I've been having issues with the drivers door on my 35 Ford 5W. While the p***engers door has always fit well the drivers door is very different. I believe it was the first attempt the PO made in this poorly done chop. To make things more difficult he also poorly installed suicide door hinges. It's too much work to undo the suicide doors. The BIG issue is I had to install 5/8" of shims in the front cowl mount to get the front of the cowl to align with the body lines on the door. I think one more 1/8' shim will make it better. Am I correct in thinking that if I install around 3/8+" of shims at the A-pillar, remove all the shims from the front cowl and crank down the bolt at the cowl it will have a lever/fulcrum action and lift up the B-pillar ? I'm thinking leaving the 5/8" shim pack will make it difficult to install the front fenders as a couple bolts go through the cowl foot. Trying to get a better understanding of how this process works as I hate laying on my back and my back doesn't like it either. I want to resovle this door alignment issue so I can cut the door top and redo it and build a new roof structure above the door. TIA Leon
All your “fulcrumming” is going to have to happen at the B pillar. With a suicide door the A pillar just holds the door closed. It will be difficult to rock the door down in front, while maintaining a good even gap at the B pillar. Because you have four feet of floor-to-frame bolts in the back half of the body. Might need to just adjust the hinges, and then fill the uneven B pillar gap the operation creates. As well as all around the top of the door too. Only other solution is to raise the cowl even more. You’ll have an inch of shims under there before you are done. When you are fixing this, make sure to cuss out the amateur previous owner who created these problems for you.
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