3.5 Year Shell Restoration, build finally started

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
I haven't glued the door seals in yet so maybe time to get some thicker bulb seal.

Just a heads-up: Original (two piece) design main door seals were TWO piece, and did not require any glue application. As far as I am aware, the correct Precision-branded pattern parts are one piece (actually two sections glued together) and simply push on the pinch seam. The 'U' channel on the seal should be tight enough to hold it onto the pinch seam. No glue required.

You're very likely to be taking them on and off several times whilst you get the door & window frame fitting right, so you are better off not gluing them anyway.
 
Quite a complicated subject, as the 'early' cars (certainly pre-'74) didn't have the full seal at the quarter window front edge. That front edge of the (metal) quarter window frame was painted matt black, and had two small seals which were glued to the top and bottom corners. Later design had the single piece seal which was a slide-in fit to the frame.

Never knew that. Continuous development I guess.
 

strugrat

Club Member
If there's no more adjustment to move the whole door shell IN at the hinge area (you can use factory shims to move it OUT) then one solution is to shave down the surface of the hinge at its face, where it joins the door frame. You can take several mm off both top and bottom hinge faces. This moves the door shell IN towards the body, allowing you to use the factory shims to move it OUT to where it lines up. The wild card here is the front wing/fender. Replacements (new or used) are often subtly different in shape, and even originals can change shape quite a lot when worked on. Lining your door shell up to that can be a challenge...

It might be helpful to differentiate between the door shell and the (stainless) door window frame. Ideally you'd want to be lining up and gapping the door shell on the body first, and then fit the window frame and window. The window frame should be adjusted to fit the door shell and the rest of the bodyshell (door shell takes priority). You should be able to make it fit, as there is quite a lot of adjustment available in the various fixings. The window itself should follow the frame, but the window too has a lot of adjustment available via the winder mechanism and guides. It's a faff, but as long as everything is 'correct' (rather than Frankensteined together from unknown bits) it should be possible to get it lined up fairly well.

Door rubbers give endless problems. For me, there's no real substitute for the two-piece factory originals on a pre-73 car. The seals from Precision had a poor reputation for some time, and I believe they modified the design later? One of the problems is that aftermarket suppliers tend to supply a one-type-fits-all item when there was quite a big variation over the 9 year life of the S30-series models.

Thank you for your advice, very helpful.

The door shell was lined up first as you suggested and I think fits pretty well, makes good contact with the door seal where it should. As far as I can tell I have run out of adjustment on the window frame.

I was going to use a shim to push the lower hinge out which would help with the window frame sticking proud but would also push the lower part of the door out as well?
 

strugrat

Club Member
Well went for a drive for the first time in 5 years. Went very well. Car felt fine but still learning obviously.

Few teething issues to fix but nothing to major, no breakages or loose fitting yet so pretty happy with the first 60 miles or so completed.

Sounds Mega on the Jenvey's but still running the engine in. Pretty happy right now.

Had a basic alignment but need a more focused one when everything has settled in.

IMG_20190223_133945.jpg IMG_20190223_134709.jpg IMG_20190223_163810.jpg IMG_20190223_163849.jpg IMG-20190223-WA0003.jpg IMG-20190223-WA0024.jpg
 
Thanks Dan, its the S60 pro ECU that I am using. That's was the preferred choice from Paul Exon who did the mapping. So far I am quite happy with it but obviously its very early days.
Glad to see it’s done. 5 years is nothing really

What were the issues you recently had with someone’s work that had to be redone?
 

strugrat

Club Member
Glad to see it’s done. 5 years is nothing really

What were the issues you recently had with someone’s work that had to be redone?

Basically the trimmer had done half a job in places so I had to redo some of it and tidy some stuff up.
 

strugrat

Club Member
Good. A few miles in the seat would be better than more work. Did you notice much wind noise from it?

A little and there was some water ingress during washing but nothing too concerning as it required focussed spray from the hose . Any normal weather should be fine.
 

johnymd

Club Member
As far as I can tell I have run out of adjustment on the window frame.
You may need to slot the lower frame fixing hole at the rear of the door or try and carefully bend the frame a little. Door fit looks great so I wouldn't adjust that.
 

strugrat

Club Member
You may need to slot the lower frame fixing hole at the rear of the door or try and carefully bend the frame a little. Door fit looks great so I wouldn't adjust that.

I have thought about doing this but the window only just makes it into the frame channel. If I adjusted it anymore I don't think it would go 'home' so to speak.

Need to think more about it after a few thousand miles.
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
I have thought about doing this but the window only just makes it into the frame channel. If I adjusted it anymore I don't think it would go 'home' so to speak.

Need to think more about it after a few thousand miles.

Priorities are:

*Door fit in door aperture (getting gaps between door and quarter and door and front wing as even as possible).

*Stainless door window frame (Nissan called it the 'Sash') evenly gapped to quarter window leading edge and windscreen pillar/'A' pillar and stainless gutter trim.

*Window fit when wound fully up.

*Smooth operation of window up/down on winder mechanism.

...pretty much in that order. You don't really want to be trying to accommodate a wayward window by compromising the other fits.

I've just been reassembling two doors on one of my project cars after full strip, repair & repaint. It can be very difficult! Lots of swearing and skinned knuckles. It's clear that most of the adjustment for the door window fit is in the two guide channels - the long one in the front of the door which the plastic 'shoe' rides in, and the short one towards the rear of the door which the third arm of the winder mechanism fits into. Both of these are adjustable in situ, and their mounting holes in the door shell might possibly need elongating/slotting to accommodate wear. A small adjustment in both of these can make a big difference in the window fit, and each one affects the other.

I'm assuming that the window frame 'U' channel felts, nylon winder mechanism 'wheels' and the spring-loaded window guide roller are all present and correct and in good nick?
 

strugrat

Club Member
Priorities are:

*Door fit in door aperture (getting gaps between door and quarter and door and front wing as even as possible).

*Stainless door window frame (Nissan called it the 'Sash') evenly gapped to quarter window leading edge and windscreen pillar/'A' pillar and stainless gutter trim.

*Window fit when wound fully up.

*Smooth operation of window up/down on winder mechanism.

...pretty much in that order. You don't really want to be trying to accommodate a wayward window by compromising the other fits.

I've just been reassembling two doors on one of my project cars after full strip, repair & repaint. It can be very difficult! Lots of swearing and skinned knuckles. It's clear that most of the adjustment for the door window fit is in the two guide channels - the long one in the front of the door which the plastic 'shoe' rides in, and the short one towards the rear of the door which the third arm of the winder mechanism fits into. Both of these are adjustable in situ, and their mounting holes in the door shell might possibly need elongating/slotting to accommodate wear. A small adjustment in both of these can make a big difference in the window fit, and each one affects the other.

I'm assuming that the window frame 'U' channel felts, nylon winder mechanism 'wheels' and the spring-loaded window guide roller are all present and correct and in good nick?

I believe everything is in working order, if I had to highlight anything to smarten it up it would be the window U channel felts.
 
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