Rant: guy at the Springfield swap meet told me my panel gaps were lazy and he was right

David Jones · 2026-10-01T01:30:03.042094+00:00

I was showing off the fenders on my 55 Bel Air at a swap meet in Springfield three weeks back and some old timer walked up and said the gaps looked like I eyeballed them with a beer in my hand. Turns out he was right, I had been rushing the shims because I just wanted it done. Went back, spent two full weekends with a feeler gauge and got every gap between 3/16 and 1/4 inch, and the whole car looks straighter now. Anybody got a trick for holding shims in place while you tighten the bolts down?

💡Thought Shares

Loading…

Rant: guy at the Springfield swap meet told me my panel gaps were lazy and he was right | Classic Car Restoration - Thought Shares