65 Coupe Body fitment

[Cincy123]

Starting the process of fitting the body on my Coupe. The rear aspect of the body is spot on. However, as seen in the photo with the ruler, there is about a .75 gap between the the top of the dash and the lip of the body over the dash. This seems to decrease somewhat after by placing the weight of the windshield and placing the bonnet on the front of the car to a more acceptable gap. I have the door sill of the body pulled in on each side flush with the inner aspect of the door sill frame. My big question is where the door hinge is going to come through the body (first pic also showing the pre-drilled FF hole), does the body need to be pulled in flush with the vertical part of the door frame (finger pointing to the area). If I do that the gap above the dash starts to buckle up even more exceeding an inch. Does the sides of the body need to be pulled in flush with the inner door sill as shown with the clamp? (Sorry I could not figure out how to rotate the pics once they are uploaded!)
Thanks for any advice out there!

[edwardb]

One step at a time.

Yes, there's a gap between the center of the dash and the body lip. The picture below was mine back from paint, final body fitting, and before windshield was installed. Gap at the center looks about the same as what you pictured. If the windshield is a relatively good fit you're where you need to be.

Yes, the bottom door sills should be roughly aligned with the inner edge of the frame. I say roughly because you may need to adjust one or the other in/out depending on how everything else lines up. As I recall, the vertical edge at the front of the door openings also lined up with the frame. But I wouldn't force either. With the rear of he body mounted per the instructions, which you indicate you've done, I'd immediately start mocking up the cowl (hood). Between the two (the main body section and the cowl) you'll find the best alignment and adjust each as necessary. Then do the doors last.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/ab234/edwardb123/IMG_1710.jpg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds (https://photobucket.com/u/edwardb123/a/186cc666-68d0-4881-b53c-af005ffe3552/p/9864a268-316a-4e2e-b466-429790434b8b)

[Cincy123]

Thanks Paul. Would you recommend putting the small rubber hood bumpers in place prior to doing the hood fitment/trimming?

[edwardb]

Thanks Paul. Would you recommend putting the small rubber hood bumpers in place prior to doing the hood fitment/trimming?

You'll need to play around with different heights and locations during the fitting. So yes. But I just tape them on during the process so they can be easily moved and/or changed. Then make them permanent when everything is done.

[Cincy123]

Thanks

[LateApex]

I'd like to echo Paul's suggestion that one should start with the body. What I have learned is that "Starting with the body" means first cleaning up all the cuts. And perhaps flattening out the interior of the body. Not all the cuts are critical to fitment. But certainly some like the side rails, the pontoons, the face of the body at the front of the door (where it meets the chassis) and perhaps also the radius of the windshield lip are in play as you center the body on the chassis. I too had some challenges lining up the door sills. I note that almost all almost all fiberglass lines need to be corrected. They are all rough cut as received.

Hope this helps a bit.

Off to my painter this Friday. I have been making a prodigious amount of dust out of fiberglass, structural adhesive and filler over this past week - Yikes :-)