Body / Glass: Avanti Door alignment tricks?

[tluz]

Hi, Guys,

The passenger door is on the Avanti, but I'm having some trouble aligning it. It's about right fore and aft, and about right up and down. The back side clicks onto the striker perfectly and is about the right depth. The problem is the front edge. The front side is about 3/8 inch too far outboard at the top and 1/4 too far out at the bottom. The gap at the top of the vent window is about 1/2 inch.

The first time I put the door on, the bottom was actually too far inboard while the top gap outboard was almost an inch. I shimmed the bottom hinge out, which made the gaps less extreme, but the entire front edge is now protruding. There are no shims on the top hinge. Because there are no shims on the top hinge I cannot figure out how to bring the top edge in.

Any of you pro body men have ideas on how to draw the front edge inboard?

Thanks, as always,

Tom

[WCP]

Tom.you have to slot the hinges at all 4 fastener locations to the A-pillar (for each hinge). That includes those in the inner pocket of the A-pillar. The slots should be at least double capscrew width or greater. I would remove the lower shims and slot all hinges. It may involve some trial and error on the top slots to achieve a proper fit. All 4 fasteners need to be loosened to move the hinge. When you are satisfied with the fit, loosen and tighten each hinge to ensure that the upper and lower hinges are in "free" alignment vertically. Be careful when you open the door, to ensure that the front edge is passing over the rear edge of the front fender without contact. You may have to adjust the door rearward if contact is going to occur. I slip a piece of paper into the front gap at the ridge, to feel contact before paint is damaged or knocked off. These adjustments often become a compromise between in and out and forward and back for best fit. It's nice to have the gaps equal, front and back, but not always possible, given the body tolerances of these fibreglass bodies.

[bezhawk]

Alignment wasn't the best to begin with, but of course, you don't have to settle. I have even resorted to splitting the outer door skin from the shell, and re-bonding. You do most adjustment with the inner "pocket" cap screws of the hinge. The pivot for the hinges is further in than flush with the jamb.
Those should have the slots a little wider than the outer jamb bolt holes. Later Avanti II's were slotted already. Adjustment is futile without the weatherstrip installed. The new stuff is much better than a few years ago. Make sure it is soft, if they send you old stock that is too firm, send it back, and ask for the soft stuff.
After all is said and done.....all has not been said and done! .
Often you will have to build up the body to get an exact match. This is ,of course, only done during pre-paint body work stages.

[tluz]

Thanks so much, guys. It's amazing to me that (a) there are so many tasks that don't appear in the shop manual, and (b) you know so encyclopedically what they are.

OK, door comes off and hinges get slotted. I assume that means I use a rasp or drill to expand the screw holes side to side, yes?

[bezhawk]

Thanks so much, guys. It's amazing to me that (a) there are so many tasks that don't appear in the shop manual, and (b) you know so encyclopedically what they are.

OK, door comes off and hinges get slotted. I assume that means I use a rasp or drill to expand the screw holes side to side, yes?

Yes, that's it exactly. I use a carbide burr on an air die grinder....takes about 30 seconds per hole.

[SN-60]

To: tluz,----- Just wondering if this is a Studebaker Avanti, or an Avanti II? Also, how was the door fit before taking the car apart?

[Rerun]

Tom,

Before you start tearing apart and slotting, there may be one other trick to try. Let me see if I can explain.

Loosen the hinge from the door a bit and insert a shim only at the rear end of the hinge. Tighten the bolts and close the door. See if this moves the door in or out. If it moves the wrong way, try inserting a shim at the front only.

This method often works with a deck lid because of the geometry of the hinge. Sometimes you can actually lower the lid by adding a shim. I've never tried it with an Avanti door, but it would take just a few minutes to try before you get into something more drastic.

[tluz]

SN-60, it's a Stude. The car was a basket case when I got it. On reviewing my original photos, it looks as if the front edge protruded slightly and the door sat about an inch low. This makes sense, considering that there were no weatherstrips and no sill plates.

Thanks for the idea, Jim. I'll take a shot at it, although, picturing the geometry in my mind, the only thing a top shim could do is push the door further out.

[tluz]

Thanks to you guys, tonight I nailed it. Passenger door looks super sharp.

Follow up -- the top of the vent window is still out about a quarter inch too far and the adjusting screw is completely tight. How do I reel this puppy in?

[bezhawk]

The tilt of the vent assy. is adjusted by the slotted adjusting studs on the frame. The top one does the most tilt. Loosen the jamb nut and unscrew the stud to bring the top inwards. The stud is located just aft of the door to hinge mounting bolts. Look for a nut surrounding a slotted stud, not a bolt.
There will be a bolt above it, but it doesn't adjust inwards tilt. There is also another stud/jamb nut at the lower end of the front window run/channel.
You should also back it off some and retighten the jamb nut afterwards.
If you need to adjust the fore and aft tilt, then loosen the upper jamb nut, (9/16) the bolt above it(also 9/16) and the 7/16 smaller bolt just behind the vent pivot.

[WCP]

What bezhawk says about lateral tilt adjustments, but if you still can't get the frame parallel to the A-frame, there may be another approach. Some of the vent frames from the factory had washers glued to the area where that 7/16" head capscrew fastens the frame to the door, as I recall (I'm going from memory on this). Look for contact cement at that location and possibly a missing washer. Shimming at this location can be used to effect an inward tilt, and adjust the frame to a central position in the door vent frame slot.