Driver's side door malformed?

Wisconsin_Snake · #1 (**permalink**) 10-31-2011, 01:57 PM

I am following DV's tactic to hanging the doors on the cobra.
I had the hardest time getting the drivers side door to align properly and when I went to play with the passenger side door it went much easier.

Inspecting the doors, it looks like the outer skin was at the front top side of the door was pressed in too deep when glueing to the inner part of the door and that is the cause of why I cannot getting a good fit in the door.

I noticed on the passenger side that the front top flares up slightly (and matches the body curve around the cowl nicely, where as on the drivers side it does not flare up.

Here is the passenger side door looking at the back going to the front.
Notice that it flares up.

Now here is the driver's side door. Note that it does not flare up at the end (or front of the door).

What happens is that if get the top front to match the body, the top section of the door (that turns into the body) is butt up against the body and the gap on the buttom of the door is huge.

What would be the best approach to resolve this? Aligning the door ignoring the front top axis of the door to the body and building up the fiberglass on that part of the door so that it matches the body?

compunetexpress · #2 (**permalink**) 10-31-2011, 07:54 PM

I am having the same exact issue your are. Call the manufacturer and have them send you a new door.

CHANMADD · #3 (**permalink**) 10-31-2011, 09:46 PM

Forget about the top corner. Align the rest of the door and then build and sand the fibreglass.....Have fun

BBQCYCLEWERKES · #4 (**permalink**) 11-01-2011, 06:58 AM

I don't think you can call the manufacturer and get a new door. Classic Roadsters have been out of business if I remember correctly.

rockman539 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-01-2011, 06:28 PM

Before you set your alignment, make sure your door hinge bushings are tight. I had play in mine and had to tighten them up, or you can order new bushings from McMaster/Carr. I also tried DV way, it didn't work. My doors were too wide. I aligned them as best I could, and had to let the paint guy finish it. He said he had to make a relief cut to get it to fit. The inside of my doors were hitting the door jams. He did a great job.

Double Venom · #6 (**permalink**) 11-02-2011, 07:47 AM

Rockman,
Sorry for your problems! But, aligning the doors as mentioned is really the best way. I NEVER said they would end up perfect but a long way from tyring to get the doors to fit by slotting the holes forever or to big!

Body work is ALMOST always needed to some point.

Snake exactly! You might even need to cut the seam with an air saw and the shell should almost, if not, line up perfectly. just had to do this on the last Cobra I did. The re-gluing/fiberglassing the cut seam is easy.

YES, dont forget to allow for the natural slop in the hinge!
DV

RJAY · #7 (**permalink**) 12-04-2011, 09:12 PM

I had trouble with my passenger door. When set in place it was 5/8" in on the top rear and 3/4" out on the bottom rear. The shell had to be removed. The shell of the door was then over warped in the opposite direction and set in the sun. When it cooled down it was held in the over warped position for several days. When it was finally released it flexed back a little and fit perfectly once reassembled.

Wisconsin_Snake · #8 (**permalink**) 12-05-2011, 06:44 AM

DV, since I will be welding in the hinges, how much "natural slop should I expect?

Do I continue aligning the door up so that the back top of the door is aligned with the back of the body (with a larger gap at the bottom) that gets closed when the rear of the body is lift up by a jack?
Or
With the natural slop expected, have teh rear top part of the door <how many centimeters> up the rear of the body?

Double Venom · #9 (**permalink**) 12-05-2011, 09:03 AM

Fella,
When you go to welding thw hinge to the cowl bar, make sure you are putting prssure "upward" to take car of the slop! Then a lot ofpeople apparently missed the part about the rear of the door. "LINE UP THE DOOR AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE ENTIRE FRONT EDGE. ALIGN THE DOOR AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE REAR BOTTOM AND EDGE.

THIS WILL RARELY MOUNT RIGHT AT THIS POING AND "SHOULD NOT!" INCE TI8Y HAVE IT CLOSE ON THE FRONT AND TOP FRONT EDGE IS WHEN YOU JACK UP THE "REAR" OF THE BODY EHICH WILL......bring the bottom measurement, rear edge of the door and the top edge of the door to the body******

I USE A 1X4 OR 2X4 ON THE very back of the body and use my hydraulic floor jack to left the back evenly. once it is aligned it is NOW that I fit the rear steell plates pushed up tight to the body and weld them in!
DV