I'm looking at something I cannot see

[GPster]

My truck project id working aroung a '51 Chevy truck cab. I bought a pair of '47 to '50 doors on Ebay for the simplisity of no vent windows and so I could use my marginal '52 door for metal to finish the front of the cowl for the fender-less look. Because everything was gotten in pieces I can't tell what years of hinges I'm using or a combination of years. The hinges all bolt on properly and the passenger door seems to operate correctly but something seems to be wrong with the driver's side and the top hinge. With the hinge set furthest out in the door frame the edge of the door seems about an 1/8" too far in so that the front edge of the doorwants to dig into the door opening at the cowl. The bottom hinge seems to be correct but the door is at such a slant that the winddow frame at the top of the door would never close if the rubber was still in place. To me this cab ahs never been bent here and this hinge socket is so close to the bottom of the dashthat I would think that a hit would have to have been severe to move anything in this place. The hinge place on the door doesn't bear any damage that I can see other than surprise of the weight ofthe door when it was removeif the hinges were left on the cab. I'd like to get this door operating correctly so that the cowl re-design and repair can be done correctly. Anyone come up with this mix/match problem before? GPster

[enjenjo]

No. The hinges all interchange from 47 to 54, even on the big trucks, as well as the doors.

I have had hinges that were on doors that were sprung by being opened too far do this. you can fix that with a block of wood between the door and the cowl, close it on the block to straighten the hinge.

[GPster]

That's the kind of advise I was hoping for so now I know what help to ask for. This cab has no floor foreward of the seat riser and it's not on a stock frame so the only cab mounts are the shackle type arrangememt at the back at the back of the cab.The firewall is only there down to what would be the tops of the fenders. The door frames exist to the bottom of the doors but the cowl is non-existing from the top of the top hinge down. I would be affraid to try and spring the hinge back into shape with no more support than I have here. I'd like to build the floor, cowl, and cab-to-frame mounts around a door that will open properly. This cab also has some damage on the drivers side back door frame and the door I cut up may have been caught and flung open so that might explain the damage to the hinge if those parts were all together during the catastropy. My question has anyone got a spare hinge, driver's side top, sell or trade. Or does anyone have a cab lying aroung that is intact enough to do the bending that Enjenjo discribes to my spring? I may think of something else but the waterfall on the new pond is so loud in my garage that I have to go in there to look and come in the house to thinkabout it. GPster

[GPster]

I have had hinges that were on doors that were sprung by being opened too far do this. you can fix that with a block of wood between the door and the cowl, close it on the block to straighten the       hinge.

When the King talks you should listen.  I looked at it again the first thing this morning (11:30?)and saw a couple of bends in the hinge pockets that weren't on the other side. Put a little piece of rectangular tubing in between the door and cowl and started bending. Now the door is with-in hinge adjustment range. I was worried about not having the strength in the body to bend it with a wedge in it but my lower cowl area body mount is fastened to the bottom hinge pocket. Now I'll build a battery mount so I can free up the area and build my firewall. Thanks for having more patience with me than I do. GPster

[enjenjo]

glad I was a help.