I finally did a frame-up on my '61 1600 Roadster after owning is for over 20
yrs. I did all the mechanical stuff myself but I left the body work & paint
for a pro. He reassembled the body on jig which guaranteed the proper
aliengment when the new sills were welded in. The doors were perfect on the
fixture...opened & closed with very little effort. When I had the frame
repaired and and welded in patches we paid attention to the dimentions
between the mounting bolt positions but neglected to check for sagging in
the midsection. When I reset the body on the frame and bolted it in the
doors were no longer true.
The strikers were impossible to get in the proper position and I buggered up
the new interior door trim with the interference. Ther was metal to metal
contact at upper rear corner of the doors where they meet the rear fender
mounting pillar. I assumed that I had screwed up the positioning on the
reinstallation so I started to mess with the hinge positions...big mistake.
After much frustration and slamming I mentioned it to the guy who did the
body. He had me bring it back to him and he recognized right away that my
frame had a belly of about .5" . He straightened it and the door problems
went away. All gaps are even, the trim strips fit, I put on bright sill
plates and everything has room to fit. The doors now close with a solid
click. ...1st time in 25 years.
Tom McCarthy
Kirkwood, MO
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