I have spent the past two days trying to line up my doors and front fenders. I'm beginning to think that this is too much work or it's too hard for me.

I've been working on this car (which I got as a rusted out mess) over a year and a half and I've done a lot; floor pans, complete underside, trunk repaired, rear end has new bearings and seals, engine was gone through and cleaned up and now I'm putting on outside rockers and 80% quarters.

I'm beginning to think that I'm not cut out for sheetmetal and body work.

This is so frustrating. No matter what I do, the front fender doesn't fit right.

The gaps are too tight and I can't move the door back anymore, and...the fender is too far out from the door.

Maybe a body shop can help me, but I can't afford that.

Should I just get it as far as I can, then have a body shop do the line ups when I get it painted???

Or should I sell it and start over again?

AAHHHHHHH

Take a day off! Im going through the same thing right now and its really hard for me because im brand spankin new to sheetmetal repair and bodywork but i cant afford to take it to somebody and ive always been very interested in doing fab/ body work so i want to learn this. It can be VERY VERY frustrating but you just have to hang in there! You just need a day or two off to not think of the car then go back in and hit it hard, youll get it done!

Steven I'm sure you'll be just fine :thumbsup:... Some of the body guys will chime in, but it most defiantly is an art. Depending on how much tweaking and tricks you need to do before you install fenders, doors, quarter panels. Just take your time and do it right, it will pay off in the long run. The more you can do your self will save you big $$$$.... Good luck and check out some old threads to lead you in the right direction :yes:.
Skip

Hang in there! You definitely want to get the body panels aligned BEFORE you paint the car. Its hard enough to align them, but you don't want top be fighting them and worrying about scratching the new paint.

This thread may help you if you have not read it already.

http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?p=413681

read the posts by Martinsr

Align the doors to the 1/4's first without fenders on the car. Then put the fenders on and align to the doors. Don't try to align everything at once. You will go nuts. You may have to shim the fenders at different points to get them to align, this is normal and was even done by the factory. Hang in there.:yes:

This is my the first car I've ever done and I really want to do it myself.

I taught myself how to weld and do almost everything. Haven't had any help as of yet, but this sure is challenging.

I think Alex is right, I should take some time away from it. Unfortunately that's what I said when I spent my entire vacation under the car cleaning, priming and painting the entire underside. I swore I would take a break, but I was out in the garage the very next weekend installing the new Hotchkiss leaf springs and rear.

I'm just afraid this is too big of a project.

It sounds like you've ben making some great progress. You just need to take a break and research the right info to continue. If you got this far, then go all the way. Its all or nothing.

I remember getting so frustrated and pissed off trying to chase down an engine running problem!....It was an easy fix but it just kicked my ass!.....I wanted to sell the "piece of junk" but then I thought to myself, who the hell is going to buy a car that's not even running right or even if I had a buyer, I would suffer a major loss!.....I took a long break, about a week, and got back at it and fixed that son of a bitch!.....All it was was a bad ballast resistor causing all the misery!.....So just take a break, relax and have a few beers and a doobie and get back at it, believe me, you'll get it!

I'm sure I will be in this sort of situation when I start building my engine, at which point I will come here and ask if anyone lives near me so they can come by and help me, for a 6 pack. :)

Maybe someone near you might be willing to come out and help, I know I would. Building a car like this isn't work, it's a passion and it should be fun to do things, even on someone elses car.

Steven, I agree completely with everything the others said... but.. pep talks ain't gonna line this thing up.

You said the door opening is too short and and the fender is out from the door?

How many shims do you need to put in the upper fender bolt (front of firewall) to get the correct gap?

Where is the fender out too far, the top? or the middle?

Like bert said, doors first. Leave the strikers and latches off, and make the door fit to the quarter and the rocker. Bottom first, then the top. The middle should just come in. Watch the "in and out" at the top of the door, that one's important.

Then the fenders. Firewall shim sets the door gap, doorjamb shim set top in and out, bottom shim sets in and out at the beltline, bottom position sets in and out at the bottom.

