After trimming the dash cowl & cleaning up the rear cowl I just can't get the body to fit correctly at the rear cockpit.

Initially I thought the outer rear cockpit aluminum was too wide and needed trimming. As you can see in the pictures below the bulb seal was crushed against the body at the door striker (more so on the right side than on the left) which prevented the upper edge of the aluminum from sealing against the body. Note the large gap where the aluminum starts to arch over towards the center.

IMG_4129 by jhsitton, on Flickr

IMG_4129 by jhsitton, on Flickr

I trimmed those outer panels ~3/8” on the right and 1/4” on the left. A second test fit revealed that I’d improved the fit, but had a little more trimming to do.

Another bit of trimming, and body will fit over the sides of the aluminum, but the profile at the top is still wrong leaving a 3/4” gap.

IMG_4359 by jhsitton, on Flickr

Also, in the right rear wheel well, I’ve got a gap at the forward edge of the trunk side panel. It’s about 1/2” at the rear cockpit wall and tapers off. By the time you get to the trunk hoop, the body is firm against the bulb seal.

IMG_4359 by jhsitton, on Flickr

IMG_4359 by jhsitton, on Flickr

IMG_4359 by jhsitton, on Flickr

I could “fix” the cockpit gaps by using a hammer & 2x4 to bend the aluminum forward so that the bulb seal is flush against the body, but that seams a bit drastic. Or I could use some air conditioning duct aluminum tape to seal the gap (painted black so that it blends in).

Any suggestions?


John