Mustang door alignment. 1968 Mustang. Jade part 38

As I make progress on the 1968 Mustang, I wanted to demonstrate hanging the doors, and some adjustments that can be made. Hope this answers some questions.
Want to help support the channel? Consider becoming a Patron: / jo_daddy
My Amazon page: www.amazon.com/shop/jodaddysg...
As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

[@Dilligaf1954]

When I aligned the doors on my 68 coupe I had the door just as you showed but I used paint stirrers and wooden shims from Lowes and toe measure the gaps I made a gauge from plastic to make sure the gap was the same all around. When the panels were fitted exactly I drilled a small hole through the hinge and body so when the door had to go on again I used a small pin to align the door and amazing the door fit exactly as it did before and you do it with one person.

[@oleandreasjensen5263]

Thank you so much for making this video. - Door aligments could be a "nightmare" but with this video it will work out. - Thank you so very much for sharing.

[@joelpalmer]

Your videos are excellent. You explain everything in sufficient detail even for a layman like me. The quality of your work is superb. Thank you. joe

[@SprayWayCustoms]

I know where to come when it comes to these classic Mustangs...Jo Daddy's Garage. I'm working on a 66 and your knowledge have helped greatly.

[@Coldsweepinc]

Great video and some equally great comments from viewers that have tackled door alignment in the past. Thanks to all for the timely information.

[@Garydecresce]

I worked at a local Ford dealer in the early 70's. My job was new car prep and one of the often needed adjustments was the doors. The trick we used was a 3/4 inch dia brass bar and a 3 pound hammer. We would loosen the hinge bolts and use the hammer and bar to knock the hinges and striker to make the doors fit better. This actually works very well with a little practice. The latch striker really has to be in position first, then match the door to the striker. So we would adjust the striker up or down in or out so it matched the fender. Then adjust the door to match the striker so you get a nice click/clunk when the door shuts. No up or down movement and not in or out too far. just clunk and closed. With the bolts snugged just right the movement is very easy to control. Hope this helps. By the was some cars came from the factory and the doors would not even latch closed. S if you really want to be original don't be too fussy.

[@oleandreasjensen5263]

Thank you so much for sharing.

[@mariarappana]

Thank you for sharing😃

[@patriotsnhfan]

Your videos are great. Working on a 66 Mustang and your step by step explanation have been great.

[@heycouper629]

Tape a 1/4" thick piece of PVC or plastic anything that is 1/4" on the top of rocker panel. The door sits on that for a much quicker starting point.

[@dp7661]

Nice video Barry. Thanks for spreading your knowledge!

[@lewismartin9980]

Great tip learning everyday...thanks.

[@tomsellers7342]

Thank you for all your hard work that was very imformative.

[@porthose2002]

Very helpful video. I've been struggling with getting my doors aligned, but I've had the glass in the door, making it super heavy - especially by myself. Time to get that glass out and try again.

[@miltonevangelista6673]

Ty. Great info

[@greifill]

Very helpful video. I drilled two 1/8" alignment holes through the hinges, while they were still on the car and with the front fender still on. Then, I unbolted the hinges from the car and removed the driver's door with the hinges still bolted on to the door. Drilled two alignment holes in the door part of the hinges. I then rebuilt the hinges, painted them and installed them on the car first, then I bolted the door to the hinges. This lengthy and complicated process worked great in theory. But someone must have attempted to adjust the door before me or it was just done to the "close enough" specs at the factory. Not drilling any alignment holes through hinges again.

[@JoDaddysGarage]

I did the hole trick before. It worked, but seems unnecessary. I would assume someone had adjusted your doors with the worn out hinges in place. it might have worked fine if you didn't rebuild the hinges...

[@Vintagestallions9048]

good video, two suggestions, would have helped showing a scenario where the door corner sticks out or in and can be adjusted, also i recommend using just a simple clicket with a socket because you can loose the bolt just a bit in a controlled manner, with power tools you can't control that

[@JoDaddysGarage]

Good suggestions. I thought about that after I did my edit.

[@jayinmi3706]

I know it's not likely something you'd come across on the cars you build (mostly Mustangs) but I'd love to see how to adjust gaps on vehicles with weld on hinges. I watch a lot of channels where people build cars, and no one ever seems to cover it. I have an '89 S10 pickup I'm doing, and I wasn't the first one to get to it. lol.