Here's one: put the upper valance on, and then square the hood opening before you try to adjust the fenders. Measure from the firewall fender bolt diagonal to the front corner of the hood opening, and get it perfect. 1/8" diff side to side isn't good enough.

Sometimes you just gotta take what the car gives you.

I got some of the same issues. PO put 80% qtrs on, and until the "next resto" when I'll replace them, I'd stuck with some issues... Door openings are too short, particularly at the top. This moves everything forward, and kinda messes up the top rear front fender fit to the windshield. It's minor, no one else see's it. It bugs me, but not enough to start over now.

Hang In There. I was frustrated with my 68 Camaro about 20 years ago. Everything I did came with a degree of difficulty. I shut the garage door for a month and walked away. I went back refreshed and revitalized. Everything went smooth after that.
Every restoration project has its fair share of blood, sweat, tears, love and the occasional swearing and foul language. If it was so easy, everybody would be doing it. Take a break and the advice from all on this site. You will go back with a clear head and a good plan to get her done.

I have one thick shim on the firewall, but it isn't enough. The problem with putting more shims on the firewall bolt is that the top bolt won't line up to start the thread If I add what I need.

Seems as if there isn't enough adjustment.

The door is very good by the rear quarter and rocker (although, I need to move the top front of the door out a bit to bring in the bottom rear).

To compound this, I still haven't welded in the rocker yet until I was sure it all lined up. I'm just test fitting the door and fender. With the rocker not welded in, I have some excess metal at the bottom of the rear piller that is slightly obstructing the door closeing. I beat it in with a pointy hammer and it's much better, but that doesn't make things easier.

jersey shore......where exactly?

By Sea Bright and Sandy Hook

I have one thick shim on the firewall, but it isn't enough. The problem with putting more shims on the firewall bolt is that the top bolt won't line up to start the thread If I add what I need.with a pointy hammer and it's much better, but that doesn't make things easier.
i think I got 3 thick shims there!

You don't wanna know how many elongated holes I got. you should see behind the door strikers!!!
and the hinges!!!!
and!!!

So elongating a hole is accepatble practice?

I was sure I was just messing up somewhere.

If the top bolt won't line up, remove the bottom bolts. Put the 3 thick shims and start the bolt and then pull the fender down for the bottom bolts and see where you are. Like Jim said the shims on the front of the firewall will move the fender forward. I have 3 shims there too. The holes in the fender are fairly big and should give you enough room to move it, but if needed, elongate them. Just be careful to not get bigger than the washers so the hole shows.

I just remembered, the shims are supposed to be slotted. You should be able to have the bolts started and pry the fender up and slide the shims in.......

I'm just afraid this is too big of a project.

Well, i'd say you're committed at this point. If you were to sell it right now in the state that you describe it, you'll never recoup enough cash to make a second project possible...Unless you're Oprah.

remember these cars did not fit well from the factory 1- start at the top bolt at the cowl to shim height - last one i did took 3 - 1/8 inch shims 2- shim the bolt under the hood hinge to get the front to rear fit 3- shim at the bolt inside top of door to get the body line at the top of the fender and door- last one took 2 -1/8 inch shims 4 -then shim bottom of fender if you shim the bottom down it will tend to suck the middle of fender in . make sure the hood fits in the hole -if the front sheetmetal is off to one side one fender will fit nice and the outher one will stick out . dont wory about the cowl grille as much as the header panel fit you can move the cowl grill around quite a bit. tighten the core support bolts before fitting fenders. if the inner fenders are in loosen the bolts up at the cowl so the front sheetmetal can move.

I spend 5 hours on the drivers side door and fender today and it still wount line up!?!
:clonk::clonk::clonk:

I'll be dreaming about 1/2 and 9/16 tonight because I've removed and add these bolts so many times.

What I've discovered is that there is an infinate amount of adjustments that are possible when lining up door and fender gaps, the only trouble is...I haven't found the right combinatioin yet!

Does it always take this long to figure this out???