Getting closer to getting the driver's side back together after wheelhouse rebuild and jack post replacement. I just welded in the left side Engman kit and I'm installing a new threshold sill plate and outer long.

This is a lot going on with new parts coming together.

Previously, I cut the front of the rear quarter out so I could get to all the rust. I also cut off the bottom of the front fender off (directly ahead of the door).

Now that I'm mocking things up and getting ready to do some welding, I want to make sure my alignment is right.

I put the door back on tonight (gaps are good..YAY!) and when I put the various components in place with clamps and screws, it seems that the lip that the fiberglass rocker cover is OK in the horizontal plane. However, if you could view it from the top, it would have a slight bow TOWARDS the center of the car at the tail end.

I tried pulling a string between the 2 ends of this lip on the side I haven't worked on yet and it also appears to have a bow--but I don't have access to a car which hasn't been bondo'd by hamfists at some point in the past.

Is the bow right?

Post some photos. I would like to advise but I don't get what you mean.

You can't trust fiberglass parts to tell you anything. If you had never cut any metal the glass rockers still wouldn't fit right.

Yeah, I like pictures for for 'xplainin' too!

I'm referring to the ledge directly below the sill towards the outside of the car. This ledge is on the bottom of all the bodywork between the wheels. The fiberglass (or steel) rocker covers "hang" on it.


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Mine seem to bow in towards the center of the car at the rear (just in front of the rear wheels). At least I think they do. I tried pulling a string on the side of the car I haven't cut into yet.

Can somebody verify that these do not run perfectly straight (as viewed from the top, if you could) from front to back? The outer rockers are going to have to be flexed slightly when fastened, it seems.

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I know there's somebody else out there wielding the saw and welder. Any know-how on my alignment question?

I have perfect, untouched longs on my car. I can take some pictures if that will help?

Please! I would appreciate that.

Here you go.

More. You are correct. It comes closer to center at the rear.

Sorry about the wood ruler. My metal one was MIA. You can see it's almost 1/2" at the rear. It starts at about 1/4 and angles to 1/2 at the rear. If you need exact measurements I can get them later tonight.

It's dead straight by the sill and then angles in after the jack post at the seam.

gdj

Last one.

John, When you offered, I had no idea you were going to go to such lengths to help.

THANK YOU! You've confirmed what I thought and your measurements are exactly what I needed.

One more thing--and hopefully this is just observational. As you view the car from the side with the door closed, does it look like the ledge (in question) runs perfectly parallel with the bottom of the door...or is the gap slightly wider at the front? Both sides of mine seem wider at the front. The door gaps edge are very good which indicates to me nothing strange happened to the chassis while I had the bulk of the metal cut out. I did brace it during the process.

Thanks again. I feel like I really owe you for your time and help!

I think all my cars have the rockers on or are sagged and would not be any good for measuring. I think if you get the support triangles in place this will help set the height of the sill.

You should be able to tell if you need to simply thump the sill up with a block of wood and a BFH to square it up to the front of the door bottom or whether you have a long that is either high in the rear or low in the front corner by using the body dimensions located here.

http://www.914world.com/specs/914info.php

Start checking the door opening measurements now if you haven't yet. The final panel fit will go easier.

No problem. That's how we roll here. Here's a picture of Rick 918-S helping me out while I drink coffee.

If I get what your asking, Mine is slightly wider in front than in the rear. I don't know if it's meant to be like that or just tweaked a bit. If I were to guess I'd say mine's tweaked a 1/16 and should be 3/8" front and rear.

Well thanks once again. Huge help!

It looks like most of your front fender was hacked off in the shot of you and the coffee. Whatcha up to?

Bought my car from AZ with front end crash damage. I cut off the bent fender and grafted a new one on.

If you look at the bottom of my replies you'll see a link in my sig. Click on it for my build thread.

As long as you are within 3mm (three dimes) in any direction you'll be fine The cars were hand fit. You see alot of them with the quarter panel lips closer to the tire on one side of the car than the other, head light eyebrows and coveras slightly different from one side to the other, hood and rear lid alignment slightly off. You appear to be doing what it takes to get where you need to be. I would still trust the triangles to assist in setting the height of the sill.

Very impressive.

Funny, I just brought the nose of my parts car home this past weekend because MY passenger side headlight bucket is also poorly repaired.

Looking at the pics of my dad autocrossing the car in the 70's when he owned it originally, I'm thinking it was damaged and repaired poorly back then. The gaps around the headlight appear the same--not good.

The nose also looks like it was stubbed (hood frame rubs it on the inside). You've inspired me.

Thanks again

Hey, Rick.

I think I already screwed myself on the triangles. When I was modifying them because they were too long and flying past the bottom of the long cover, I went ahead and welded them to the long with it clamped in place, locating them by mounting the sill temporarily with screws.

My big idea on this was that I could then POR-15 the inside of the long and not burn the stuff off later. Well, either way, I'm still going to have to burn some of the interior treatment whether it be when I permanently install the sill or when I reinstall the "box" on the bottom of the hinge pillar. Oh well.

I should still be able to hold up the portion of the sill forward of the front triangle to keep the lower door gap parallel when welding.

Thanks for your input. You're a wealth of info.

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you'll get it. Sometimes it's one step forward two steps back.