Many a fine tune needs to be played on an old car. And old cars, like your Ol’ Dad, develop sags, wrinkles and misalignments. We’re in need of a face erase, a tuck or a wart removal, but any improvements below the belt (line) will not be discussed because of my good taste and incredible sensitivity.
So as I sit here checking out the 64-year-old sheetmetal surrounding the innards of my roadster, I’m reminded that Detroit once assembled products with rubber hammers, blocks of wood, clamps and elbow grease. Consequently, body panel alignment of ’20s-’60s passenger cars and light trucks was never very good; and age, rust, collisions and poor upkeep have made matters worse.
As if to mirror Detroit’s new-found concern with quality control, one of the most significant developments in street rod expression has been in the area of fit and finish. Now street rod builders are on a mission to make old bods look as fit as today’s Lincolns, Lexus and Lamborghinis.
First, they make sure the hinges are sound, the pins aren’t loose or worn, the fasteners aren’t missing, and everything is tight. The next step is to align the beltlines front to rear. This can be done by adjusting and bending the hinges or shimming the body to make the doors and the decklid square in their openings. The beltlines are then repositioned in or out so the door or the decklid skin is flush with the cowl or rear quarter-panels. Let’s see how it’s done.
