Are early and late model doors interchangeable? Can you use a latter model door on a 1970 car and have it fit correctly?

I have been told that I have late model doors on my 70 six, but I don't know the difference

The doors do fit. But you need to change the seals on the side of the Targa top to properly fit the new glass. I don't think any other changes are required, but I could be forgetting something.

--DD

Dave...I can't remember about the seals either...think your right.....most of my exchanges were early doors to a later chassis for weight savings on track cars....because of the door beam/"guard rail" weight.....most didn't retain the glass either

I put 74 doors on my 71. I used the window lifts and windows from the 74 and the targa top from the 74. everything fits fine and works/seals properly.

Paul are you saying you started with early doors (70-72) removed all the door & glass hardware (regulators & wing window support) replace that hardware with that from a late door & it all bolted up with no fabrication & no issues with seals?

No, I used the 74 doors/glass and hardware and installed them on my 71 chassis

I belive IMCHAPPY cut and welded-up his early doors for late windows and hardware to save some weight (no crash bar) and to have the better window lifts

Dave is correct. A complete door will fit either early or late but the seal on the targa top needs to match the year of the door, otherwise it'll leak.

The problem that I am seeing on a car that I am looking at is the vertical gaps. The front on both sides is very large 1/4" + and the rear gap is almost touching maybe and 1/8" - both gaps are evenly spaced. I do no see how it would be possible to have any adjustment to move the door forward with the hinge fixed in location on the doors with rivets. Is it possible that early (1970) doors have a hinge where the blots go through that is thinner? This would seem the only way to move the doors forward.

Did you have early doors on it that had good gaps ?

I was told be the present owner that the car did not have the gap problem with the original doors. They were changed to get the newer More reliable window mechanisms.

Any paint on the hinges where they mount to the body?

Did the door jamb get "pulled" when they removed the old doors?
There is a good amount of flex in the mounting points, so that would be a possibility.

If the front door gap is wide, were the front fenders replaced ? It's hard to mount them wrong. How wide is the gap between the fender and the cowl ?
Any chance there are washers between the hinges and the hinge post ?
All doors are the same length from 1970 to 1976
There is no conventional "forward" adjustment.

I know what Porsche48 is talking about. I have worked on this car. The doors are tight aganst the stricker plate when closed. There is no metal to metal touching. But the door are set back in the space. It is the same on both sides.

The question is not weather the doors are a different size or length, but is there a difference in mounting or something in the hinges?

Now I have seen 2 cars with this same issue and I talked with an owner at Ron & Glens swap meet who also had this problem putting late doors on an early car. What about something in the hinge plates themselves?

I have an early car and a set of late(ish) '73 doors in the shed. I'll go and have a look ...

Well, this is kind of interesting.

They actual hinges look identical and as far as i can tell are attached to the doors in the same spot (distance from the edge of the door skin).
However, the whole inner stamped metal portion of the door where the hinges mount is different between my '70 doors and the '73 doors.

I don't really see how that would matter in terms of how the doors align but maybe there is a slight difference ...

Did any one come up with a definitive answer to this question? Has anyone switched latter doors to an early car and NOT had this problem?