Topic: Panel gaps

[76hotrodpinto]

I'm looking for the factory gap measurements for the rear of door to b pillar, and the cowl to hood. Please and thanks.

[dennisofaz]

Hi 76,


I measure 0.25" door to B pillar, and 7/32" center of hood to cowel.


Dennis

[76hotrodpinto]

Thank you much.

[amc49]

Center the part in the opening there. The gaps are evened out at front, back and top/bottom of doors and same with hood although hood gaps can be bigger and still look good. Since hood overlaps grille to hide things or fudge them up to the eye then hood can go further back to look better there. I accept anything from 3/16" to up to 3/8" depending on where it is. Eye pleasing is good, or say both sides of hood the same or both doors the same. A lot of room for moving things around in there. The front fenders can moved backwards to tighten up any hole in door openings and the hood can be dropped lower to do the same. OEM measurement really means very little there.

The airspaces can move around after cars get jacked up in the air over and over, the unibody moves around some. Even simply driving the cars can move the unibody around, it is not rock solid and settles during use to be different from the day sold. Very common for hoods to say drift sideways to show the need for recentering after time.

[76hotrodpinto]

As long as I have the factory gap set for a couple of the key spots, I find there's no reason I can't get everything to sit perfect. It's just metal. Unibody, 2-door... doesn't get easier.

[amc49]

X2............ ...........was looking at my Tempo last night and thinking of this thread. It has like 1/2" at door tops but because they are all even and door curves in at top to slightly mask it, it looks acceptable.