Put all the door seals on before bodywork?

[Kbl7td]

For those that have done their own body work, are you guys putting all the door seals in place first? The. Gapping and sanding? My door gaps look good but they shut a little finicky and sometimes are difficult to open or I have to slam shut to get the latch to lock. I’d really love to get these things perfect before starting the bodywork. So what’s the consensus?

[Jeff Kleiner]

I do them after paint.

Jeff

[GrooveM]

My question would be, do you need to compensate for the seals when setting the gaps and how the doors or hood close?

[Jeff Kleiner]

My question would be, do you need to compensate for the seals when setting the gaps and how the doors or hood close?

No. The seal will compress but the actual position of the door won't change because it's held in place by the hinge at the front and latch at the rear.

Jeff

[Namrups]

If your going to let someone else paint it, I would let them set the gaps and worry about the bulb seals. I worked with a local painter/club member and did 95% of the body work myself with him watching over my shoulder. I cut small 2" strips that I spaced around the door temporarily, not so much to get the gaps right but to ensure the face of the door and the body were aligned. I will be the first to say that I am not an expert and the pro's like Jeff know better than I do but it did work for me.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=194960&d=1706225576
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=198971&d=1714686396

[Kbl7td]

Ya so that is my worry, the seals pushing the doors out and then the body to door “flushness” not working out.

Yes I plan to do the body work, about to start, would be nice to have the doors completely sorted first. I don’t mind taking the seals off and buying new.