Body panel gaps - how big should they be?

[ScottyA6]

I think that I might have instigated this. I have no axe to grind re that Suzuki, it is cheap, reliable, and put together very well. The point I made was it might win the panel gap contest but if I had to shuffle down a motorway for four hours I would be picking up the A6 key every day of the week.

[zollaf]

they also rust spectacularly. only the other month this one decided to collapse one side of the front suspension when the spring turret plate thingy at the top of the strut let go.

[Doctle Odd]

I have to agree with that Z. I find main dealers for some marques are especially unhelpful. The local renault dealer refused to give me an engine code unless I booked it in for a scan. The Opel dealer simply left me on hold when I rang for info. Forums for some makes are more about style than substance. Luckily for VAG owners there's sites like this. The level of expertise and free advice and how to's is unmatched.

that what i do. luckiliy the one i look after is so easy to do you don't even need tippex. but its things like tensioner torques . the main point is that the suzuki might do 70 mpg, but is a really nasty little car with no aftermarket support. people who own vags just don't reaslise how fortunate thy are with the main dealers, tps, ecp, gsf, vcds and the rest of the aftermarket world. this more than makes up for large panel gaps.
talking of panel gaps, you wanna see a landrover. some are so bad that a thin person doesn't even need to open the door to get in.

[Doctle Odd]

It's not your fault they made the bizarrely and inappropriately named Suzuki Swift!

I think that I might have instigated this. I have no axe to grind re that Suzuki, it is cheap, reliable, and put together very well. The point I made was it might win the panel gap contest but if I had to shuffle down a motorway for four hours I would be picking up the A6 key every day of the week.

[rickerby]

The panel gaps on my car all look pretty consistent, but then they do on any modern car. Modern manufacturing techniques result in much tighter tolerances than used to be the case in the 70s, 80s and 90s. All manufacturers (even those of "lesser" cars) use much the same process to stamp panels, weld bodies and align panels.

[Wuffles]

The panel gaps on my car all look pretty consistent, but then they do on any modern car. Modern manufacturing techniques result in much tighter tolerances than used to be the case in the 70s, 80s and 90s. All manufacturers (even those of "lesser" cars) use much the same process to stamp panels, weld bodies and align panels.

Whilst I'm sure that's true, when a dealer has been poking about with said panels, you can lose the quality of the lines quite easily.

[Passatier3]

There was a car on Watchdog, a Ford Focus I think, which had a badly fitting hatch, which even after adjustment had inconsistent gaps. You'd think that with jigs, robots etc. this wouldn't happen but it clearly did in that case and so even in this day and age with the manufacturing/assembly methods used it does happen.

[tadziak]

This is how badly aligned were the panels of my VW Passat CC (100% new from factory). The hood was not even aligned with the grill lines, Front door was way heigher than the rear etc etc. So now I'm a bit overly-sensitive


frontleftdoor.jpgfrontlefthoodtop.jpgfrontrighthoodbottom.jpg

[Doctle Odd]

Is it a cut & shut ?

[zollaf]

that passat must have been involved in a shunt and been rebuilt to be that bad. yes, even brand new cars are often full of filler.