Door adjustment....can it fit tighter

[mally002]

The drivers side door on my 73 240 closes fine but it's not a tight seal, in otherwords it's closed, but it still looks like its not shut all the way. Whats the best way to adjust this? I cleaned everything and it helped with the passenger door as it now closes perfectly, but I can't get the drivers side to close all the way.

Thanks for any input.

Randy

[ggarrard]

Randy - The striker plate on the door frame (under the car serial plate) can be loosened slightly and adjusted inwards. The best approach is to slightly loosen the 3 bolts, close the door gently, then push the door in. Open the door, and tighten the bolts. Check the closing action - you shouldn't have to slam the door to latch it...might take a few trys to get it where you want it.

GWGarrard

[Arne]

Try this tech article on door adjustment:

http://classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12484

[mally002]

Thanks guys,

I'll be trying these tips out later.

[TomoHawk]

You might want to use a sharp pencil to very lightly trace the outline of the striker plate before moving it.

Might.

[mally002]

Hey guys,

I tried everything to get the door to close better, but I think it may be more serious. I took the striker plate completely off and the door still will not go flush with the body. The top looks good, maybe a little tight where the chrome around the window is, but the bottom of the door when shut I can almost get my fingers between it and the car.....Hmmmmm.

Do ya'll think maybe the hinges are bent? Is the door crooked, or warped? This is all new to me. Is it hard replacing hinges, or might I need a new door.

Any thoughts....

Thanks,

Randy

[venom42]

Could it also be that your frame is a bit tweaked too? These cars are not known for being the most rigid chassis in the world.

[Ed]

Has it always been like this? Have the door seals been recently been replaced?

[=Enigma=]

It almost sounds like the front hinges are mis-aligned causing the top to be flush and the bottom to stick out. I'm not even sure if these are adjustable but my guess is that they are. You might give that a looksee.

[JimmyZ]

I've seen shims used under door hinges in certain situations. Aligning doors/panels is a pain and can easily kill a few hours.

My2c

[TomoHawk]

What are the shims like? Paper thin, or thick, like 2-3mm?

[a7dz]

Sounds like you may have a hinge that needs adjusted. Does the door open freely? What does the gap look like at the top and bottom of the door compared to the fenders? Is the gap at the bottom of the door tappered front to back, or is it even all the way?