1963 Coupe Roof Panel

[Timothy B.]

I was reading Noland's book on page 38 about the 1963 coupe roof panel and door fit. Did this panel get fixed for the 1964 year with the removal of the rear split from the panel. I appreciate any information about this door fit/roof panel issue.

The reason I ask is because my 1963 doors fit fair but I can't seem to get the A pillar gap even along the side of the windshield, wider at base of windshield and close at top. It's like someone bent them in and if I pull the door out at the top to make the A pillar gap even there is a gap where the roof/door line is to the point that something is not right. I will try to get pics later, I manufactured the vertical gaps along the fender to be nice but this A pillar along the windshield really bothers me.

Body shims in front of the #2 mount don't seem to help as the coupe is pretty rigid. I initally thought to add some shims at #2 and it will lift the front allowing me to tilt the door rearward and open the gap but it's not helping much.

I appreciate any suggestions.

[Clark K.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Roof Panel

Timothy, until the experts weigh in on your question: I have read stories where some coupes had their doors "leaned on heavily" at the factory to get them to fit better! Perhaps your door top is bent somehow.

I have had my two coupe doors adjusted a few times. I do not believe that the average person can do this. I took my car to a restoration expert and they got the door gaps even all the way around. The shop owner told me that this is a tedious trial and error process.
-Clark

[Dan H.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Roof Panel

My 63 Coupe, sn 13528, had a 'kink' in the rear part of the steel door inner frame, where the window fuzzy goes on both sides, an attempt to 'align' it better to the top. My 64 fits much better, no kink either.
Dan

[David L.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Roof Panel

I remember that the doors on my "early" 1963 SWC (VIN: # 1450) that I owned from 1987 to 1990 did not fit that well at the top but that did not seem to bother my 5 year old son when he went "cruising".

Dave

[John H.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Roof Panel

I was reading Noland's book on page 38 about the 1963 coupe roof panel and door fit. Did this panel get fixed for the 1964 year with the removal of the rear split from the panel.

Tim -

No, the roof surface design error carried into 1964 and through the end of 1967 production; it was never fixed. Every coupe required some level of "reefing" the upper half of the doors to try and mask the fit problem.

[Timothy B.]

Re: 1963 Coupe Roof Panel

Thanks everyone for the information about this coupe roof panel. The thing that really bothers me is that on my 63 the gap gets smaller going up the windshield pillar. On a 63 as everyone knows, the mouldings are on both the doos and windshield pillar so they will not look parallel.

I have seen 63's that this area looks even so I don't know if I should try to correct this on my car as it really bothers me.. It's very difficult to tell from my pics but when the door is closed flush, the gap is almost 1/8" tighter at the top of that pillar than the bottom. The pics show the area that I am trying to correct. Maybe that's why the 64-later doors are fiberglass in this area as the gap can be made to look even.