Drivers door alignment - 1987 Avanti Coupe

[IndyJimW]

First let me say that I am a professional mechanic and not a body man.

Purchased my 87 Avanti about 20 years ago, it had less than 70,000 miles on it. The black paint was faded on the fenders and hood and on the upper part of the drivers door where the door stuck out into the wind.. The upper part of the drivers door was adjusted away from the body about 1/2 inch.

The hinges were loose so I purchased rebuild kits and rebuilt them. Still could not get drivers door to align, I could get it adjusted close but then the door would rub the sill plate and be hard to latch.

Last year I was trying to adjust it again when it dawned on me (Read the first line again), when I purchased the car the upper part drivers door paint was faded from being in the wind for 70,000 miles. Could the hinge be bent wrong from the factory? The hinge is 1/2 to 3/4 inch aluminum, no way you could bent it without destroying the door (I have the original door with factory #'s and signed by builder inside).

I called Mike Baker @ Avanti Restorations and he had a hinge from a burnt up 1964.

The 1984 hinge is different then the 1987 hinge. The part that bolts into the pocket wouldn't bolt at the top, bend was at a different angle. The hinge is steel, not aluminum. I took the pocket part of the 1987 Hinge and mated it with the steel door part from the 1964, I installed it and it worked like a charm.

Just bad quality control from the factory. Don't know why the original owner didn't complain. I have the Invoice for this car - $34,000 in 1987.

 

 

Edited January 14, 2021 by IndyJimW

[brad]

People always assume slotting the outer holes will get the adjustments they need. Not so. If you take note of where the actual pivot of the hinge is, it is closer to the INNER holes. That is where you need to slot and adjust things. I have had such poor quality control on the fitting of factory doors, that I have had to break apart the skin from the shell, and re-glue to get things to fit. they ae often twisted. Also take note if the inner fiberglass that the hinge bolts to is not cracked, and allowing movement. That is very common. 

[IndyJimW]

I took both the 64 hinge and my 87 hinge and separated the parts. When I laid the bent strap of the 64 on top of the 87 you could see how the 87 was bent wrong.  Mine was just bent wrong from the factory.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[mfg]

3 hours ago, IndyJimW said:

I took both the 64 hinge and my 87 hinge and separated the parts. When I laid the bent strap of the 64 on top of the 87 you could see how the 87 was bent wrong.  Mine was just bent wrong from the factory.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

WOW!....truly poor quality control....hard to believe!

PS....very crafty what you did with the two hinges!!

Edited January 15, 2021 by mfg
added PS