I know door gaps is an old story, but I am at a crossroad in regard to what I am going to do with my beloved 914. I had inner stiffing kit installed and the guy did not install temp bracing to prevent heat shrinkage thus my door gaps puled in, so now I have very little gap between door and body. This problem is more prevalent on the passenger side then the drivers.
Later I had the Restoration Design long clamshells installed by another shop to stiffen the car. We also would attempt to possibly move the door gaps a little in the process. This did not work, but the long stiffeners really improved the stiffness of the car and it handles very well.
My real question here is can anything be done to the car at this point to widen the door gaps?
Other than the gap issue, the car is pretty much a new, all the bushing, suspension, engine rebuild etc. are done, the interior is in very good condition.
I have had this 914 for 10+ years “my 4th one” it’s excellent for autocross, but the value of the car may be in jeopardy if I can’t resolve the gap problem.
Any suggestion for you body guys would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Mike

Post a few pictures of the problems all around the car.

I am not an expert but I have to say something as a warning to members.

A welder did a demonstration where he took a very strong thick pipe 6 ft. long and welded a line (bead) on it going the long dimension. As it cooled it curled in. A lot.

You have strengthened the shit out of your longs and I think you would have to cut some and bend your car and weld it back with great care. Very slow letting it cool after each short weld.

This is a major worry on buying a used 914 that has been welded by POs as far as what is going on with the past repairs?

I think you will need the help of a pro.

Bob B

The only way to fix it now is by a competent frame shop, preferably one that's familiar with vintage uni-body cars

Oh thats too bad but you can fix it. I welded supports in before i did anything. Also took measurement s but time will tell if it paid off when i am completely done..

You can cut them ....camber the car in the opposite direction and then reweld it. I would take it to somebidy that has done it before and can make sure your tub is straight. Not the local muffler shop.

The longs are nothing more than formed 18 gauge sheet metal. Welding those kits in especially the amount of weld and way the welding is done....can have a tremedous effect. The stressed induced is in KIPS.

I.ve done two Engman kits and you just cannot under estimate the time and amount of caution required to do it. Particulary on somebody elses car.

it can be fixed. I agree, go find a place that knows what they are doing.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...l=gaps&st=0

I know next-to-nothing, but would it work if you had at least the longs to bare metal,
repeat heating part of the long to a low temp like 300F, brace solidly only as it cooled?
Basically reverse of the welding shrinkage problem.

It would need to get a but hotter so the metal was in a plastic state. That is how we stress relieved new aircraft fuselage when pulling them out of a fixture.

Let me charge my camera battery and I'll snap some pictures. Mike

The wrong way to fix it would be to just grind the edges of the doors. It's been done before.

Even if you have braced the car the amount of stress put on the car are huge.
Frist you have to think that the car is now in many layers because of the Engelmann long kit that is over the inside of the longs. Plus the exterior long clamshells are another layer.

The idea to grind the doors may not be right but if they close OK and the top goes on the car and fits, and the windows close you could do that. Pars of doors are cheep as well to try it. Sounds like you have been driving your car so they may fit and you are bugged on the gaps.

The value of our cars will be scrutinized in the further as the price just keeps going up. Cars that have had restoration done will need to have full documentation on the work with detailed pictures for further buyers to review.

There have been so many 914 that have had patches done to them that the cars may or may not be in restored shape. Some people think that there is a Magic Bullet to stop rust. There really is only cutting it out back to solid steel and doing the right job on fixing it.

This board is a place where people car go to see what a person has done to bring their car back from almost junk. Fix them right and hopefully they will last for 40 more years.
Fresh paint jobs will hide a lot. Just like in a house. Get a fresh paint job and it covers up the years of damage and people cannot always find the problems till some time has passed and it rains or is windy

Bob B

[quote name='burton73' date='May 26 2017, 03:33 PM' post='2489902']
Even if you have braced the car the amount of stress put on the car are huge.
Frist you have to think that the car is now in many layers because of the Engelmann long kit that is over the inside of the longs. Plus the exterior long clamshells are another layer.

