One of the marks of a well-made vehicle is consistent gaps wherever panels come together. Whether it’s a door closure, a hood, or a trunklid, the ideal is finish requires all gaps to be the same distance all the way around. The problem when you’re restoring or refinishing one is that not all cars were made that great to begin with. In your search for perfection, you might find yourself compensating for poor build quality along with age and wear.
Here is a time-tested method that works great for closing up wide gaps on panels with a rolled edge. This includes doors and trunk lids on most vehicles and may also include the hood in some cases. The wrap-around edge lends itself well to a little bit of prosthetic extension in the form of welding rod.
In this video, our man Mark shows us how he got a tight 3/16-inch gap on the door of a Datsun 240Z project before it was prepped for paint. The method may not be new, but it never fails to impress.
Anything special about the mig welder you used to tack the drill rod
What is drill rod
Could you align the door to the quarter and then align the fender to the door?