The doors on my '67 convertible don't close well. It is necessary to slam them to have them close to the second stop.

The hinges don't seem worn. The new weatherstripping may account for some of the problem. The back edge of the doors also seems to raise about one-quarter inch when they close, which likely creates resistance and makes them hard to close. If I lower the striker in the jamb, then the door panel doesn't align with the quarter panel.

I've tried loosening the adjustment screws for the hinges on the door pillar. But there isn't room for a regular Phillips screwdriver with the fenders on, and screwdriver ends with a vice-grip just slip on some of the bolts. Since the paint is good, I don't want to remove the fenders.

Any ideas on how to loosen the adjusting screws? And any other tips on how to make the doors close better?

Thanks!!

north,
" If I lower the striker in the jamb, then the door panel doesn't align with the quarter panel."

Sounds like the hinges are worn out to me, or if not, they are out of adjustment.

Northern,
The new rubber is THE problem. Yes it sounds like the rear door is too low in the rear, but that is another issue. It has nothing to do with the hard closing. Alignment "could" be a cause,but just being low in the back isn't.

You are in a pretty tough place alright, those hinge bolts are a mutha. FIRST, lets start at the begining. These doors have not been off or adjusted then? It sounds like you have a nice car that has recently been painted with the doors on it. The doors opened and closed normally or you would have done something about it before it was painted right? Stop me if I am wrong, so now, you have this car back from the paint shop and the in your reassembly of the car you have installed new repro door rubber, right? Well, THAT is your problem.

A quarter inch is a long way down, but are you SURE it has to go up that far? Was the door fitting right before you installed the rubber? Could you move the striker down just a little to get a happy medium? At least for now, until you figure out the rubber issue.

You can, with a tool a bodyman uses, lift the back of that door slightly. With the door open about a foot This bar fits over the striker and has "striker" of it's own about a foot from where it rests on the striker. This bar extends another couple of feet past the door and this "striker" it has that you have inserted in the latch on the door. You lift up on the bar and it..yes, bends hinges or whatever and you lift the back of the door. It is used everyday for weld on hinges in late model cars and in cases such as yours.

Is the door in too far at the fender? Or is it too far forward? These are two conditions that could cause the door to shut hard, the rubber has to be compressed too much at the hinge piller.

But honestly, the door fit BEFORE you installed the rubber right? Sooooooo, either you bought junk rubber and it is just too thick and or too hard, or you installed it wrong. You could possibly installed it too far out towards the jamb and it can't compress enough. What ever the case,here is what you do (if the door fit before you installed the rubber) you close it on the first latch, and leave it for a few days. Then come back and see if it will shut. If it will go to the second latch but is still tight,shut it and leave it. See how it is in a few days.

there are there major players in the aftermarket weather strip Business.
Steel
Softseal
Metro

soft seal has the dense foam and requires a BREAK in period and re adjustment after installation.
Metro is a softer (less dense ? ) foam and my only require ONE adjustment after installation.

Steel.. I never used any of there door seal products but have used there windshield, window gaskets with good success..

But as MartinSR pointed out.. The Door must fit 100% (I like to trial fit the door with OUT the striker installed)
After adjusting door with it's bolts or the Door Wounder Bar.
Then install the striker to
A: keep the door shut
B: And it set's the doors position in and out ,relative to the rear 1/4 panel.

The car, which I bought recently, already had the door weatherstrip installed. It looks quite new, likely installed within the past year or two.

It sounds as if I should try to adjust the lower hinge backwards a little to raise the rear edge of the door(s) a little. But loosening those Phillips head bolts in that confined space is a problem. Although I have a lot of screwdriver heads that I can fit a vice grip or ratchet onto, none will grip well enough to loosen the bolts. I'll keep trying.

Sorry to barge in on this thread but I had a related question.

Can the door striker be removed completely. I want to replace it with one where the allen head is not stripped out. I loosened it with vice grips but it seems like if I keep loosening it, whatever is holding it on the other side of the sheet metal will fall down into the quarter panel. Is that the case or can i just remove it?

Thanks
Greg

It should have a cage nut and will not fall out unless someone has broken the cage and put a regular nut on it.

On examining the door a bit more, it seems the biggest cause of the door being low in the back and closing hard is that there is inadequte clearance between the windshield pillar and the chrome piece at the front of the door windows. The windshield pillar moves a little when the door is closed or opened. The weatherstrip in there seems quite squished, but still likely causes resistance. But even without the weatherstip, it still would be tight.

I removed the fender, loosened the hinge bolts, and moved the door backwards about 1/8 inch. It still binds at the windshield pillar, but not quite as much as before. The door may close a little better, but still not great.

I don't suppose there is any adjustment possible on the angle of the windshield pillar on a convertible??

the only way to adjust a windshield pillar is a frame tower-machine or pota-power.. :eek:

But you can adjust your vent window. There are a number of adjustment in-out, up-down and for-aft.

A Fisher Body manual will help , because once you adjust the vent you probably will have to adjust all the other Glass to fit, both Glass to glass seals but also the glass to the conv top weather seals. : :rolleyes:

Hey Northern, did you get this straightened out? I wanted to say that the moving of the post is kinda normal, they do move a little.

And that rubber up there was smashed down pretty thin, even from the factory.

Agreed Martinsr.. But just like a door or hood Gap.. The Vent window to the Pillar post should represent a uniform gap between the cast wing window radius and the pillar post.
I to am interesting in his findings..
1. Was this with the top UP in the locked down position..
2. is the car sitting on it's wheels or on jack stands and where are the stands supporting it.

My old 69 Rag when on a two post lift (read old time , My Fathers Mobil Service Station circa 1973) you could not open the doors !!! when in the lifted position

"2. is the car sitting on it's wheels or on jack stands and where are the stands supporting it."

I don't think this is the case, but boy is that a good point to make. I am amazed at how much the cowl will move on these convertibles. I have a rust free, I mean like new frame under my Gran Sport, as are the rockers and such, super solid. I lift this car on a two post lift putting the feet under the "torque boxes" at each corner of the passenger compartment and you can't even open the doors when it is up in the air!

This is why I preach, have the car on it's wheels or on jack stands under the axle and control arms to make any body panel adjustments. And in fact,under the control arms doesn't even subject it to the same forces as if it were on the wheels. It really makes a difference I'll tell you that.