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Post by 65jeff442 on Oct 31, 2020 13:45:53 GMT -5
Hi all, First time posting on the site and a new olds owner. I just got a 1965 442 Convertible about a month ago. Was really fortunate to find a car with virtually no rust! I am having some issues with a bit of door sag and was wondering how the new hinges offered by Fusick work. Has anyone had experience with these: www.fusickautomotiveproducts.com/prodinfo.asp?number=DH645LI want to get the car painted in the next couple months and figured i should take care of the door issue before I make her look pretty. Thanks for any help you can give. Also, how tough is it to reset the doors and get them aligned after adding new hinges?
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Post by oldolds88 on Oct 31, 2020 21:10:48 GMT -5
mark the position of the old hinges before you remove the old ones,or use the old paint lines,that will put you in the ballpark. dont tighten the hinges totally till youre done,snug to hold the door,yo adjust you may need to smack hinge with a hammer and flat bar,where they bolt to the body loc,move upper hinge foreward,pulls the rear of door up lowwer hinge brings it down. bolts on hinge to door move door in or out,upper does top lower is bottom. you should be close enough that you only need minor taps to adjust. make sure your striker bolt is in good shape,they get worn down with bad hinges. line door then line stryker,again up,down,in, and out,slightly loosen and tap till door closes. check all gaps,they sjould be even all around . you can use a piece of wood the size of the gaps you have now,to check. its a lot easier done than said.
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Post by joepadavano on Nov 1, 2020 11:35:36 GMT -5
The trick to door alignment is to remove the striker bolt. Now get the door aligned without using the striker to force it into place. Once you do that, reinstall the striker bolt and use modeling clay in the latch to check alignment as you lightly close the door (just like it shows you in the Fisher Body Manual - what a concept!). Use the imprint on the clay to adjust the striker position accordingly. If the striker bolt is worn from the sagging hinges, replace it.
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Post by 65jeff442 on Nov 1, 2020 20:44:52 GMT -5
Thanks for the great information. Now I just need to set aside a weekend to take the front end apart. I have the 1965 Cutlass Assembly manual and the 1965 Oldsmobile Body Shop Manual. I'll spend the next few days going through those to get familiar with the steps to get to the hinges...
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Post by island65cruiser on Nov 2, 2020 15:12:02 GMT -5
Welcome to the site. Paint the hinges before you install them. It helps if you have a floor jack. Pad the jack cup, or put a piece of wood over it, and put it under the door for support as you adjust hinges. You can move the door to almost closed position on the jack to eyeball it. Doors seem to get heavier the longer you work on them! Also, tape the rocker and quarter panel edges to avoid scuffing the body if you slip up. Paint mixing sticks make great soft shims to hold your gaps on the rocker and pillar.
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Post by 65jeff442 on Nov 2, 2020 19:59:24 GMT -5
Thanks Cruiser. Great suggestions. I have a nice shop to do the work in with floor jack, jack stands and other goodies. I'll be using all those suggestions you gave. Also have a 16 year old son I'll enlist to help.
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Post by rag on Nov 5, 2020 19:11:46 GMT -5
I just put new hinges on my '65 442, bought them from Ames, less expensive then Fusick and the same hinge, worked perfectly. I used a door dolly from Harbor Freight to hold doors to remove hinges after marking them. No problems.
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Post by 65jeff442 on Nov 7, 2020 15:38:33 GMT -5
Thanks for the info on the door dolly. I didn't even know there was such a thing.
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