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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Body, Glass & Paint => Topic started by: yellow76 on December 11, 2004, 03:30:00 pm

Title: alinging body panels
Post by: yellow76 on December 11, 2004, 03:30:00 pm

OK I am going to go crazy,
I pulled off my hood, both front fenders and both doors to replace the rockers, cab braces and floor pans.
(Yes I do know my stuff on fabrication) Now comes the fun part-- on reassembly I am running into some problems getting this thing lined up right.
No matter what I do I can not get the fenders to line up with the doors and the hood to line up with anything.
Distance on all gaps is good at approx 1/4 inch. its just in and out all over.
Is there some Starting point I should know about.
Note: this truck was never lined up upon purchase.
It seems as though the fit and finish of these old trucks was just not good as it could be.
Does anyone have measurments or any ideas that would help?
I know its not a dang Mercedes or something but I think it should line up better than this.
Thank you in advance for any help provided.
Truck is a 76 chevy C-10 stepside shortbox

76 stepside 2wd
GMPP 350/350
basicly a big money pit, but a lot of fun.

Title: Panel, hood fit
Post by: Mr Diesel on December 12, 2004, 07:49:00 am

It sounds like they are aftermarket parts. Look for GM stampings on them. If they are aftermarket you will never get them perfect.  

Title: Re: alinging body panels
Post by: yellow76 on December 12, 2004, 09:43:00 pm

yes sir you may be right.
I would not know where to start to find GM stampings on the doors and the fenders. This truck and I have been very intimante over the years and I have never seen any GM stamping on her. I do belive the fenders are factory, I am sure the hood is not. The doors are also the same factory white paint underneeth. Shes only been repainted once.
Any ways I am starting to get it as close as its gonna get and thats just going to have to be good enough. (Man thats hard to accept though.) I have measured various point to point items and have found some wild numbers from side to side.
As much as 1/4 inch out.
Yeah this is a lot of fun.
I just love watching these guys build a hot rod in 7 days and I cant even line up the doors and fenders in 7 weeks.
Oh well it is a great hobby and it gets me away from the wife's mouth. HA

76 stepside 2wd
GMPP 350/350
basicly a big money pit, but a lot of fun.

Title: the body is hard to get lined up
Post by: 87swb on December 12, 2004, 09:53:00 pm

i know what you mean. my 87 fleetside swb isn't perfect. i used to gripe and complain about it all the time. my bodyline on the left side of the bed is higher than the cab bodyline on the left side which means the right side of the bed is lower than the right side of the cab bodyline. my drivers side door at the bottom two corners stick out a little. i know on the fleetside models that the bed sticks out more either on the right side or on both sides of the cab. and my truck is in dang good shape. new paint,no rust. but anyways there are shims and slots that are suppost to line some of that stuff up. only thing i would do is if you have the old panels match the new ones up with the old ones to see where they mount and line up or look off of someone else's stepside that year or close to that year if you can. the hood to fender gap is hard to line up too. i've yet to see a truck that has the exact same gap clearance on both sides.that's about all i know to tell you.

Title: Body lines
Post by: Blazin on December 14, 2004, 09:12:00 am

When you put the rockers on did you check the door fitment before welding? I start with the doors. Get them lined up good with the cab first, you might need to move your hinges a bit. Then your fenders. You might need to losen your core suport if the fenders wont go forward or back enough. As for the top of the fender where it meets the a pillar if that needs to come out which is the case most times, losen the fender bolt in the door jamb remove the one under the hood. ( I use paint stir sticks ) stick them in between the cab and fender top. Tighten the bolt down to slightly bend it out. Hope this helps a bit.