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02-26-2021, 11:36 AM | #1 |
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Location: Prattville, AL
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Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
Looking at the factory standards and I'm wondering if the factory followed them. So the question is how many of you met these gap standards when you put your truck back together.
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-------------------------------------------------------- 1967 C10 "Snowball" (Currently in a million pieces down from a bazillion) 1989 Toyota DLX pickup "The Hulk" 2012 Jeep JKU "Crush" 1976 Chevy short bed with a 327 and 3 on the tree (Sold it to buy the Blazer) 1971 Chevy Blazer (Sold it) Last edited by Peanut74; 02-26-2021 at 11:38 AM. Reason: Add pics |
02-26-2021, 12:19 PM | #2 |
The Older Generation
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Montezuma, Iowa
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
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Not me. I just used a paint stir stick. Worked good. LockDoc
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Leon Locksmith, Specializing In Antique Trucks, Automobiles, & Motorcycles (My Dually Pickup Project Thread) http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=829820 - |
02-26-2021, 12:37 PM | #3 |
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Location: Ft Smith, AR
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
I agree with Doc. If you can get within a paint stick, call it good. My horror story:
I bought what was supposed to be a "finished" truck. I noticed that when I washed it the driver door seal leaked. Long story short, they had lined the door up to match the rest of the truck, without regard to the gap at the inside door seal (basically the door was leaning out at the top). At first I thought maybe the door was warped and tried to bend the window frame toward the cab. Anyway, I finally removed the front fender and properly adjusted the door so that it would seal, moved the striker so it would stay shut and not rattle, shimmed the fender to match the door, shimmed the cowl panel to match the fender. Actually all of the terms should have been "match", "properly", etc. If it looks OK from 20', shuts good, doesn't leak, etc, I wouldn't touch it. |
02-26-2021, 01:34 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Mount Pleasant Iowa
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
2x Locdoc...
Paint stir sticks, maybe some masking tape, handfull of shims, and a touch of cussing thrown in just to make it fun. |
02-26-2021, 01:40 PM | #5 |
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Location: Colfax-California
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
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02-26-2021, 02:03 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Iowa
Posts: 245
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
Fitting the doors and getting the correct gaps has 100% been the most frustrating part of my build. I bet I have 100's of hours in door and panel fitting, but a large part of that is the amount of aftermarket patches and panels I have had to match to GM steel.
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02-26-2021, 03:26 PM | #7 |
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
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02-26-2021, 04:27 PM | #8 |
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Location: Prattville, AL
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
Sounds like I need load up on more paint sticks. The one gap that I thought was interesting was the door/front fender gap. They show it as 0.08" behind the front fender edge to that it clears. Here I thought my repro was off since it was not straight across the door panel.
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-------------------------------------------------------- 1967 C10 "Snowball" (Currently in a million pieces down from a bazillion) 1989 Toyota DLX pickup "The Hulk" 2012 Jeep JKU "Crush" 1976 Chevy short bed with a 327 and 3 on the tree (Sold it to buy the Blazer) 1971 Chevy Blazer (Sold it) |
02-26-2021, 05:53 PM | #9 |
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Tahuya WA
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
...oh I got the factory gaps alright...plus a whole lot more for good measure.
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02-26-2021, 06:06 PM | #10 | ||
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
Quote:
K Quote:
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Chevrolet Flint Assembly 1979-1986 GM Full Size Truck Engineering 1986 - 2019 Intro from an Old Assembly Guy: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 My Pontiac story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 Chevelle intro: http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/ Last edited by Keith Seymore; 02-26-2021 at 06:12 PM. |
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02-26-2021, 06:12 PM | #11 | |
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
...
Quote:
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Chevrolet Flint Assembly 1979-1986 GM Full Size Truck Engineering 1986 - 2019 Intro from an Old Assembly Guy: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 My Pontiac story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 Chevelle intro: http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/ |
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02-26-2021, 07:37 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: North Texas
Posts: 3,464
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
I probably spent 4-6 hours improving panel fit and trim alignment on my brand new 1970 Nova. The left front fender looked like it had been installed as an afterthought.
Back in the days before Japanese competitors, I doubt that even Cadillacs had consistent panel gaps and side trim that lined up from door to fender. Today, that shoddy workmanship would be almost unheard of.
