Fixing Door hitting Fender Damage

[guinelle1]

on my 79 i have some damage where the door hit the fender. both edges were "curled" in toward the truck. i was able to pull the damage about 70% out flush. after removing and re-adjusting the door my door gap is pretty good but the damaged area has a much larger gap. the gap is nice at the top, widens in the middle, and gets nice again at the bottom of the door. i am not a body man by any means and this is definitely no show truck.. im just trying to make it look decent. i know the door is most likely aftermarket and the fender looks to be original. im looking for any advice on closing up my door gap in the center. i tried prying and pulling the lip out but with the way the edge is bent its very stiff and its difficult without seriously damaging the door. ive seen people tac weld wire to close up door gaps... any body guys on here?

[bake74]

     To do it right, you are going to have to pull the fender off.  If you want it close, you can work it out while it is on.  Can you post a pic/pics so we can see ourselves.
     You also should check the door itself for alignment and the door hinges to make sure they are not worn out and sag when opened.

[guinelle1]

ill try to get a picture tomorrow. the fender is as far forward as it can go. it almost needs to be spaced further out to line up with the door. this door doesnt sag at all and the hinges are tight. the drivers door is worse but the gap is perfect on that side.

[bake74]

ill try to get a picture tomorrow. the fender is as far forward as it can go. it almost needs to be spaced further out to line up with the door. this door doesnt sag at all and the hinges are tight. the drivers door is worse but the gap is perfect on that side.

     Is this the OEM fender ?  Has it ever been off ?  Maybe it was not shimmed properly if it was off before.

[guinelle1]

hey i got some pictures, as you can see the gap is pretty good except for in the center. the fender needs to be shimmed a bit but that is no big deal. im contemplating skimming a coat of bondo and just painting it. it doesnt look that bad. like i said this is no show truck.

[bake74]

      You are missing material in the middle for sure.  Is that fender and door OEM or aftermarket, or do you know ?  The top and bottom are almost touching, and the middle has a big gap.
      So the shape of the fender or door or both are not right.

[guinelle1]

I "think" the fender is oem. the door is definitely aftermarket. to be honest its way better then it was. i just was looking for some advice to push the door back out. i actually took the door off and tried beating and pullthing that edge back where it needs to be. the door seems to have suffered more damage then the fender. the rolled edge at the door makes it difficult to pull it back

[bake74]

     Rolled edges can be hard and frustrating.  There are some body working video's online that would help you out if you haven't seen them yet.  They could give you some idea's that maybe you have not thought about yet.