Panel Gaps

[Toffynose]

Hi Gurus,

What panel gap size is considered concourse???

Should all panels have the same gap, scuttle, trunk and doors?

[NeunElf]

Hi Gurus,

What panel gap size is considered concourse???

Should all panels have the same gap, scuttle, trunk and doors?

I think I remember some illustration saying gaps were 3 mm. That might have been in Neil's Book, The 356A Porsche. Documented Details by by Neil Goldberg, Chuck Stoddard, Marco Marinello, and Sebastian Gaeta.

What's really important is that everything should be straight and even. Unless you have a really, really big budget, you probably aren't going to make a door bigger or smaller to get a specific gap. But, it should be the same gap on the front and the back of the door.

I'ts better to have the top of the door even with the fender line than to have a slightly different gap at the bottom.

I have been a concours judge and I have marked cars down for uneven gaps. I've never heard of a judge measuring the gaps.

[endo911rs]

Make sure you account for paint/primer thickness. If you make them 3mm in metal, they'll almost be touching in final paint! I think I heard somewhere that they should be a little over 4mm in bare metal as a starting point.

There are A LOT of tricks to get proper gaps so don't settle for poor fitting panels. A skilled body man can do wonders in a short amount of time.

[Cliff]

65 metal work restoration
This might be of interest for this inquiry

[bliebler]

When I put my 73S together I used 2 popsicle sticks together which give about 4mm. At the time I owned a 86 Turbo and I now have a 85 Carrera and the gaps are pretty bad compared to my S which I restored almost 20 yrs ago. Even with the perfect door gaps my 73 drivers door likes to close a little high no matter how I adjusted the shims. Looking from behind my 85 has both doors closing a little high.

[mac73s]

The doors will likely be the greatest challenge, but as noted, don't settle for an ill fitting door. I had mine off and on many times during the process and am extremely pleased that I did so...some hammer/wood block blows to the hinges and or door itself, some 'added' metal to the door edges, hinge shims..whatever it takes. Remember that once the rear quarter is in place, the doors get fit to it, then the fenders to the doors as both of these sections have adjustment where the rear quarter does not. I found the rear deck and hood lid much easier but to get side-to-side hood gaps where I wanted them, the front fenders can be adjusted in and out along that edge. Stick to it...the results are worth it.

[37yrold911]

If it looks too good then Ferry will say "we did not make them like that."

[Will 1967]

If it looks too good then Ferry will say "we did not make them like that."

I totally agree, IMO most concours cars have way too good gaps and paint what they really were back in the days. (but its pretty much with all brands regardless of age) Not that I was even born then but still.

[mac73s]

I would argue that with a fully restored car I'd rather my car be in a state where I am defending 'too good' of gaps (if that even makes sense) than presenting a restored car with lousy gaps and telling onlookers - to include concours judges - that such is the way it is suppose to look. With an original car, leave it alone and defend away your good or poor gaps, but with a full nut and bolt restoration given these car's values, it makes no sense to me to not improve on such glaring details (like gaps) during that process. We're just talking gaps here - not any radical body or interior modifications. JMHO.

[NeunElf]

I would argue that with a fully restored car I'd rather my car be in a state where I am defending 'too good' of gaps (if that even makes sense) than presenting a restored car with lousy gaps and telling onlookers - to include concours judges - that such is the way it is suppose to look. With an original car, leave it alone and defend away your good or poor gaps, but with a full nut and bolt restoration given these car's values, it makes no sense to me to not improve on such glaring details (like gaps) during that process. We're just talking gaps here - not any radical body or interior modifications. JMHO.

+ 1

I can't imagine telling one of America's finest paint and body men (or women, to be PC) to make sure the door gaps are off by precisely X mm. Do we want to debate whether cars from 301376 to 301385 had their passenger-side door gaps wider in the front than in the rear or vice-versa?