A Pillar

[truckguy]

I am a retired insurance claims adjuster and have written many auto collision estimates in my life. I thought I knew nearly all the terms but some terms start out as regional or else are specific to one car company and I never did learn them all. With that in mind, please tell me what an A pillar is. Is it the hinge pillar or the lock pillar? Thanks!

[swvalcon]

It's the windshield pillar. Most body guy's I know still call the hinge pillar a hinge pillar. Also the B pillar is the post that runs up on the top of the door at the rear. Most still call the lower portion the door pillar.

[FleetMaster68]

Small disagreement. B Pillar is rear of front door latch point. Not always called a pillar if it does not reach the roof line- Think hardtop. C pillar is at the back of a hardtop or sedan roof leading down to rear quarter. D pillar only station wagons at rear of roof. So you may have A-B-C pillars most 2dr, 4dr, club coupe etc, A-C pillars hardtops or business coupes/ 3 window bodies/ GM mid 70's colonade designs etc, or on wagons A-B-C-D OR A-C-D pillars on 2/4 dr hardtop wagons.
Think I am pillared out.
Best I understand use of the A-B-C-D pillar references, your knowledge may differ.
SK

[55 56 PREZ 4D]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillar_(car)

[truckguy]

Thank you gentlemen, I have learned something today!

[Skip Lackie]

Lock pillar and hinge pillar will be accurate most of the time, but there have been cars (eg, suicide doors) where the hinges were on the B pillar, and the latch on the A pillar. A, B, and C are universally applicable.

[52 Ragtop]

A Pillar is the windshield pillar, B Pillar is either the lock Pillar (2 door) or center Pillar (4 door) C Pillar is the lock Pillar on a 4 door In todays world, you usually have to buy a "uni-side" which is all of the above! No matter which portion of it you need. There are some vehicles that is is NOT recommended to section any part of the uni-side.

Jim

[swvalcon]

Jim What is recommended and what gets done in the real world are most times two different things. In my 45 years of doing body work you would not believe some of the things I have seen done. May have even been a party to some of it because that's what the owner wanted done. Back when I started doing body work most estimates where wrote as Hinge pillar, windshield pillar, Lock or door pillar, And what is now called a C pillar was know as the sail pillar or panel. No matter what anyone calls them still the same thing and do the same job. So guy's you can call it what ever you want as long as someone else understands what your talking about.

[rockne10]

As Skip and Jim indicated, regardless of where the hinges and latches are located, A, B and C pillars will be universally front, center and rear. I've also seen "sail panel" as referencing something more than just the C pillar.