[@JoDaddysGarage]

Not that I have a car to demonstrate on, but there was a bar we used at the body shop to make door adjustments.

[@christabor9170]

Skip to the 8:45 mark

[@amentia666]

I don't understand why you had to take the hinges off since the next thing you did was to put them back on. Was it to show us how to do everything from scratch? In that case, I'm really in awe! Imagine to do something for the full benefit of everyone BUT yourself!

[@JoDaddysGarage]

That's why I did it. So people can learn.

[@MrDfortuna]

Great video, very detailed! I am working on aligning my door and running into an issue. Gaps are perfect, height is good, but the rear lower corner is sticking out about 1/4" and i just can't seem to figure out how to adjust to get this where it needs to be, any suggestions?

[@JoDaddysGarage]

Hard to answer that.

[@sunsetdrive8844]

Hi Jo, very nice job ! I was wondering where did you find these rims ?After a long search, I didn't find them. Thanks for you help :)

[@JoDaddysGarage]

I don’t have a good answer. I bought them On a whim from a Craigslist ad.

[@a.darleneheisserer1028]

Would it work to tape paint sticks to the rocker panel and the b pillar, so you have guides to set the door up against before tightening the bolts or will that not work?

[@JoDaddysGarage]

You can do that to start, but the door will drop after you pull the paint sticks. All the weight has to be supported by the hinges.

[@Dilligaf1954]

The width of a paint stick is the space you should have around the entire door. Wood shims from lowes is good as it represents a wedge that you can adjust. when adjusting the shim should not be jammed in but it should just support the door slightly and yes the keyword is slightly.

[@Coldsweepinc]

I was able to adjust the drivers door on my 67 Cougar to fit very well, but the passenger door is giving me fits. Any thoughts on how to pull the rear corner of the door in more than the adjustments seem to allow? No evidence of damage to the door or car on the passenger side...

[@JoDaddysGarage]

You may have to elongate the holes in the upper hinge where it bolts to the door.

[@JonnyCrash]

My big question is, do you make some sort of mark to know where it sits? Or do you simply leave the doors on when you do the final spray for paint? Or do you pull the doors off for paint and then just have to fit them again?

[@JoDaddysGarage]

I'll leave the hinges on the car, remove the doors and prep for paint. I'll jam the doors and the door opening, rehang them, and spray the whole car. I won't take the doors off again.

[@JonnyCrash]

@@JoDaddysGarage That makes sense. Is that essentially what I have heard other paint and body guys refer to as "cutting in" the door jambs?

[@JoDaddysGarage]

@@JonnyCrash yes.

[@eddievantailn2882]

My first idea is to create some kind of rubber guide that would help me preset the front bottom and rear door gaps. Is this a valid idea?

[@JoDaddysGarage]

Worth a try. But even with that they tend to move afterwards.

[@eddievantailn2882]

@@JoDaddysGarage Thanks for taking the time to make videos, greatly appreciated for sure.

[@jerseyshoredroneservices225]

I have to do this on a 95 Thunderbird, with the fender on. Not looking forward to it...

[@joshuadoherty1188]

How do you replace the trim on the front window?

[@JoDaddysGarage]

There is a video for that in the Jade playlist

[@amentia666]

Are those Cragar rims? I had the same ones (at least they look the same from what I can remember) on my 1966 Ford Mercury Comet Capri in the mid 80's.

[@JoDaddysGarage]

Torque thrust copy.

[@a.darleneheisserer1028]

Will you take this back off to paint the A pillar?

[@JoDaddysGarage]

I might. I have left the hinges in place before, and painted over everything.

[@joebob344]

The only problem I'm having with my doors is the bottom back corner is sticking out past the rocker panel. The front of the door is fine with the rocker panel. I loosened the bolts that go into the door and got it to come in some but it's still sticking out pretty good. Any ideas for me?

[@JoDaddysGarage]

Are they original doors? How does the fender line up?

[@joebob344]

@@JoDaddysGarage Yes they are original doors. From what I remember the fenders were good. I haven't reinstalled yet. Just doing a mock up.

[@joebob344]

@@JoDaddysGarage One more question please. My passenger door is looking really good except the very top left. It's a little close to the top of the quarter panel. The top 1/2" roughly. I just want to move it a nudge and give it a tad more space there. Should I loosen the top or bottom hinge (hinge to body ones) and tap it down lightly to give me that relief I'm looking for.

[@gregworkshop5713]

hi barry door are hard to get rite .well dun