Does the Vent Window Asm need to be installed, to fit the doors to the body properly?

[Scott S.]

I have read some discussion about using 2x4's to leverage the door into proper alignment with the roof line, or alternately bracing your knee against the inside rear bottom of the window opening while pulling the top of the door toward you, to "bend" the door into a shape that will blend with the roof line. This is also mentioned in Noland Adams' book.

I don't understand what "bending" the fiberglass will accomplish, since it just "bends" right back to the original shape when released. But if the vent window assembly is installed, or maybe the window "sashes", if those are also "bent" during this procedure, they might keep the door "flexed" into the desired position (apparently causing problems with the windows not rolling all the way up, but that's a different issue).

At the moment, I have installed the latches, strikers and the one long weatherstrip that goes around the outer edge of the door, joining the two ends together at the bottom.

I am not having problems with the door-to-roof line (yet), but while reading about test-fitting with the weatherstrip, I found this information also, so I wanted to ask: which parts should be installed before test-fitting the doors?

[Russ S.]

Re: Does the Vent Window Asm need to be installed, to fit the doors to the body prope

I have read some discussion about using 2x4's to leverage the door into proper alignment with the roof line, or alternately bracing your knee against the inside rear bottom of the window opening while pulling the top of the door toward you, to "bend" the door into a shape that will blend with the roof line. This is also mentioned in Noland Adams' book.

I don't understand what "bending" the fiberglass will accomplish, since it just "bends" right back to the original shape when released. But if the vent window assembly is installed, or maybe the window "sashes", if those are also "bent" during this procedure, they might keep the door "flexed" into the desired position (apparently causing problems with the windows not rolling all the way up, but that's a different issue).

At the moment, I have installed the latches, strikers and the one long weatherstrip that goes around the outer edge of the door, joining the two ends together at the bottom.

I am not having problems with the door-to-roof line (yet), but while reading about test-fitting with the weatherstrip, I found this information also, so I wanted to ask: which parts should be installed before test-fitting the doors?

If you are talking about a C2 coupe, then you are bending metal. The inside frame around the front,back, and top of the door is metal.

[Scott S.]

Re: Does the Vent Window Asm need to be installed, to fit the doors to the body prope

If you are talking about a C2 coupe, then you are bending metal. The inside frame around the front,back, and top of the door is metal.

Thanks for the reply Russ, the car is a 1967 coupe.

I understand the frame of the door is metal, with the fiberglass "skin" then attached to it, I just didn't realize they were actually bending the metal door frame itself during the process described in Adams' book.

How much (if any) does the vent window assembly affect the contour of the door when installed? I'm trying to figure out if I'm wasting my time getting the doors to fit right, without having all of the components required for a proper fit installed.

[Jim D.]

Re: Does the Vent Window Asm need to be installed, to fit the doors to the body prope

How much (if any) does the vent window assembly affect the contour of the door when installed? I'm trying to figure out if I'm wasting my time getting the doors to fit right, without having all of the components required for a proper fit installed.

It affects the fit a lot. My doors (65 coupe) fit perfectly until I stripped everything out of the door. Nothing else was done, and now the top of the door doesn't fit correctly at all but I know it will go back to normal (fitting good) when they are re-assembled.

[Russ S.]

Re: Does the Vent Window Asm need to be installed, to fit the doors to the body prope

Thanks for the reply Russ, the car is a 1967 coupe.

I understand the frame of the door is metal, with the fiberglass "skin" then attached to it, I just didn't realize they were actually bending the metal door frame itself during the process described in Adams' book.

How much (if any) does the vent window assembly affect the contour of the door when installed? I'm trying to figure out if I'm wasting my time getting the doors to fit right, without having all of the components required for a proper fit installed.

I don't think the vent assembly has any affect on the fit of the door. That is why the long channel on the vent assembly is adjustable at the bottom-to allow the top of the door to be adjusted to fit.

[Paul Y.]

Re: Does the Vent Window Asm need to be installed, to fit the doors to the body prope

My opinion is that the doors should be fully loaded when finalizing the fit. Up down adjustments make a huge difference in the way the top of the door fits also. Shimming the bottom moves the top of the door in and vice versa. Seeing how they fit before dis assembly makes a huge difference in what you will call good enough also.

[Joe R.]

Re: Does the Vent Window Asm need to be installed, to fit the doors to the body prope

Assembly Door Tip #1

Do this without fail for both Conv and Coupe (especially coupe)

Before you remove the doors!!!!!!! Take off the door panel to gain access to the door hinges where they mount to the door frame. This is where the shims are!

Take a 1/4" drill and drill one hole thru each hinge, shim pack and the door frame.

Take off the door and label the shim packs as to L or R and Upper or Lower. Be careful not to let the shim packs fall to the bottom of the door and end up in a pile.

Now when you re-install the doors you can use a 1/4" steel dowel to align the doors exactly like they were before you removed them.

This procedure will not perform a miracle and align doors that were not aligned to begin with but will save a lot of time if the doors were perfect before disassembly. If your doors look like crap to begin with this will give you a starting place to re-shim the doors.

If you cannot understand this procedure, hire someone to restore your Corvette.

JR

[Domenic T.]

Re: Does the Vent Window Asm need to be installed, to fit the doors to the body prope

Scott,
I also drill the hinges thru the shims and into the door as Joe says.
I used 2 holes per hinge 3/16 and 1/8 on each.

Saves the edges and cuts the time more than I can say.

I also pre stress my doors to fit the top (coupe). They are in about 1/16 from the roof line and when I remove the doors and put the weather stripping on and re-install them they are HOPEFULLY even.

The hole tip is the best and gets the doors about perfect or where you can apply pressure while tightening the bolts to get where you were.

DOM

[Russ S.]

Re: Does the Vent Window Asm need to be installed, to fit the doors to the body prope

When I restore a body, I will always put the doors back on during the body work to fit them and them remove them to do final work and paint but it never fails that after paint when I re-install them (or any time that I am putting the doors back on) they always need different shimming than they needed for the first fitting. I can't explain it.

[Paul Y.]

Re: Does the Vent Window Asm need to be installed, to fit the doors to the body prope

Great tip Dom.