discouraged

[hugger6933]

Do it the same way you eat an elephant one bite and a time and just don't stop chewing. If you ever go over to the paint and body section you may have seen me there I don't intend to board hog but sometimes I'm asked for by name and other they just are asking for help and I have been there sometime over the last 25++ years of owning a body shop and rebuilding wrecks and restoring old muscle and trucks. I always offer up advice to anyone who needs it so if you need to drop me a pm or post you biggest concerns and we will address them and try to wade through and get you on track. Stripping the panels, I try to have people [and do this myself on my stuff in the shop] just strip one at a time. Then prime it with some epoxy primer. That way you don't have four or five panels part way close to being stripped then get taken away and not be able to complete that task. Now on the door gaps put the doors on with fresh hinges or else you'll chaser your tail forever and set the gaps on the parts that you can't move meaning the back and the top and bottom first. The height ought to be close on top and bottom if you get one the other should be very close. The hinges on the truck side move the door forward and backwards the hinges on the door side move the door in and out and that is where the twisting come in from. If needed you can place a shim under the door hinge in a place or two to give you a little additional gap ability. Now you also asked about shimming the cab and core support all of that is quite common given the past lives some of these truck have led. Make sure that the bushings are good before doing that though or it is more tail chasing. That is about all I have time for this morning hope this helps out and gives you something to work with. Holler if you need more help. Always glad to try to help out . Jim