Putting the door back on after rebuilding some hinges. What is the best way to put it back on and get it all aligned? It seems like there is a lot of play with the hinge mounts/ backing plates. Is it best done before or after putting the fender on?

first doors, then fenders. If the fenders were on and aligned before you took out the doors, then you can mount the doors with the fenders on no problem.

Typically you hang the doors first and align them to the quarters. Then you hang the fenders and align them to the doors. Sometimes you get lucky and the doors work with the fenders as they are already mounted. Then all you have to contend with is getting to the hinge to body bolts.

But sometimes the fenders need a little massaging after the doors have been off.

Good luck!

Before you final tighten the doors stick the fenders on and make sure you have the front of the door high enough.

This is a recommendation I read somewhere:

Body Panel Alignment
1. Replace pins and overhaul door hinges.
2. Align doors to body.
3. Align door latches to doors.
4. Align hood to body.
5. Align fenders to doors and hood.

This works best with two people. Hopefully the front fender is off the car. Double up some masking tape and rake across your pants leg so it isn't so sticky and place on the ends and bottom edges of the door so you won't chip your paint if you bump it against the edges of the quarter or rocker panel. Leave the front tape on until the fender is installed and aligned. Place a couple of old overstuffed living room chair cushions on the floor under the door in case you drop it. Roll the door window down and with one guy in front and the other in the rear gently position the door in the opening and allow the door to latch. You will probably have to pull on the door handle and press the door into the latch then release the handle to allow the door to close completely. If you cannot get the door to close completely temporarily bolt it down enough to get the rear to catch.

Align the front of the door with the cowl panel and hood and tighten a couple of the bolts. Stand back and check the gaps at the quarter panel and at the rocker panel. Adjust the door up or down until the gaps are the same in the front by loosening the front bolts. You may also need to re-align the door catch on the rear of the door if the door was previously adjusted to fit the worn hinge pins. Raise or lower the catch until the door gaps fits the quarter and rocker at the rear. Once the door fits into the opening like it should all the way around tighten the bolts then carefully roll the window up and see if it fits. Adjust if needed. Once everything fits well, check the tightness of all the bolts and tighten. Install the front fender and align it to the front of the door with the same size gap all the way down. You may need to shim the bolts of the fender where it bolts to the cowl (top and bottom) so the fender and door align. Oil the new hinge pins and the door latch.

Benji