The idea to grind the doors may not be right but if they close OK and the top goes on the car and fits, and the windows close you could do that. Pars of doors are cheep as well to try it. Sounds like you have been driving your car so they may fit and you are bugged on the gaps.

The value of our cars will be scrutinized in the further as the price just keeps going up. Cars that have had restoration done will need to have full documentation on the work with detailed pictures for further buyers to review.

There have been so many 914 that have had patches done to them that the cars may or may not be in restored shape. Some people think that there is a Magic Bullet to stop rust. There really is only cutting it out back to solid steel and doing the right job on fixing it.

This board is a place where people car go to see what a person has done to bring their car back from almost junk. Fix them right and hopefully they will last for 40 more years.
Fresh paint jobs will hide a lot. Just like in a house. Get a fresh paint job and it covers up the years of damage and people cannot always find the problems till some time has passed and it rains or is windy

Bob B
Well my top fits fine and my windows roll up and seal. The passenger door must be slammed to close it tight, to open I open from the inside, thou side handle is very tight so I don't want to brake it. I my be able to adjust the door latch, but really don't know how at this point. I must do something to fix the problem, I will take the advice from all and make a decision. I just retired so money is not as plentiful. Mike

Fly Rick Ollah down..... feed him and pay him and he will fix you car.

Or read the thread that was posted and do it yourself.

Mike,

Lets see the pictures of the gaps. The right door may need an adjustment. To open and maybe you just grind the door to look right as Perry said.

One or the guys can help you with the latch. Texas is a big state. Who do you know in Texas that could look at it? Here in Southern California we have a lot of tenner brothers. Well we have a lot of cars.

You spoke of the fear of the value of your car for resale that may be some time off.

Bob B

I'm having difficulty uploading pic's, but I think this will show the problem Pass Side
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Wow, that really is tight and almost certainly in need some to open up. I'm guessing at this point you have no method of recourse with the two shops?

What does the other side look like?

Porta power?

The drivers side is out of tolerance, but better then the passenger side. The guy who screwed it up is no longer in business "for good reason". I told him to brace the openings before welding and I even gave him the drawing showing all th 914 dimensions', but he went out on his own path. I was sick over it, but the harm was done. Mike

After seeing the pics, I'll 2nd my earlier post.

Before I saw the pics, I thought you might be able to "cheat" by doing the edge grind and latch hack, but this is way beyond that. So sorry.

If you have any relationship with legal counsel, I'd at least file a suit. Take it to a frame shop and see what the cost to pull it straight, and sue for that amount. That guy has caused damage to your car, and is responsible.

I'll second the post on how to fix it.

It can be fixed fairly easily by cutting the kit where it ties in only and not the longs.

Good luck and sorry about what happened.

It looks bad. Look at the picture of the inside long kit and they may have welded it more than just the areas where the holes are.

Where it ties in is all over the inside of the long. You would have to grind all the welds out and then try the Porta Power. Huge mess. Big money but that is the only way to do it right. Go to a pro or live with it. Sorry you are having this problem

Bob B
Click to view attachment

My 914 as it sits last year
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Thanks Bob and everyone. I am very grateful for your suggestions and comments and most of all taking the time to post. Yes I can live with it, and may have to due to the cost to repair, but I'll look around the area and get some consciences from the pro's and make a decision. Respectfully. Mike

I had an issue where my striker was hitting. I removed the striker from the door jam and using a belt sander, I removed some material. This made a huge improvement.

I also had a problem with the mechanism. Outside the car, to was fine. Installed in the car it would bind. I needed to loosen one of the mounting screws and the binding went away. Now the door opens smoothly using both handles
Click to view attachment

I disagree. The kit is basically the same thickness as the long. What happens is that it shrinks the metal on one side and starts to curl the one side as the welds shrink it.

The cross piece is what ties everything together. If it is cut in the corner you can actually jack the car up strategically and with a porta power curl the car the other way and then just weld up the cuts. You don't need to cut the whole kit out.

Now...what makes it really stiff is the outside clamshells that the OP said was welded on after. If he only did the inside kit it is a fairly easy fix. He said he did the RD kit as well...then that's a different story.

Good luck. Maybe you can live with it. Drive it. As long as the doors shut, then all is good.