Horizontal Body Line

[Martin]

Working on my quarter panel install and alignment. I’m shooting a level/straight line with a laser level. Question is how “straight” is the body line really? Anyone ever shot theirs and checked it? nothing on my car is “straight” anyway so hate to ruin it.

 

[Cuda Hunter]

That's a good idea. I've not done that so I'm curious if others have as well.

 

[rklein71]

watching...

 

[Martin]

Really hoping someone would go out to their garage and try this on a finished car....

 

[Cuda Hunter]

I'm with ya. Very curious as to the result of lasering.

When you put your front fender on does the front and rear line up with the laser line as it is now?

 

[rzzmills]

Working on my quarter panel install and alignment. I’m shooting a level/straight line with a laser level. Question is how “straight” is the body line really? Anyone ever shot theirs and checked it? nothing on my car is “straight” anyway so hate to ruin it.

View attachment 66715

I have done a similar process for aligning body panels. I used a self leveling laser with a single dot. I rotate the laser on a tripod to go along the body line. I have new quarters and original doors. The line on the new quarters moves a little up over wheel wells, less than an 1/8".

I have wasted a lot of time on front fenders, as I was working with original fenders both had been worked over many years ago, so I was not sure where body line went. I recently bought new Goodmark fenders, and carefully found the line. They are black and I sprayed a grey primer stripe on them along body line. This allowed me to see the crest of the line better. I used a pencil and marked the crest every 4" or so, and then I used a straight edge to connect the dots. From what I was able to determine, the line in front fenders starts to dip 9" behind the back of the side marker opening, over top of the wheel well. Then it dips a little more 3 or 4" back from front edge. I was trying to get the line at the front of fender up to the laser, but I was getting a huge gap at lower front of door.

 

[Martin]

Thanks. That confirms what I am seeing too on my car. It’s look like the rear line curves down at the tail, but since the fender actually curves Inward its hard to tell.

 

[rzzmills]

Thanks. That confirms what I am seeing too on my car. It’s look like the rear line curves down at the tail, but since the fender actually curves Inward its hard to tell.

I agree, I think the line moves down ever so slightly in the last couple of inches at the back.