Tunable Tension: An old fashioned fitment fix
Story and photos by Rotten “Rodney” Bauman
Gappin’ doesn’t just happen. When a body on a rotisserie must become reacquainted with the frame rails to which it belongs, or when new mounting pads and a box full of shims aren’t enough to square things up, you’ll likely twist panels and cut parts to get a good gap. In order to achieve panel alignment with uniform gaps, be prepared to do what’s necessary and think outside the box o’ shims.
Wood-framed bodies are particularly tricky and sometimes act as if they have memories or minds of their own. Surprisingly, however, this 1931 Cadillac convertible coupe body has held its shape quite well, both over the years and during its restoration. At the project’s early beginning, my metal-fabricating wife (Mrs. Rotten) welded some bolt-in bracing to keep the door jambs properly spaced during the time that the body would be off the frame. Backed by an additional bolt-in X-member, the bracing did its job. We also received a rare break, as the majority of this car’s original wooden body structure was still solid and strong.
During the old Cadillac’s disassembly, a two-post lift was used to raise the body as the chassis was rolled out from beneath and the rotisserie rolled in its place. With two lengths of 4×4, one on each side between the adjustable rotisserie and the body’s wooden floor, the body was bolted tight. During the frightening “frame to lift to rotisserie” procedure, I heard neither a creek nor a squeak, and I’m here to testify that I witnessed no body flex. Sure, the steps were well thought out and thoughtfully executed, but still, there’s no denying that luck was a factor — at least to that point.
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Mysteriously, after the paint work, things were not as I recalled. That was one of those “walk away” days, but when the rooster crowed the next morning, one possible solution had dawned. It worked for me. It could work for you too. Here’s how:
1 comments:
Fills any jamb & hood gaps by automotive masking tape, you can SAVE up to 30 minutes per car. Find jamb masking tape & hood masking tape at best price.
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