Thread: 1940 Ford Pickup

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Well this roof replacement is coming along but there's something wrong some where and it started before I cut the old roof off. The original roof had a gap between the drivers door and the roof and I thought that it was because of the bent up roof, not so. In the pictures below you'll see a big gap on the drivers door. Its not because the roof is to high, the front window is set at height. The passenger side is fine. The doors measure the same. The back roof seam is just like all the others I've seen up a little from flush of the cab. Unless some one sees something I don't my only fix is to extend the door's upper lip as I have done with paper in the picture. Again the front window measures the same on each side and is set the match the old size. Unless they had different size/ tapered front windows its not the height of the cab, maybe a crappy stamped roof ? All theories are gladly welcome !! I can't figure it out, I wore out my tape measure.





White paper showing area to be filledwith extended lip of door.

Any pics of the passenger side?

Originally Posted by randyr

Any pics of the passenger side?

Well I didn't take any, the line's all look good. I guess I'll have to take some to show ya. Heck if both side were high I'd just the the roof down to fit the doors and cut glass to fit.

Originally Posted by Navy7797

Well I didn't take any, the line's all look good. I guess I'll have to take some to show ya. Heck if both side were high I'd just the the roof down to fit the doors and cut glass to fit.

My thought was that if we have enough eyes comparing the two sides, someone might see a little something that could be tweaked.......

Originally Posted by randyr

My thought was that if we have enough eyes comparing the two sides, someone might see a little something that could be tweaked.......

You may be right, I'll get the pic's.

I'm guessing in this time at Ford, Chevy, and Dodge, they were more concerned about getting them out than perfect alignment so that may be a bad stamping like you say. I've seen several 40 Ford 2 door sedans that the driver's door doesn't fit correctly at the bottom at all. I thought it was just mine until I started looking at others and noticed it was just how they were.

Yeah, the good ol' american quality control that we remember so well. When we all know the factories were chasin' the dollar, just like today.

Navy,
I'd take a piece of poster board and trace the top outline of the passenger door using a measured reference from the bottom of the window opening and cut it out. Repeat for the driver's side, using the same point of reference, and compare the two. Someone might have put on a replacement door at some time in the truck's past, and it might have been close but not the same profile, like for a coupe or sedan?

Originally Posted by rspears

Navy,
I'd take a piece of poster board and trace the top outline of the passenger door using a measured reference from the bottom of the window opening and cut it out. Repeat for the driver's side, using the same point of reference, and compare the two. Someone might have put on a replacement door at some time in the truck's past, and it might have been close but not the same profile, like for a coupe or sedan?

Roger: I did do a tracing of both of the doors top edge only and compared, I'll go back and do from the bottom window edge. These do have 2 different type door handles on them so you maybe right about one being from a sedan. Thanks for your input.

Did you measure the top of both doors are they the same?? I think if the windshield fits I'd redo the door. Great project.

I don't think the door can be from a coupe or sedan because the cars don't have that big body line stamping in them. They use a moulding that clips on. You could have an earlier door on one side. I have heard guys say that some of the earlier production cabs had a little less height and you'd never notice it unless you were the one putting the door on.

If the door / roof line fit is about the same both sides, I think it will be the replacement roof at fault and to get around that I would possibly look at altering the rear panel to allow the roof to sit down closer to where it needs to be. Just looking at the photo of the left door the screen side looks not bad so by trimming the rear would allow the roof to drop down closing the gaps evenly across the top of the door. Hopefully Dave may jump in here and put his thoughts forward to help.

I'm thinking it's a different door, but you could make a cardboard template of the other side and see if it fits better.

Ok here's the results of accurate measuring and template usage ? Drivers door is 1/4 inch shorter than the passenger's door. It seems that you just can't rush measuring things. The drivers door is short 1/4 inch between the door molding and the top of the door. Most likely from different years, there's different door handles on them ? Here's a pic of the the pass side. It fits good.

Looking at the shape of the gap, I don't think dropping the top on the driver's side is going to do what you want. The only answer is to either find a new door, or extend the top edge of the one you've got to fill the gap. The width of the section between glass & roof is going to differ side to side, but I expect you'll be the only one who knows......... other than us, that is