i use that method on trunk gaps, and hood gaps, alot easier to work.


shearing thin pieces of 18ga to fill split to weld, we spot(sparingly) ,with mig, then tig weld with silicon bronze alot of time, makes metal finishing so easy.

we sheared an even 1/4 piece till it tapered we then sheared the angled piece. all was butt welded, under neath was cleaned up as well. makes for the best gap repair possible.

Thanx great visual

[The WidowMaker]

jake, are you actually splitting the panel and widening the gap, or are you adding a vertical piece and then filling it in?

[68protouring454]

Originally Posted by The WidowMaker

jake, are you actually splitting the panel and widening the gap, or are you adding a vertical piece and then filling it in?

no, a common issue with goodmark trunks is there too small for the hole width wise. the gaps were arounf 7/16ths. we sliced the quarter 1/16th from edge, moved over till we had 3/16ths strong gap and measured, then used shear to shear filler piece that we but tig welded in using silicon bronze. metal finished to 80 grit and body worked.
goodluck

[68protouring454]

so elite, tell us. if you need a deck lid and buy a goodmark one and it has almost 1/2 gaps on each side, how do you make it fit correct? or how about a goodmark hood which commonly has good side gaps but almost always tapered gap on the front against the header panel, one side of middle is good other is wide, what is out of shape then? i guess no aftermarket panel company would make something that out of tolerance? please let us all in on how to adjust quarter panels to make the trunk lid fit.

ps- maybe i should go drag some pics off dse's website, troys website of panel aligment and welding, etc. I forgot they are monkeys as well

[TravisB]

Originally Posted by 68protouring454

so elite, tell us. if you need a deck lid and buy a goodmark one and it has almost 1/2 gaps on each side, how do you make it fit correct? or how about a goodmark hood which commonly has good side gaps but almost always tapered gap on the front against the header panel, one side of middle is good other is wide, what is out of shape then? i guess no aftermarket panel company would make something that out of tolerance? please let us all in on how to adjust quarter panels to make the trunk lid fit.

Jake you haven't heard anytime a gap is to wide you put the car on the frame machine and tighten her up....you know just pull the rear rails together tap it with a a body hammer, pick it with a PDR tool do some adjusting and thats that....

We weld edges, split panels, anything we have to do to make gaps perfect as long as the panel isnt warped and its metal finished there is no way to tell one way from the other.....

there is NO car that camed from the factory I have ever seen with 3/16 gaps as most of the new OE's have and im gonna say the car with the metal finshed welded gaps blows the car with the metal massaged (non-butchered) technique away panel fit wise...

[elitecustombody]

Originally Posted by 68protouring454

so elite, tell us. if you need a deck lid and buy a goodmark one and it has almost 1/2 gaps on each side, how do you make it fit correct? or how about a goodmark hood which commonly has good side gaps but almost always tapered gap on the front against the header panel, one side of middle is good other is wide, what is out of shape then? i guess no aftermarket panel company would make something that out of tolerance? please let us all in on how to adjust quarter panels to make the trunk lid fit.

ps- maybe i should go drag some pics off dse's website, troys website of panel aligment and welding, etc. I forgot they are monkeys as well

somebody got their panties in a wad? stop buying poor fitting parts and most of your fitting problems will go away.

just because everyone is doing it doesn't make it right.

I'll say it again, any monkey can weld rods to tighten up gaps,but it takes a real craftsman to line and massage panels for perfect fit,

read my previous posts CLOSER and maybe you'll understand where I'm coming from

[68protouring454]

I am all good buddy. it obvious you have never done a first gen camaro or old (pre 73) car period. Guess I should just go to gm to buy my deck lids and hoods from now on.
btw- it takes a real metal man to take what oem built and make it better,ie adding metal, blocking over panel gaps etc.

[TravisB]

Originally Posted by elitecustombody

somebody got their panties in a wad? stop buying poor fitting parts and most of your fitting problems will go away.

just because everyone is doing it doesn't make it right.

I'll say it again, any monkey can weld rods to tighten up gaps,but it takes a real craftsman to line and massage panels for perfect fit,

read my previous posts CLOSER and maybe you'll understand where I'm coming from

I think you and your 280 posts are out numbered here unfortunalty..... that or you're the only craftsmen out of all the car builders I know... maybe you should have your own tv show... all hail king of the pdr tool panel fit man

[FlameBroiled]

I wasn't going to chime in but this thread is going south fast.

These cars with or without aftermarket parts do not fit like a Lexus, the tolorences are not +/- 1mm, more like +/- 1/2"
With most of these cars the parts are from several cars put together to make one good one.
Now take in the fact that these cars are made at different factories, different suppliers, different workers, your gaps and panels will be comprimissed.

I have worked on one or two cars in my time....lol and have yet to find a car that did not need the gaps fixed.
Now once you have fixed any damage IE: frame, body damage and you have the car on a level ground with the supension in, and the motor in, the car with weight added to the car you can set the panels. First adjust with the factory adjustments (sloted holes in the parts, these old cars have these, not like the new cars) sometimes you even need to make these slots a bit bigger. Once there is no more adjustment left now what ??? Get out your hammer and dollies and massage the sheet metal into place, and if necessary cut the jams, door edges and weld them so that they are straight.
Shape, weld, grind, ect over and over till the gaps are what you want.
Prime, fill, sand, fill, sand some more till the panel is right.

If there was a way to make all these panels fit with out these steps I would love to learn how. Go out side and look at your brand new car and tell me if all of those gaps are right. I can tell you they are not. If you see those gaps as perfect then I guess we have a different level of perfect.

Elite why don't you tell us all how do you make a hood on a 50's or 60's car fit or how to fix any off these problems if you are not able to cut and weld a seem or edge.

Just my 2 cents


Aaron