'70 door gap original but varies point deduct ?

[Bob B.]

I am prepping my 70 convertible, yellow for flight judging. the passenger door leading edge to right front fender gap is not exactly like a new Lexus- about 2/3 of the way up the door the gap opens to what seems normal to mabie 1/8 of a inch wider, noticeable, but seems fairly common. Yellow shows this difference more than darker colored cars. On my other 70 I got hit for over restoring-
and that was a correct call by judges- but should I expect to get deduct from a factory 100% original gap ?
ie NOT over restored ?

Thanks, Bob

[Mark E.]

Re: '70 door gap original but varies point deduct ?

Do you know it's "a factory 100% original gap"?

[Bob B.]

Re: '70 door gap original but varies point deduct ?

Good question, I will double check. Usually any old repaired damage is pretty easy to spot. But the truth is you just are never 100% sure until the old paint is stripped off- it bares the old stories. I never noticed any repaired damage when repainted, but did not take to bare glass.
Bob

[Brad Hillhouse (37766)]

Re: '70 door gap original but varies point deduct ?

Its called gravity.

Happens to the best of us as things sag over the past 50 years.

It can be original AND not as it left the factory at the same time.


Brad

[Mark E.]

Re: '70 door gap original but varies point deduct ?

My brother had a 1974 coupe he acquired from the original owner in 1976 with 15,000 miles and original paint. Both the panel fit and paint were horrible. I could place my pinky in the top of the door-fender gap. And the silver metallic looked more like grey primer- thin, dull and with bad orange peel.
So I've seen an original car with bad body and paint. If I were the original owner I wouldn't have accepted it at delivery.

[Bob B.]

Re: '70 door gap original but varies point deduct ?

Hillhouse;s commentary is the funniest I have heard all month, unfortunately so very true. sad but true- well done !!!

Mark, I had a new silver coupe drop shipped to the dealer closest to the plant in St Louis summer of 75- on the drivers door I could read the print off a piece of newspaper that had blown up on the wet paint at the factory. Actually, read the ink print that had come off on the fresh wet paint !
I complained to the dealer, he told me I could take the car that way OR go back to California without a new Corvette. No love at all.
Needless to say, I drove the car away AS-IS, they would just as soon I did not take the car. Good old days ???

[Rex M.]

Re: '70 door gap original but varies point deduct ?

I actually worked at the General Tire & Rubber / Fiberglass division in Marion, Indiana. This is where all those C3 body panels were molded. When the door skins came out of the press, the operator used a stanley knife to trim the excess fiberglass around the edges of the skins. Many times in that curve area at the front top they dug into the curve with the knife. They then sanded it smooth and plended it in to look like nothing was wrong and send the parts to St Louis. They installed and blended the gaps as best they could but that is why you have those gaps. Truth hurts but that's the reason. Should be no deduct.

[Bob B.]

Re: '70 door gap original but varies point deduct ?

How cool is that, The REAL story of why that gap seemed to be fairly common from the factory-
I will keep her the say she came to the dealers showroom, freckles and all, would not change or fix it on a bet.
But, now we know. THANK YOU !!!

[Anthony C.]