Panel Gaps and hinges on Doors, How much Wiggle room for adjustment?

[Idiotwithacar]

First Post, Ill do my best to make it clear.

Recently purchased a VE S2 SV6 and noticed that the Front Passenger door seems to have some panel gaps a little off. It looks like it had some work done on the door in the past (different colour hinges) so its been taken off at some point. The net result is that the bottom of the door seems to be counter sunk and the top of the door seems to be extruding a bit from the chassis. so if you imagine a line running through the length of the door from the hinges to the catch hook its slightly rotated along that axis.

My understanding based on what I've seen with older cars at least is that there are over sized holes on both the door and the chassis with a plate on the inside of the door that essentially clamps the hinge to the door shell when tightened so you can adjust to get the right fit.

Someone told me that this isn't the case with modern cars and that its basically a fixed position and when you bolt a door there's no room for adjustment.

That doesn't seem right to me, Has anyone taken a door off that can clear that up?

 

[Dayvo]

Try just taking a bolt out and see how big the hole is in the hinge compared to the bolt .

 

[lmoengnr]

Loosen all the hinge bolts and see if can move to door around.
If you can move it, try and re-align the gaps.

 

[Idiotwithacar]

I don't think i explained it as well as I had hoped. My bad

The order of parts (as I understand it based on older cars) starting from a plate inside the door shell
Plate (normal fit bolt hole with threads), Door shell (Over sized through holes), Hinge (Normal fit bolt hole), Bolt head.

So when loose the bolt passes perpendicular through the Hinge and can move around the space of the oversize through holes of the door shell while gripping the plate. when tightened the Hinge and the plate act as a clamping force on the door shell wherever they are aligned.

My understanding of how to go about fixing it the right way is take off the front bar, take out the wheel arch liner and the side skirt which would give access to remove the front left quarter panel. With that off the hinge bolts are easily accessible while the door is closed and latched, have a snug fit on the hinge bolts but still able to be moved by light tapping with a rubber mallet (palm of hand) adjust and then tighten up the bolts once fit is achieved. put parts back on.

What I don't want to do is dismantle a quarter of the car and find out that they changed something somewhere between the 1960's and now. which if I'm honest wouldn't be the first time

Try just taking a bolt out and see how big the hole is in the hinge compared to the bolt .

Loosen all the hinge bolts and see if can move to door around.
If you can move it, try and re-align the gaps.

What I'm worried about, if the holes aren't over sized on the shell of the door and there isn't play in the through hole and i spend a bit of time trying to tap it into position I may just be damaging things with no possibility of a result.

I think a combination of both points might work (Without taking apart the entire thing) I could. Loosen all the bolts on one hinge (Probably bottom), this would give me a look to see if they're over sized on the shell, If so put them back in place with a snug fit. Then loosen all but one on the top hinge use that as an anchor to pivot around so that I don't end up creating more problems than I started with.

I don't do a lot of work like this so I'm very aware that If there's a way to mess it up Ill probably find it.

 

[Dayvo]

Maybe head off down to your local wreckers and see if you can have a look at a few commodore shells or even go to a pick a part type wreckers and try adjusting one there while it is still on the car .