Door gaps...

[bluelighttaxidriver]

Really struggling to get consistent door gaps, before I take the plunge & attack the sills on my spitfire mk4. Using the adjustable brace from the club shop to set the gaps, but should I be doing it with the door in the latch? That leaves me with approx 3mm at the top of the door edge, getting tighter at the bottom edge, with a big gap at the front edge. I can get it pretty even all round if I don't have it latched. Do people set the gap, then shim the catch plate to suit? Many thanks.

[John Bonnett]

If i understand correctly the door needs to come forward to even out the gaps, B post to door and bonnet to door. If you've got enough adjustment on the hinges to allow the door to move I'd set it up without the latch and do as you suggest and pack out the striker plate. The bonnet can be adjusted in two directions to help give an acceptable gap and to keep the gaps parallel; so many variables! In the end I think it will be to achieve the best compromise. From experience i know you can spend hours and hours fiddling and adjusting until either you are happy or resigned to, "I can make it no better".

[bluelighttaxidriver]

Thanks John. That's what I'm thinking. Looking closely at pictures of other cars, the gap at the point of the striker plate is even all round. I'm never going to get that with the door on the latch. The other possible variable is that I think my doors have been re skinned at some point. I may even be battling with odd profiled doors...! Got a garage day tomorrow, so back to the start again... Thanks again.

[John Bonnett]

Thanks John. That's what I'm thinking. Looking closely at pictures of other cars, the gap at the point of the striker plate is even all round. I'm never going to get that with the door on the latch. The other possible variable is that I think my doors have been re skinned at some point. I may even be battling with odd profiled doors...! Got a garage day tomorrow, so back to the start again... Thanks again.

 

 

Good luck with the job and please let us know how you get on with perhaps a picture or two. Don't forget that by loosening the bolts hinge to door you can move the top of the door in and out and the bottom vice versa. And yet another variable!