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Mike 1969 C10 LWB -- owned for 35 years. 350/TH350, 3.08 posi, 1st Gen Vintage Air, AAW wiring harness, 5-lug conversion, 1985 spindles and brakes. 1982 C10 SWB -- sold 1981 C10 Silverado LWB -- sold, but wish I still had it! 1969 C10 (not the current one) that I bought in the early 1980s. Paid $1200; sold for $1500 a few years later. Just a hint at the appreciation that was coming. Retired as a factory automation products salesman. Worked part-time over the years for an engine builder and a classic car repair shop. Member here for 24 years! This is the very first car/truck Internet forum I joined. I still used a dial-up modem back then! |
02-26-2021, 09:16 PM | #13 |
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
on mine somebody just bolted them on with no regard as to where anything lined up , then they beat everything to the same height with a BFH , bondoed it up and cut their own lines that were worse than the yugo factory . i ground out enough plastic to make a saturn before i gave up and had to buy new panels and start over
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02-26-2021, 10:23 PM | #14 |
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Location: Prattville, AL
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
Thanks Keith for the "Tales of the Plant" post. I always love to hear how people like you actually did it on the plant floor. I was on the opposite end in engineering. We had the fun of going out on the floor to try and figure out how it was being put together since when we put it in 3D nothing lined up. Usual response was, " We haven't made the part that way for years.", then they would drag out a beat up marked up print and tell us "This is the way we make it."
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-------------------------------------------------------- 1967 C10 "Snowball" (Currently in a million pieces down from a bazillion) 1989 Toyota DLX pickup "The Hulk" 2012 Jeep JKU "Crush" 1976 Chevy short bed with a 327 and 3 on the tree (Sold it to buy the Blazer) 1971 Chevy Blazer (Sold it) |
02-27-2021, 12:57 AM | #15 |
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Location: Waterford California
Posts: 2,445
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
You guys have not lived until you line up the fenders, hood, doors and grill on one of these.
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02-28-2021, 01:02 PM | #16 |
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Location: Here
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
My brother just did a 40 truck like your car and you are not kidding. It was unreal how bad the fitment was on the doors and hood were on it
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02-28-2021, 03:40 PM | #17 |
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Location: Motor City
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
Here's how we did in the factory:
a) Doors are installed and already fit to the cab. Radiator support should be sitting on the frame, bolts installed loosely so that it can flop around. b) Place a small spacer (1/4" or as desired) at the top of the door and at the bottom of the door. Ours were magnetized and looked like a little "iron" (for ironing clothes) with a crosscar tab that would create the fender/door gap. c) We had two guys, one on each end. They would remove the fender from the lineside conveyor, where it was hanging upside down, and swoop it rightside up toward the vehicle. Hang the fender (with fender inner already installed), hold it rearward against the spacers. Shoot the top rear vertical bolt (with shim pack in place), and the bottom rear horizontal bolt (with shims in place). You can use a big 4x4 or piece of wood to pry the bottom of the fender rearward against the spacer (we did). d) Open the door and shoot the top rear horizontal bolt (with shims in place). Close the door and back off the vertical bolt slightly, so that the front end can slide side for side. e) Shoot all of the front fender anchor/nose bolts to the backside structure of the fender. f) After both fenders are on, set the hood. Scoot the front end assembly side to side to equalize the gaps between the hood and fenders. Once satisfied, tighten everything down (including tightening the rad support bolts at this time). g) Repeat. Line rate was 60 jobs per hour, so you had about 45 seconds to perform these tasks. The remaining 15 seconds were used to reload, get a sip of water or glance at the newspaper and get mentally ready to do it again. K
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Chevrolet Flint Assembly 1979-1986 GM Full Size Truck Engineering 1986 - 2019 Intro from an Old Assembly Guy: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 My Pontiac story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 Chevelle intro: http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/ |
02-28-2021, 04:15 PM | #18 |
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Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Waterford California
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
Yep Ford did not provide any adjustment for anything back then. Just like hanging a gate no matter how plumb and level... things change over time.
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03-05-2021, 11:30 PM | #19 |
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Location: Prattville, AL
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
Sheepdip, I admire your patience I can only imagine the pain you went through to get everything lined up.
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-------------------------------------------------------- 1967 C10 "Snowball" (Currently in a million pieces down from a bazillion) 1989 Toyota DLX pickup "The Hulk" 2012 Jeep JKU "Crush" 1976 Chevy short bed with a 327 and 3 on the tree (Sold it to buy the Blazer) 1971 Chevy Blazer (Sold it) |
03-06-2021, 12:01 AM | #20 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Waterford California
Posts: 2,445
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Re: Factory gaps. How many been able achieve them?
Quote:
When I did my 72 SWB 4x4 years ago the painter and I who was also a buddy basically hung all the original factory fenders, hood etc. There was a place in Modesto called "The Fender Factory" and a fella that worked there shimmed, adjusted and fit everything, it looked real nice when he finished, and his price was reasonable. I later had him do a 1970 LT-1 Corvette for me.....he had a lot more patience and a lot more know how than I. |
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