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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs" data-source="post: 382221" data-attributes="member: 2992">I am a retired product, process and tooling engineer for automotive. Gaps were not a big concern back then. You are talking about a 5 year throw away car that is now 50 years old. If you did not take your chassis to the frame shop before you started you cannot win. The chassis can be bent by jacking up wrong. The rust hast take at least 50% of the strength away also. I would ask also are you doing gaps sitting on tires with weight of engine and all the pieces there? If not it will be different when you do add the weight.    I have a California 197 vert that does not have a rust hole anywhere. If I pick it up using 2 post lift under the torque boxes and the front of the rear spring mounts I cannot open and close the doors. It is physics that cannot be denied.    Yes if you want perfect gaps you will have to cut and weld and if you do without the full weight of car it will be wrong again.    I bought a failed build and everything was good until I got to the drivers side quarter panel. I will have to split a NOS Ford quarter panel and add material to correct a 1/2" error he made.    The factory fixtures could only vary a few thousandths of an inch due to the loactors and net surfaces. Rust, incorrect lifting and then panel install without a JIG just builds errors. Everyone wants to blame the repo panels but most blame is the builder.</blockquote>

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