3.0 RS underway

[74rsman]

Bit the bullet today and tried again with the qtr panel. I chickened out last week as it looks like it will never fit however.. I got to thinking and the key word I though was .. Drum skin!

I remember someone saying it needs stretching across the car so I started experimenting with clamps in some positions then pulling to position and got a good feel for it.

So currently its tack welded info position near the c frame, the b post top is in place, poss a tiny bit high, the rear lid section is going to work out so the main thing is for me to work down the bpost getting the panel gap right and door shape in though proceeding with caution is the plan. I've tacked the edges so I can hammer it to nudge and can pull and tack tension in the right directions.

I might fit the door latch and a bit of old door seal to be happy before I finalise it.
Once past the fear or destroying an expensive qtr panel.. I'm kinda enjoying it. The bottom bit by the sill seems to be the trickiest bit.. I'm probably buggering it all up but hey ho I'm learning!

[murph2309]

That's starting to take shape - admiring the tenacity you're putting into this - I couldn't do any of this. Or dare to. Fair play.

[sladey]

Personally I would be working back from the front. Get the front of the door sitting right against the A pillar and at the top - you won't be able to adjust that other than by moving the door. Once you're happy that the door is in the right place use that as your data point and get the door shut right. The bottom of it is still awkward.

Once the door shut is right then yes you can move the panel about to get it to fit in the other places as well.

The door shut line is what everyone will see so make sure that's spot on - but make sure the door is in the right place first.

Just my 2c - there's plenty of people out there with a million times more experience than me and I'm happy to be corrected

[911hillclimber]

Having done my own major surgery on my 73T many years ago (when Barry was an apprentice somewhere and his current standards were not around) I did exactly as Sladey suggests.

It was my first 911 shell and I needed to fit new door skins. Did the skins first (avoid Dansk) and then the door is your gauge. Have you looked hard at your doors yet?

With the wings in their one and only correct position the door next the sill outers and then the rear wings which will move about =/- 3mm the gaps can be set all round.
All the panels have a movement and the fronts being bolted makes things so easy.

Similarly, the bonnet and engine lids are the gauges too. You need to use these fixed panels during final placement of those rear wings.

As he says, your work will be judged by those door and other panel gaps.

Keep going, DIY shells are hard to do!

If it helps, the Lindsay Porter book on restoring the 911 shell has a lot of useful dialogue and pictures. It was my guide back in 1988.

[74rsman]

Cheers, good advice, im award of working from front to back, my bonnet and doors haven't been off and I'll refit the front wings before finalising the door gaps at the back of the door. Its clearly something that's going to take a while to get right. Cheers all

[911hillclimber]

Yes, both sides take for ages and then after paint you need to get back to where you were before!

Patience is a virtue and required...

[74rsman]

Measure cut measure cut cut hammer cry swear tack cry pray hammer cut weld sob pray hammer tack. And then, lo, it started to behave a little

[Bruce M]

Self-tapping screws are helpful for aligning panels and checking gaps before laying down welds.

[sladey]

Self-tapping screws are helpful for aligning panels and checking gaps before laying down welds.

+1 they are brill

[74rsman]

Daft question, the door sits a wee bit low,. I need to raise the top edge where it closes about 5mm since the top corner of the window frame is low against the roof/seal. (Unless I can raise the door window frame itself within the door?

I looked at the bottom door hinge and wondered if that was the place to pack out a bit.

Then I got confused as the hinges don't have any packing out, I can't remember ever seeing any on a 911 either, so all in, hows best to adjust the door a little.

[911hillclimber]

My doors had Porsche packers when I took it apart under the hinges from original.
I needed more at the time (1989) so simply made some from 0.5mm alum sheet.

[Cortina]

Shims for doors fit behind each set of three "bolts" that hold them on ... this gives you the out adjustment (There should be shims fitted as standard ... removing them gives you the in adjustment)

Next door movement : The tapped plates the doors bolt to (the three bolts mentioned above ) ... gives you flexibility , as the plates SHOULD move about.

Next : Door frames ... NOT relevant to door fitting . Get the door panel right relative to everything else - NOTE , in your case (as in most) this may mean rear wing adjustment while fitting , to suit the door .... kind of tricky to adjust after !!!

Later , when that is all done ... fit frames to suit , yes they do adjust in all directions.


Now you know why Porsche panel fitting is not a five minute job.

[stretch]

Did you move your door whilst working on the rear quarter.? If not, then your problem is the height you have put the rear quarter on at.
If you start moving everything by guessing you will forget what you have moved. Is your torsion bar hole in the rear quarter exactly in line, front to back, top to bottom..? Will your rear quarter window fit and open ok with the anodized trim and rubber on it. ?

Just a few things I would clarify before moving anything else.

[911hillclimber]

Yes, the alum trim strips have to be in this equation esp as they fit in different ways.

This brings back memories!

[74rsman]

I've not moved the door and I checked the top edge of the window and im spot on now. My problem was checking it with new seals temporarily fitted and comparing it with a car with aged seals where they flatten out over time and fill gaps. Also the seal that goes over the door frame needed to be in since the frame slips under that, so all good.
Thanks for the pointers though.