Got some garage time and set about hanging the door to check fitment of the inner cowl in relation to the door. First day's attempt at hanging the door was a bust. For whatever reason, I just couldn't align the holes in the door with the holes in the hinges. Even after using the notch on the upper hinge as a guide with the corresponding bolt already installed! Knowing when to take a break is key for me. If I try to push through my fatigue and frustration, I will make mistakes. So I walked away for the afternoon. Came back this morning and nailed it on the first try. On to panel alignment. After adjusting the door several times, I got what I thought was pretty good, but not quite exact, alignment. The door gap at the bottom by the lock pillar needs a tiny tweak, but for today's purposes, it was good enough! A quick adjustment of the inner cowl/inner-to-outer cowl assembly and I think I'm pretty darn close! But not welding close. What I noticed are that the new panel does not quite follow the contour of the door (the rounded shape) and also that there is a mismatch underneath between the door and panel. I think both issues can be resolved with a strip of sheet metal acting as a shim. I plan to cut a narrow piece of sheet metal and run it the length of the hinge pillar to raise the new inner cowl panel to match the door. I'll run this strip all the way to the end of the hinge pillar where it meets the rocker panel. I'll do it as a dry fit first, to make sure it actually solves the problems. So, no welding today or tomorrow or the next day, for that matter. I'm taking a few days off from the truck to take a break and think about something else. Not too long, but I do need a short break. Summer has arrived in Virginia and brought with it the heat and humidity. The morning sun shines directly into my garage and combined with the humidity makes truck work pretty miserable. So, a little break from the sheet metal. Maybe I'll prime the oil system and try to fire up the 235 that I plan to put into the truck. I haven't run it in about 4 years.... Anyway, I'm attaching several pics to show door gaps. Let me know what you think. Also, if there is a pic that I missed that you think may be helpful to see, let me know.
Kevin: Thank You for the suggestion to hang the door now! It saved me a headache down the road!!
