C-3 front "clip" question Please Help!

[Ciro A.]

I recently bought an 81 Vette. The previous owner said it was involved in a minor fender bender on the drivers side. The frame is straight and the car tracks well. The problem I have is there is about a 1/4 to 3/8 of shims on the upper drivers side door hinge, this causes the window to track outside of the weatherstripping seal instead of within the slot. I took the car to a body shop that is familiar with Corvettes and He said that the shop that worked on the car previously "glued the front end on wrong" and that they used the shimms to line up the door to account for the mistake. When I asked him how difficult it would be to shift the fender over a 1/4 inch to the right he explained how the fenders are "glued" and its a very big job costing alot! Is this guy "yanking my chain" or is it really a big job? the rest of the seams (hood and right fender) are fine so the car is not bent..just the left fender is not quite aligned.
Any help or tips are appreciated, Thank You in advance!
Ciro

[Mike M.]

Re: C-3 front "clip" question Please Help!

agree with body shop owner--big expensive job to correct. good luck, mike

[Terry F.]

Re: C-3 front "clip" question Please Help!

I am not that familiar with that late of a C3 but there is considerable adjustment that can be obtained by adjusting the window guides on the inside of the door. If you have a shop manual or assembly manual, I would consult it. Typical number of shims on each door hinge is about 2 (based on my experience). Good luck, Terry